Black Mountain Trail is a 6.8 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Henderson, Nevada that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, trail running, and nature trips and is best used from September until May. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
Trail BLM404 (Black Mountain) is an easy hike most of the way until the last ½ mile when you might have to engage in some scrambling (class 2). Because of the distance and last segment of the hike, it is considered strenuous by most accounts; it kicked my butt pretty good You access the trail via the Shadow Canyon Trailhead and follow a paved portion of the Anthem East Trail. There is a reservoir and you want to keep right of it (SE). You know you are on the right track if you pass by a small brick structure with a trail sign on it: find BLM404: this is the trail to Black Mountain. Follow along the top of the spillway till you see a sign that reads “Black Mountain Trail”. The trail itself is well marked from there and soon follows a ridgeline to the top. Warm weather hiking is difficult due to the lack of shade so bring plenty of water (3 liters when hot, 2-1 liters when cool). While the landscape is stark in the beginning, there are breathtaking views of the valleys below as you hike along a ridge line with some switch backs. As you get to higher elevations, there are small windswept Joshua Trees and about three types of Barrel Cactus. As you approach 1/3 of a mile from the peak, there are nice clusters of Teddy Bear Cholla… but be careful: these cacti are painful to brush by and often have little clusters that have fallen off the mother plant scattered about. You will know when you are getting close to the peak as the trail gets steeper and more rugged with loose rocks and a steeper assent. You might want to have your hands free to steady yourself at that point. The view was amazing from the top and totally worth the hike!
September 18, 2020Great trail, the last few hundred yards are steep. I would recommend taking a hiking buddy for the bouldering.
September 13, 2020
September 6, 2020Amazing trail. Do it before 6:30 and you’ll be able to ride out the mountain in complete shade. You’ll need it.
September 5, 2020August 30, 2020The route I took begins at the top of the Madeira Canyon neighborhood. Bring plenty of water for this challenging climb.
August 26, 2020Great workout
August 5, 2020Tough Trail
July 26, 2020Great hike awesome view from the top. I started about 30 minutes before daybreak and was able to complete the entire trail in the shade of Black Mountain. The trail is well marked easy to follow. Steady Gradual climb except for the last 1/2mile. The last 1/2 mile to the top requires rock scrambling And it seems like it’s never going to end. The view is definitely worth the effort. Beautiful view of the city all the way back to the trailhead. Take plenty of water at least 2-3 liters.
July 1, 2020I did a modified route that started and ended inside a gated community. If you don’t have access to the Videiras neighborhood, you can start from the trailhead behind the neighborhood sign just outside the gate (Democracy and Chateau Clermont). It’s easy except for last little bit. Just a little long so it feels like you’re hiking 2 mountains. Top part of the trail is so steep it sucks going up and coming down. Views are amazing in pretty much every direction and worth it. Just wish I had more time to enjoy them. Take at least 3L water in summer.
June 30, 2020Best view in Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area. Even the solar towers in Ivanpah are visible as you near the top. Views towards Boulder City, I-11 bypass, US 95, shooting down towards Searchlight, and, of course, the Las Vegas Valley, as well. This route is much easier to follow and walk than the northern loop of Trail 404. Just the last 1/2 mile or so is steep, and you'll likely go off the actual trail a few times. Hard to actually lose your way on the ridge, though. Once back off the peak, it's a pretty quick and easy way back to the trail head, even if darkness were falling. By contrast, returning on the other side of the loop, I kept tripping and stumbling in the dark. much more uneven terrain for a much larger portion of that trail. This route is definitely preferred.
June 29, 2020You CAN hike Black Mountain in the summer. Be sure to start in the early morning to tackle the uphill in full shade.
June 26, 2020June 25, 2020Nice Trail !!! Easy and quiet!
June 22, 2020Not a fan. You spend majority of the time walking a zig zag trail across the desert before you actually get to ascend and do some actual hiking. It’s not a workout until the last mile.
June 18, 2020Nice climb to get the cardio going! Started at 5 am and was in shade entire climb till peak and half way back down. I highly recommend starting early this time of year. Kind of steep on top but this 55 year old had no problem.
June 9, 2020This was my 2nd time reaching the summit. Great workout! Started @ 7am in 65 degrees. Perfect! Not sure who added the “We love our first responders” sign but, as a paramedic, I appreciate (and love) it! Thank you! The ass-kicking last half mile is well worth the views. Definitely worth it!!
June 8, 2020Good incline climb and amazing panoramic views of the Strip. April is the best time of year to go and check out all the wildflowers in bloom and the greenery.
June 2, 2020Terrific trail! We did it on June 2, and started at 5:30 am to beat the heat. Trail was clearly marked. Great views from the top. Not very difficult.
May 26, 2020one of my favorite hikes in las vegas. the views up top are awesome! make sure to bring a lot of water if you go in the summer months.. the trial is long and it gets hot
May 26, 2020This is a great hike if you are prepared for it. I recommend starting out early to beat the heat as well as the crowds. The trailhead is easy enough to spot, when you reach the little shed make sure you go straight across the cement area and you will see the trailhead sign. The trail starts out uphill and gets gradually steeper as you ascend. This is a great hike and a great workout! I would not recommend for those in subpar shape due to the altitude and the difficulty of the approach to the summit.
