Muddy Peak

Revised Apr 2006 - please send updates to the webmaster

home See Driving Directions > Mojave Desert for context and how to get here.
info GPS waypoints: download GPX file
Muddy Peak is a moderate dayhike, but a long drive to the trailhead (waypoint REDSUM). The apparent 'trailhead' is waypoint MUDCAR, where you come upon an amazing steel plate sign, with arc welder lettering listing all the recreational and conservation groups that agree you should stop here. It's an easy 4WD road up to this point and beyond, but it does seem that most people stop where they are told. (See my trip report for a picture of the sign and more details of the climb.)

Here is an area-wide road map. See below for more detailed maps:
Muddy Peak near Las Vegas

To the right is the 4WD road
between waypoints MUD167 and MUDCAR
as shown on the area map above.

Drive northeast from Las Vegas on I-15, exit southeast on Hwy 40 (toward Valley of Fire State Park). At waypoint MUDJ40 go straight on a dirt road instead of following the pavement as it bends left.

Go across Hwy 167 (waypoint MUD167) and past a large turnoff to a rock quarry (waypoint MUDQRY), ignore the large parking lot where the road narrows (wayopint MUDLOT - which had 3 purple porta-potties when we were there)... and then generally follow the line on the 7.5' topo maps.

The red dashed line on the map to the right is an actual track log from my GPS. There were many turns and it was not always obvious which was which, but this may help:

  • go straight at MUDDY1 and MUDDY2 and MUDDY3
  • turn right at MUDDY4
  • go straight at MUDDY5 and MUDDY6 and MUDDY7
  • at MUDDY8 you can go up on the ridge and get confused or you can just stay down in the draw (the roads come together later but if you're high you may be tempted, as we were, to take the wrong road going west)
  • turn right at MUDDY9
  • turn right at the final junction MUDBOR (if you go straight, continuing on Bitter Springs Trail, you should get to the American Borax Road).
  • MUDCAR is trailhead for Muddy, with that cool steel sign

See my trip report for a picture of the sign and more details of the climb.


Useful Links: