Off-road Adventures near Kingston Peak
WE all love the desert attactions near Las Vegas. They add a surreal natural component to what is otherwise already a most surreal urban landscape. Yet our favorite near-by getaways like RED ROCK CANYON, LAKE MEAD and the VALLEY OF FIRE are no longer what they used to be ten or even five years ago. The relentless urban growth and overdelevopment of the Las Vegas valley have turned them into popular at times overcrowded destinations for both locals and visitors alike, and reaching them has become harder with the high traffic volume in town. And yet we still love Las Vegas, no matter how much the boom may have gone bust, and no matter how sadly many parts of the city resemble ordinary suburban American strip malls. And, most importantly, desert adventures still abound - we must just dedicate a bit more time, preparation and risk-taking to our mission.
Nothing better for such adventures than the conveniences of a four-wheel pick-up truck, which allows us access to even the most remote places. And no better place to start than heading I-15 down towards PRIMM, Nevada and the California border. We don't have far to go - the first access on I-15 after leaving town for good is JEAN and GOODSPRINGS - and this is where we embark on our off-road excitement. After leaving the freeway and the community of JEAN with the Nevada Penetentiary behind us, we drive north on Nevada Hwy 161 towards the small village of GOODSPRINGS - here too, development has changed the look and feel of what was once a deserted desert outpost...nowadays residents happily set up homes here to commute into Las Vegas. Yet it has still retained its small-town feel and oasis-like setting due to nearby springs - such a necessity for survival in these harsh desert climes. As we continue on Hwy 161 en route to SANDY VALLEY Nevada, the setting changes gradually - the scenery is arid and dusty once again, and the subsequent community of SANDY VALLEY evokes the very spirit of trailer communities in the Southwest, even making Pahrump feel sophisticated by comparison.
Yet the shacks and trailers of Sandy Valley are quickly left behind, as we start the scenically unique and rewarding part of our desert excursion driving out on SR 53, "Kingston Rd" until we reach a turn-off to the right - the very reason for our coming: EXCELSIOR MINE ROAD.
Starting out as the very essence of a deserted desert highway, still paved and surrounded by gorgeous cacti and shrubs, it gradually deteriorates with every mile traveled. Pot-holes abound, then gravel starts and soon we are left with little more than a dirt road, as its course takes us to a higher elevation with slightly lusher green vegetation, curving ever so slightly to the left around the 7300 ft. KINGSTON PEAK.
Continuing on the dirt road, we start seeing burros and wild horses and then the true four-wheel capabilies of the truck are called for, as even the dirt road can hardly be recognized any more. This is the very top of the pass crossing over the Kingston range within close proximity to the California-Nevada stateline. And here, in the remote isolation of the Mojave desert, we find an abandoned house attracting our curiosity. Who in their right mind would opt for this inaccessible yet beautiful location to dwell for more than a few hours? We learn it is the RANCH HOUSE at HORSE THIEF SPRINGS, TECOPA PASS. Adding additional excitement to our desert mission, we sneak a peak inside the abandoned building - noone has been here in years, yet there are signs some hermit must have lived here before, with even an ancient edition of the "Las Vegas Review Journal" in the kitchen.
As we resume the non-existing road, we pass more herds of burros and horses and then see the access to the TALC mines in the Kingston Range. With this we descend further away from the range, enjoying sweeping views over the wide Mojave desert, as the road conditions improve slightly again, straddling the Nevada California border. Then we are back to better driving conditions, and EXCELSIOR MINE ROAD turns into SMITH TALC ROAD, then MESQUITE VALLEY ROAD and becoming paved once again at the FURNACE CREEK Highway. Continuing further into Nevada, we are back in familiar territory - and after our exciting off-road adventures near Kingson Peak, some DATE BREAD at the CHINA RANCH DATE FARM beckons, as we then immerse ourselves into the relaxing spring waters of near-by TECOPA HOT SPRINGS before our return to our desert home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nothing better for such adventures than the conveniences of a four-wheel pick-up truck, which allows us access to even the most remote places. And no better place to start than heading I-15 down towards PRIMM, Nevada and the California border. We don't have far to go - the first access on I-15 after leaving town for good is JEAN and GOODSPRINGS - and this is where we embark on our off-road excitement. After leaving the freeway and the community of JEAN with the Nevada Penetentiary behind us, we drive north on Nevada Hwy 161 towards the small village of GOODSPRINGS - here too, development has changed the look and feel of what was once a deserted desert outpost...nowadays residents happily set up homes here to commute into Las Vegas. Yet it has still retained its small-town feel and oasis-like setting due to nearby springs - such a necessity for survival in these harsh desert climes. As we continue on Hwy 161 en route to SANDY VALLEY Nevada, the setting changes gradually - the scenery is arid and dusty once again, and the subsequent community of SANDY VALLEY evokes the very spirit of trailer communities in the Southwest, even making Pahrump feel sophisticated by comparison.
Yet the shacks and trailers of Sandy Valley are quickly left behind, as we start the scenically unique and rewarding part of our desert excursion driving out on SR 53, "Kingston Rd" until we reach a turn-off to the right - the very reason for our coming: EXCELSIOR MINE ROAD.
Starting out as the very essence of a deserted desert highway, still paved and surrounded by gorgeous cacti and shrubs, it gradually deteriorates with every mile traveled. Pot-holes abound, then gravel starts and soon we are left with little more than a dirt road, as its course takes us to a higher elevation with slightly lusher green vegetation, curving ever so slightly to the left around the 7300 ft. KINGSTON PEAK.
Continuing on the dirt road, we start seeing burros and wild horses and then the true four-wheel capabilies of the truck are called for, as even the dirt road can hardly be recognized any more. This is the very top of the pass crossing over the Kingston range within close proximity to the California-Nevada stateline. And here, in the remote isolation of the Mojave desert, we find an abandoned house attracting our curiosity. Who in their right mind would opt for this inaccessible yet beautiful location to dwell for more than a few hours? We learn it is the RANCH HOUSE at HORSE THIEF SPRINGS, TECOPA PASS. Adding additional excitement to our desert mission, we sneak a peak inside the abandoned building - noone has been here in years, yet there are signs some hermit must have lived here before, with even an ancient edition of the "Las Vegas Review Journal" in the kitchen.
As we resume the non-existing road, we pass more herds of burros and horses and then see the access to the TALC mines in the Kingston Range. With this we descend further away from the range, enjoying sweeping views over the wide Mojave desert, as the road conditions improve slightly again, straddling the Nevada California border. Then we are back to better driving conditions, and EXCELSIOR MINE ROAD turns into SMITH TALC ROAD, then MESQUITE VALLEY ROAD and becoming paved once again at the FURNACE CREEK Highway. Continuing further into Nevada, we are back in familiar territory - and after our exciting off-road adventures near Kingson Peak, some DATE BREAD at the CHINA RANCH DATE FARM beckons, as we then immerse ourselves into the relaxing spring waters of near-by TECOPA HOT SPRINGS before our return to our desert home in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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