Hidden Geocashes at the top of Turtlehead Peak!

Length: 5.19 Miles
Time: 3 Hours 54 Minutes
Steps: 15, 434
Enjoyment Rating: 9/10
Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous
Location
Entry Fee: $15 or FREE

The view from the top of Turtlehead Peak.

Overview

The beginning of the path to the top of the peak.

Turtlehead Peak trail is located at the Sandstone Quarry parking lot in Red Rock National Park. This trail ascends over 2,014′ in elevation to the highest point able to be hiked in Red Rock Canyon. I hiked this trail with my roommate and neighbor. It took us a total of 2 hours and 30 minutes to make it to the top of the peak. The total time for the trail was 3 hours and 54 minutes to hike 5.19 miles.

It was difficult to follow the path to the top.

Turtlehead Peak is for more experienced hikers. The entire trail is up-hill, with some parts being so steep I had to climb up rocks using my hands to pull myself up. The trail itself is difficult to follow. It intersects with other trails as it weaves up the mountain side. I tried my best to follow the red and white spray painted rocks, but I still managed to go off the path a few times.

In addition to intersecting with other paths, the trail itself has recently changed due to a flood. This means that there are a few different paths that lead to the same destination. On the way up the trail, a guy coming back down told us we were on the steeper path to the top and that there was a new trail that was a more gradual incline. This was confusing at times and could be dangerous for less experienced hikers because of the unstable rocks.

At about 20 minutes from the top of the peak, we met these other hikers from North Carolina. We took different paths to the top of the peak, but we all shared the same experience of of finally making it to the end of the trail. It is truly amazing how complete strangers can come together to share a mutual experience, create a memory together, and then simply part ways.

At the top of the peak I discovered Geocashes. The ones at the top of Turtlehead Peak were two metal boxes filled with notebooks containing stories form other hikers who made it to the top. Geocashing is an outdoor activity where hikers use navigation techniques to hike and seek containers (Geocashes) at unique locations around the world. This is a real-life, outdoor treasure hunt that will take you to locations you never knew existed! If you are interested in this activity, this website will tell you all you need to know about Geocashing.

The view at the top of the peak was a beautiful, 360 degree view of the canyon. To the left I could see the city of Las Vegas. To the right I could see the enormous mountains. This is a great spot to sit down and take in the views.

I thought the way down was going to be a lot easier because it was the same trail I took up, but I was wrong. It was extremely steep and the rocks were loose. My legs began to burn on the way down because I was using my muscles to prevent myself from sliding down the mountain. All three of us ended up falling at least once because of the unstable rocks. It took a little over 1 hour to get back to the parking lot.

Turtlehead Peak is a very challenging trail. It was an amazing feeling to get back to the beginning of the trail and look up at the peak to see how far I hiked. I definitely recommend this trail for anyone who wants to challenge themselves. Also, the 360 view at the top is breathtaking.