Join Jim Boone for a hike to the summit of Little Virgin Peak (3,514 ft), a nice little peak standing in the morning shadow of “big” Virgin Peak. Even though the peak is only 2-miles round-trip, the hike is not easy, but the 360-degree views from the summit are surprisingly grand. The hike runs off-trail through a rocky cactus garden in the Mojave Desert Scrub, with nice examples of several species of southern Nevada cactus. This hike is rated moderate because it is steep and off trail. The pace will be moderate with time for photography, especially on the way up.

For more information on the route up Little Virgin Peak, see:

http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/GoldButte/LittleVirgin/_LittleVirgin.htm

We have separate meet-up locations for the Las Vegas and Mesquite–St. George members. In Las Vegas, we will meet at 8:00am at the Cannery Casino (parking garage, 3rd floor, near the elevators) and hopefully return by 5:00pm. For those joining from Mesquite and St. George, we will meet at the junction of Gold Butte Road and Riverside Road (dirt parking lot) at 9:30am and hopefully return by 3:30pm.

All of our hikes are free and open to the public. We will try to carpool, but you are welcome to drive yourself. We will start hiking from along the paved Gold Butte Road, so sedans are fine for this hike. If you want to drive and are willing to accommodate passengers, please email jlboone@aol.com. If you want a ride, please bring gas money for your carpool driver.

Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, and bring a wind-proof jacket and a hat. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, water, lunch, and snacks. There are no stores or facilities in Gold Butte; be prepared to pee in the bushes.

Jim Boone is an ecologist and author of birdandhike.com, a website about birding and hiking around Las Vegas, with information about what people will see out on the land. He has extensive knowledge of the Gold Butte area.