Overview

The Ridgeline Loop Trail is a moderate 5.1-mile hike that climbs onto ridges that lie between Highway 160 and Blue Diamond town, runs westward to a rocky promontory overlooking Cottonwood Valley and the Red Rock Escarpment, loops back towards Blue Diamond (close enough to stop for a soda), and then runs back through a gap in the ridge to the trailhead. Because a plethora of mountain bike trails crisscross the area, various longer looping options are possible.

Also because of the plethora of mountain bike trails, getting started on the right trail is a bit confusing. Using GPS waypoints will help, but hikers should be able to "feel their way along" and get there soon enough.

Link to trail map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this hike is fairly safe with no unusual hazards. Pulling in and out of the trailhead parking is another matter. Watch the highway traffic carefully as most vehicles going downhill will be traveling in excess of 70 mph. When ready to leave, chill-out for a moment, let the traffic clear, and then pull out safely. This trail is accessed from the "White Cross" trailhead; consider carefully what that means.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Red Rock Canyon NCA, but not in the Scenic Loop Road fee area.

From the Red Rock Visitor Center area, drive west then south on West Charleston Blvd (Hwy 159), past Blue Diamond Town, to Highway 160. Turn right onto Highway 160 and drive west 1.8 miles to White Cross Trailhead, which is an unofficial pullout along the side of the highway just past the Red Rock Canyon NCA boundary sign. The trail starts near the middle of the parking area and runs north towards the wash.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), hikers need to jump the highway fence and hike north on a bike-trail towards Cottonwood Wash. The trail drops to cross the wash, climbs the far bank, and arrives as an old road (Wpt. 02). Turning left, the old road runs west along the north bank of Cottonwood Wash.

Near the base of a rocky ridge, hikers encounter another trail junction (Wpt. 03). Here begins the loop in the trail. Hiker can do the loop in either direction, but as described here, the trail continues southwest. Hikers will return to this point to close the loop.

Continuing west, there is some well-defined trail and some confusing multiple trailing. Hikers next arrive at a trail junction (Wpt. 04) where either trail works. Staying left on the lower trail, hikers continue along the north bank of Cottonwood Wash staying below cliffs. The trail eventually drops back into the wash and continues southwest.

Just past the cliffs, the trail crosses a side wash coming down along the west side of the cliffs.

Just across the side wash, the trail encounters another trail junction (Wpt. 05). Here, the trail turns right up along the side wash heading northwest. At this point, trails seem to be going in all directions, but the loop trail runs northwest and away from Cottonwood Wash.

The trail crosses the side wash to the northeast side and shortly arrives at another fork in the trail (Wpt. 06). The trail stays left, and for about 20 yards, the trail continues along the side wash to yet another trail junction (Wpt. 07). Here, the trail turns right to head due north.

In another 25 yards, the trail reaches another fork (Wpt. 08). Had hikers chosen the higher trail back at a previous fork (Wpt. 04), they would have joined the loop trail at this point. This trail, which seems like the obvious choice (almost looks like an old road) starts up and right across the hillside, but that is the wrong way. Staying left on the narrower trail (Wpt. 08), the loop trail runs across flattish country below the hills.

After all of this confusion, hikers are only 0.8 miles from the trailhead, but the confusion stops here.

The trail eventually begins to climb the hillside, and from here on, the problem of multiple-trailing is left behind. As with most bike trails, the grade is gentle as the trail climbs to hear the ridgeline (Wpt. 09). In what might seem unusual to hikers, bike trails often skip high points, and this trail never quite gets to the top of the ridge, but it does provide tantalizing views of the tops of the Red Rock Escarpment far to the west.

Running near the top of the ridge and heading west, the trail drops into and cross a gully, which from the perspective on the ridge (Wpt. 10), is ahead and down to the left.

Crossing the gully (Wpt. 10), the trail switchbacks up the far side and eventually touches the next ridgeline (Wpt. 11), providing great views back down to Highway 160 and point southeast.

Continuing westward, the trail eventually climbs high and provides great views of the Red Rock Escarpment, with nice views of Blue Diamond and the gypsum quarry in a few places, and even the Las Vegas urban area in the distance.

About half-way out the length of the ridge (Wpt. 12), a faint side trail branches off to the left. This trail becomes more obvious as it gains the top of the ridge and continues west to the far end of the ridge. However, continuing on the obvious "main trail" at this point, the loop trail drops off the ridgeline to the north and crosses the head of a canyon on a side-ridge. At the far end of the side-ridge (Wpt. 13), a short spur ridge (0.1 miles; no trail) leads to a rocky knob and a great lunch break area (Wpt. 14).

Back on the loop trail (Wpt. 13), the trail begins winding down the hillside into the canyon that forms the north side of the main Ridgeline ridge. From this view, an obvious trail sweeps down the side of the opposite ridge. This obvious trail is one choice, but at a T-intersection (Wpt. 15) obscured by a rocky outcrop, a right turn provides an alternate with a bit of shade, at least during winter.

Staying to the right, the loop trail winds along the rocky hillside, eventually touching limestone cliffs before turning steeply downhill as if to slide into Blue Diamond Town (Wpt. 16). Staying to the right at all trail junctions (back into the multiple-trailing zone), the loop trail eventually bends back to the south and runs through a gap in the hills leading towards Highway 160. On a bluff overlooking Cottonwood Wash (Wpt. 17), the trail turns southwest, and the trailhead eventually comes into view. Many trails are possible, but hikers can return to the north bank of Cottonwood Wash (Wpt. 03), turn left along Cottonwood Wash following the old road to a trail junction (Wpt. 02), and turn right to cross Cottonwood Wash and return to the trailhead (Wpt. 01).