Name History
Suggested Page Improvements to (08) The Promised Land
(An all wheel drive car with decent clearance is recommended to minimize the hike, saving about 15 minutes of easy/moderate hiking from the paved parking to the entrance of the old 4-wheel drive road.)
From Vegas follow Charleston Blvd West until you see a sign on the right for the "Scenic Loop Road". This is around 4.5 miles from the intersection of Desert Foothills Dr and Charleston Blvd. Proceed to the pay station where you must pay for either a day pass for $20 or a one year pass for $50 (as of December 6, 2023).
From the pay station you'll follow the scenic loop for 7.2 mi until you reach Willow Springs. Turn right and follow the road until it turns to dirt (Rocky Gap Road). You can either park here, or continue on the dirt road to save some hiking. (There are several pullouts along the way, so if the road seems too rocky you can pull over and hike the rest.) Follow the dirt road for around 0.75 mi. Park at a parking area on the left side of the road directly opposite the La Madre Springs Trailhead. Hike up the road until you see a red embankment on the right side of the road up ahead. At this point, you should start looking for an entrance to an old 4-wheel drive road on your right. There are two entrances, about 5 yards apart, each blocked by 2-3 boulders.
Follow the wide trail up the hill for ~10-20 min (0.5 miles). Once you see that the trail ahead becomes considerably steeper, start looking on your right for a narrow climbers trail. Walk along the climbers trail for another 5 min, up and down some hills. Keep an eye out for a trail on your right that drops down into the limestone wash. It can be easy to miss, as the trail you were on continues past this point. Follow the limestone wash for around 30-40 minutes, marked with occasional cairns. At this point the cairns should lead you to the right, up a steep hill towards the crag. From the start of the climbers trail to the crag is around 1.1 miles and the whole hike takes around an hour and a half.