What we’re about
WELCOME!
VegasHikers is the premier hiking group in the Desert Southwest! We take more hikes to more places and have the friendliest, most welcoming organizers of any group around. We feature hikes for all skill levels, road trips, camping, and social gatherings. We have events at a huge variety of times, places, and days. We even hike at night! With dozens of organizers and an average of more than an event a day, you're sure to find activities to suit your fancy.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
Our organizers are not tour guides, we're not rangers. Going out with us is the same as going out with a few friends. Expect the same risks, take the same precautions. As organizers, we will do our best to give accurate descriptions of the hikes we post. If you're a beginning hiker, a hike's elevation and distance may not mean much to you. Likewise, difficulty ratings are subjective, and a hike that is "easy" to one person may be "moderate" to another. Err on the side of caution. You're much better off going on a hike that's too easy for you than a hike that's too hard or too dangerous for you. As you go on more hikes with us, you'll become more familiar with our ratings and our descriptions, and you'll learn more about your own limits. Ultimately, it's up to you to keep yourself safe out there. You're an adult. Hike within your abilities.
DUES/FEES
There are no membership dues to be a part of this group. It does take money to pay for this site, fill up first aid kits, and keep organizers prepared, so we gladly take donations any time they're offered.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Our group can be defined by five terms, which help guide every decision we make. They are as follows:
- All are welcome
- We hike together
- We come prepared
- We're all adults
- We appreciate the outdoors
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Ike*s Peak 4.3 mile (southwest) 2~groups8600 Todd Allen Creek St, Las Vegas, NV
photos 2024 2023 2022 • Hourly Weather + UV (sun) • SW hike maps
For most hikers, this is a "relatively easy" 4.3 mile intermediate "no scrambling" hike, elevation gain 650 feet. From COUGAR AVENUE parking, we first hike around the mountain bend on an old mining road. We ascend to follow a mountain ridge trail to Ike's Peak and back again. Hiking shoes: YES, tennis shoes: NO.
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Quick Access TV News • Song Loop Player • Web Streaming Plus • Click-to-Play Radio
2-GROUPS NOTE • This hike started with Trail-Seekers. Now, most RSVPs are often by members of the larger VegasHikers. If you belong to both Meetup groups, don't RSVP from both groups for the same hike.
Upload to share your Meetup hike photos with others. I will re-post to the Trail-Seekers Meetup group and post to Facebook Summerlin Outdoors group.
Location is southwest of Rhodes Ranch and Cowabunga Canyon water park near Ft Apache Road. If more than 5 minutes late, spot us walking up the hill.
Note: 8600 (street address) is for GPS reference only.
GPS • Parking 36.0314 / -115.3136 (photos) • Ike's Peak 36.054 / -115.32
Street Parking -- COUGAR AVENUE and Todd Allen Creek Street -- 89178DIRECTIONS -- for most, take Ft Apache south, past Warm Springs Road, and past Rhodes Ranch (on left). Turn right (west) on Ford Avenue. Near the end of Ford Avenue, you may see Forbuss Elementary School. At the end of Ford Avenue, turn right (north) on Reynolds Spring Road and then left on COUGAR AVENUE. We can park along or near the first 2 blocks of COUGAR AVENUE (parking photos).
We DO NOT meet on Reynolds Spring Road or next to the water detention basin.
For those coming from the southeast or Henderson, go west on Blue Diamond Road aka H-160. Exit at Ft Apache and go north. Turn left (west) at Ford Avenue en route to Cougar Avenue.
Friendly chat welcome but please: no national politics or religion.
Hiking shoes are REQUIRED for greater safety - no tennis shoes.
Bring water and snacks. • Well behaved dogs on leash might be okay.
I try to schedule my hikes when the sun's UV level is mostly 4 or lower.
Be aware that we share this trail with advanced mountain bikers.Ike's Peak mountain biking -- Summerlin Outdoors -- Durango Southwest
REQUIRED READING (legal info, etc.) • Las Vegas for residents and visitorsUse Meetup message system to contact organizer with any questions.
IF WEATHER FORECAST IS BAD, this hike may be moved to SATURDAY. - Cap'n Mike - The Musical HikeNeeds location
Cap'n Mike has long been a part of our hiking family. He hiked with us during the early explorations that produced many of today's routes and was one of the first guys to try a new obstacle. He was the first one to clear the Upper Tract, and he took great pride in that.
Cap'n Mike was always a good friend, who would be there immediately if you needed help. He was safety oriented and seemed to appear out of nowhere when somebody got into trouble on the rocks. I personally watched him catch at least two people from falls. He was also on the hike in which Linda Brock fell and he and Glenn faithfully tried to resuscitate her.
He had a great sense of humor and we all laughed incessantly at his antics. Over years worth of time, Amy and I fantasized about a show that we would do with skits recounting some of the hilarious things that have happened. We jokingly referred to the show as "Cap'n Mike, the Musical."
Mike passed last week after a long fight with cancer. We're all going to miss him. In honor of Cap'n Mike, we're going to rename the Upper Tract to Cap'n Mike's slot. And we're going to do a hike in his honor, called Cap'n Mike, the Musical Hike.
• YOU MUST SIGN A WRITTEN WAIVER TO ATTEND THIS HIKE. The link to the written waiver is here:
http://richardwaltjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/written-waiver.pdf
You will not be moved to the "going" list without providing a signed waiver by email to the email address on the waiver.
If you have already provided a waiver to me, you do not need to provide another one.
The hike will be a low Tier 3 hike, which is beginner level, so anybody can go.
If you don't want to hike, we'll have a celebration at South Tower Park, around 11:30a. If you want to pay your respects to Cap'n Mike this is your chance. No waiver is required to attend the celebration.