Gass Peak is the highest peak in the
Las Vegas Range
The Las Vegas Range is an arid mountain range in Clark County, Nevada. The range is located in the southeast of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
Geography
The Las Vegas Range is a north–south range, with two main north–south ridgelines. T ...
of
Southern Nevada
Southern Nevada (SNV) is a region and the southern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada which includes the Las Vegas Valley. It also includes the areas in and around Pahrump and Pioche. Tonopah and Hawthorne are sometimes also referred to as part ...
with a summit of 6,937 feet (2,114 m). It is easily seen to the north of the
Las Vegas Valley
The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Stat ...
, bordering the city of
North Las Vegas
North Las Vegas is a suburban city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 216,961, with an estimated population of 251,974 in 2019. The city was incorporated on May 1, 19 ...
. The peak is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and is within the
Desert National Wildlife Refuge
The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located north of Las Vegas, Nevada, in northwestern Clark and southwestern Lincoln counties, with much of its land area lying w ...
, administered by the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
A communications tower with solar panels has been built at the top of the peak.
Etymology
Gass Peak is named for
Octavius Decatur Gass
Octavius Decatur "O. D." Gass (February 29, 1828 – December 10, 1924) was an American prospector, businessman, and politician. A four term member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature, he was active in the early history of Las Vegas, N ...
(1828–1924), an early settler and prominent rancher of Las Vegas.
History
On November 26, 2019, a
Cirrus SR22
The Cirrus SR22 is a single-engine four- or five-seat composite aircraft built from 2001 by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota.
It is a development of the Cirrus SR20, with a larger wing, higher fuel capacity, and a more powerful, 310-horsep ...
crashed into the summit of Gass Peak, and all three passengers aboard the plane were killed. Recovery efforts were initiated the following day, but due to poor weather conditions they were called off. It was later determined that the cause of the accident was due to the pilot's inability to see the peak during sunset; when the crash occurred.
Hiking and recreation
Gass Peak is accessible by the public and the most common access is via
Corn Creek Road
Corn Creek is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The community is located along the former Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad where it had a station. It is approximately 7.5 miles from the Las Vegas city limits by r ...
off
U.S. Route 95
US Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highways, US Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland from the Pacific Coast ...
, northwest of Las Vegas, then to the
Mormon Well Road and Gass Peak Road dirt roads. Campsites and parking corrals are located along the roads and at trailheads. Hiking trails are not maintained.
On the peak, mountains in
Nye County
Nye County is a county in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,591. Its county seat is Tonopah. At , Nye is Nevada's largest county by area and the third-largest county in the contiguous United States, behi ...
,
Lincoln County,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, and
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
are all visible in the distance.
Gallery
File:Gass Peak, Las Vegas Range, Near Las Vegas, Nevada (14203698665).jpg, Gass Peak viewed from above
File:Las Vegas Range from Cannery 1.jpg, Gass Peak covered in snow
File:Copy of Solar Panels on Gass Peak.jpg, Sunrise viewed looking east atop Gass Peak
See also
*
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, a United States National Monument near Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, was established in 2014 to protect Ice Age paleontological discoveries. The monument is administered by the National Park Servic ...
References
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Mountains of Nevada
Mountains of Clark County, Nevada