6 NEVADA RANGES GUIDE NO. 6.6
MOUNT STIRLING 8218 FEET CLASS 1
MILEAGE: 344 miles of paved road, 9.15 miles of good to fair dirt road
DRIVE: From the intersection of Interstate 15 and US Highway
95 in Las Vegas, NV drive 41 miles N on US
Highway 95 to the small town of Indian Springs, NV. A large, elevated water tank will be seen off the right
side of the highway as you pass through town. From this water tank continue N on US Highway 95 for 11.2
miles to a paved connector road which links the north and southbound lanes of this divided highway (This
paved connector is 0.15 miles N of Clark County highway milepost 131. If you are approaching from the N,
highway milepost 131 will be less than 1.0 mile past the signed Clark/Nye County line.). Turn left (S),
crossing the southbound lanes and continuing to a gated, barbed wire fence just off the highway. Pass through
the gate, being sure to close it behind you, and drive 0.85 miles on good dirt to where the road passes under a
power line. Continue straight (S) 5.0 miles to where the road drops into a wash. Driving 0.15 miles up this
wash to a fork, bear right on a road which climbs out of the wash, following it for 0.75 miles to where it drops
into another wash. In 0.2 miles bear right at a fork and drive 0.2 miles to a fork where you'll bear left, leaving
the wash. Follow the road 2.0 miles in a SW direction to a fork. 2WD's will park here and 4WD's should
probably consider doing the same. 4WD's can get another 0.3 miles on a severely washed out road by taking
the left fork, but it probably isn't worth the effort.
CLIMB: From the parking area at the road fork the peak is not visible, but lies at a bearing of 200°. From
the
vehicles, hike up the left fork road about 0.75 m
iles, then bear right (SW) up a forested ridge for
approximately 1.0 mile to the summit ridge of Stirling. Turn SSW, following the easy ridge to the top,
enjoying a number of Indian petroglyphs along the way.
There are also numerous alternative ways to climb this
peak.
ROUND TRIP STATS: 2200 feet elevation gain, 4 miles, 4 hours
SIDELINES
1. Views from
the summit include the towns of Indian Springs at 60°, Pahrum
p at 190° and DPS peaks at
the
following bearings: Hayford at 70°, Mummy at 120°, Charleston at 127°, Clark at 160°, Kingston at 178°,
Nopah at 192°, Pahrump at 198°, Avawatz at 195°, Stewart at 212°, Brown at 220°, Eagle #2 at 230°, Porter at
240°, Sentinel at 246°, Telescope at 250° and Pyramid at 260°.
2. It's probably safe to credit Indians with the first ascent of Mt. Stirling. Along the E side of the summit
ridge near the top are som
e
good petroglyphs on the rock slabs.
3. Mt. Stirling received its name from the long abandoned Stirling Mine located on the N side of the
m
ountain.