Grapevine Canyon

We decided to take a trip to Laughlin since I’ve never been there and we thought we would explore some areas around there. One place we chose to stop was Grapevine Canyon to see the petroglyphs and I’m really glad we did. If you love the outdoors, history and petroglyphs then this a great place for you! Make sure you have your camera handy because you’ll want to look back on your trip here!

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Grapevine Canyon is in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It is in the Bridge Canyon and Spirit Mountain Wilderness areas. If you are traveling from Las Vegas, you would take Highway 163 toward Laughlin. Take the left at Christmas Tree Pass Rd., make sure you are taking the second road for Christmas Tree Pass. The one you want is about 15 miles from Laughlin. Once you turn on Christmas Tree Pass Rd. go about 1.8 miles and turn left onto Grapevine Canyon Road. This road is not paved, but it is pretty smooth so you should be ok in any vehicle. This leads to parking and the trailhead to the canyon. There is a very primitive restroom here, but there are no other amenities, so make sure to bring water. You may think you are lost on the dirt roads, but if you just follow the signs you’ll get there.

The trail for the canyon descends into a wash. Be prepared to walk in sand and soft dirt. It is an easy trail to walk, just not the normal hard earth, rock paths in other hiking trails. There are some plants in the wash, so make sure you keep your eyes out for critters and snakes. We didn’t happen upon any snakes, but we did see lots of lizards. They were really small and pretty cute! Some of the bushes were flowering when we were there, and it was really pretty. It is only about .3 miles to the beginning of the canyon, and this is where the majority of the petroglyphs are located. I love to explore ancient Native American art and the land where they were, so this was a wonderful place for me to see!

The Petroglyphs are believed to be some of the oldest in North America, ranging from 1900 & 1100 BC. The origins of the petroglyphs haven’t been determined, but this area was inhabited by the Mojave in later times.

As I’ve said before, we are not hikers, but if you do enjoy hiking, you can walk about 1.4 miles into the canyon where you will come to a fork. If you are there when there has been some rain, you can see some springs and a small stream. If you want a longer hike, you can take Grapevine Canyon Waterfall trail. In season, you can see the waterfall. This is about 17 miles into the canyon. Please remember that this is the desert so it can get hot even in winter, so dress appropriately. Since there are chances of running into snakes and other creatures, I advise wearing long pants and sturdy shoes or hiking boots.

You can also hike to Spirit Mountain. If you stay on Christmas Tree Pass Rd. for about 2.5 miles past the turnoff for Grapevine Canyon, make a right turn and there is a parking lot to hike to the mountain. This is about a 5-mile roundtrip hike. It is rated as a rigorous hike. Needless to say, we haven’t attempted this!

This area is sacred to the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, & Southern Paiute people among others and has recently been named Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. It is more than just Spirit Mountain. It is over 500,000 acres. It is home to Joshua trees, Big Horn Sheep, Desert Tortoise, Gila Monsters and many other animals and plants. This is on BLM land, so please be sure to follow all of their rules.

Anytime you are out in the wilderness and national parks, monuments, etc. Please follow the practice of leaving it as you found it. Don’t touch any of the art, don’t leave litter, only make fires where permitted, etc.

Conclusion

If you like visiting parks, Native American history and just enjoying nature, then this is a great place to visit even if you don’t like to do much hiking. You can see the petroglyphs and turn back around. You can drive around some in the canyon, but there are only a few dirt roads. If you really want to see more of the canyon, hiking is the only way to see it. Be sure to plan your trip if you plan to hike so you are prepared for the topography, as it varies throughout the canyon and mountain. Make sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen no matter when you go because even in the winter, the sun can get intense. And don’t forget your camera. The AKASO camera is a great camera for exploring and action shots. Click below for buying options. If you want to know more about it click here for my blog. I really enjoyed coming here and hope that if you’re looking for an adventure in this area that you’ll stop here. Not only is it a short drive from Laughlin, but it’s only about an hour and a half from Las Vegas so it’s a great day trip from either of these places.

We like to tell people about places that we visit to help them decide if they want to go there. We also hope to inspire people to explore areas around them and find new places to vacation. The United States has so many amazing places to visit that may be close to you. There are adventures everywhere, we hope you find yours! You can also check out some of our other travels here.

By Greg and Peggy

We are two people who love to travel, thrift and play slot machines. We love going to new places, especially if there is a casino! We just want to share our adventures with people and hope to inspire them to explore and have fun!

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