Bowl of Fire Trail

This is the South Bowl approach from the Mile 18.2 pullout on Northshore Road, crossing open desert and washes into a basin of red sandstone set among gray limestone hills. The mapped out-and-back reaches a low ridgeline and is 4.56 miles round trip. Allow about 3 to 4 hours; that's an estimate for a faint backcountry route where turns take attention, not a steep climb. The sandstone bowl is the main payoff, and the ridge makes a useful turnaround. Exploring deeper among the formations adds distance.

Published descriptions also give about 2.5 miles for walking into the Bowl and back out. That shorter figure ends around the basin rather than following the waypointed route to the ridgeline.

From the pullout, cross the open desert toward the north toe of Hill 651. There isn't a clear trail at first. A faint use path appears around the hill, then fades as you cross Callville Wash toward the red cliffs. Follow the south fork of the drainage into the basin, and look for the path to resume after wash crossings. Faint cairns and footprints can help, but this isn't a signed or maintained trail.

Inside the Bowl, the mapped line follows branching washes to a low saddle and ridgeline. Keep the route map available for the return: side canyons and boulder piles make it easy to lose your bearings if you wander away from the main drainage.

Near the entrance, a jumble of gray limestone conglomerate forms a small pour-over. The rock contains coarse limestone fragments in a finer matrix, and water-polished patches can look blue. Beyond it, red Jurassic-age sandstone rises in rounded outcrops, with the surrounding gray limestone forming the sides of the basin. That contrast is the reason to make the walk.

A small pour-over farther along can be bypassed on the left; climbing it is optional. The route described here ends at a ridgeline above the formations, where the bowl opens into a broad view. For a photo, use one of the narrow gaps between rocks to frame the red sandstone with the gray mountains behind it.

Use the Mile 18.2 Trailhead, a roadside pullout on the north side of Northshore Road. This is the 2WD access for the route and distance above. The separate mile-16 Callville Wash approach requires a 4WD road and creates a different hike. A Lake Mead recreation pass is required to enter the area. Pets are allowed on hiking routes; keep them on a leash no longer than six feet. Food, toilets and drinking water at the pullout or on the route: not found.