Fortification Hill Trail

Fortification Hill rises north of the trailhead. The path forks after roughly 100 feet: the gentler wash line starts just left of the steeper ridge use-trail. Follow the wash along the base of the ridge. After about seven-tenths of a mile, a path climbs roughly 40 feet out of the wash to meet the ridge route. Cairns help, but several tracks can look plausible; keep to the right side of the wash and pay attention to the route on the way up so you can find it again on descent. The distance here is the full trailhead-to-summit outing and back, not the separate, much longer Fortification Ridge hike.

From the oddly placed volcanic boulders often called the “funny rocks,” the route turns west toward a basalt wall. At its base is a short, roughly 10-foot third-class scramble over exposed rock and loose gravel. Ledges and a steep rocky gully follow; the whole headwall takes only several minutes, but this is the part to judge honestly before committing. Keep your hands free, move deliberately, and take extra care coming down, when the loose surface is harder to manage. If exposed scrambling is outside your comfort zone, turn around before the wall.

Above the gully, the slope eases and the route follows the mesa’s south edge west. A short overlook spur faces back across much of the ascent. The main path then leaves the edge and climbs gradually among summit boulders; it can fade into the rocks, so look for cairns and keep your return line in mind. At the top, Lake Mead spreads below the dark rim, with desert ranges on the horizon. For a photo, include the rough summit rocks in the foreground and the water beyond them; the near edge gives the panorama a sense of scale.

Fortification Hill is one of the area’s basalt-capped mesas, formed when eruptions covered a landscape whose crust had stretched and thinned. The route stays in Mojave Desert scrub, where low creosote, white bursage, broom snakeweed, and cheesebush grow among the rocks. The “funny rocks” look arranged, but their placement appears natural.

Reach the trailhead from the Arizona side via Kingman Wash Road and Fortification Hill Road, both unpaved. This is remote backcountry access, so allow time for the drive and check road access before setting out; vehicle clearance requirements are not confirmed. Lake Mead requires an entrance pass. Carry water and food for the outing; no services on the route are confirmed. Pets are allowed on park hiking trails on a leash no longer than six feet, but the exposed headwall is a poor fit for many dogs.