Parking
Start at the Mile 21.8 Trailhead on Northshore Road and leave a second vehicle at the Mile 18.2 Trailhead for the finish. The access points are 3.6 road miles apart. Parking capacity and facilities are not documented.
Overview
About Razorback Wash North Trail
Why go
- Colorful red mudhills and gypsum veins along the washes
- A varied route from Razorback Wash to Cottonwood Wash
Heads up
- No maintained tread or cell service
- A point-to-point hike needs a car shuttle
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake Mead map
Full mapElevation1,932–2,516 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Lake Mead alerts
- CautionHarmful algae bloom at Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood CoveA harmful algae bloom has been confirmed in recent samples from Nelson’s Landing and Cottonwood Cove; avoid contact with water where algae is visible.Official details
- CautionArizona Hot Springs bacteria advisoryLimit body contact with Arizona Hot Springs water: fecal bacteria in samples frequently reach high levels and can transmit human diseases.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake Mead Tour Guide
Your drive to Razorback Wash North Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake Mead audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Razorback Wash: A One-Way Wilderness Hike0:00 / 0:29
“You're nearing the Razorback Wash hiking access on Northshore Road. The north route crosses red mudhills and white gypsum veins in about five point four miles, taking roughly three and a half hours.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Flowers Waiting in the Soil
- Northshore Summit: A Short Desert Panorama
- Water from a Dry Seed
- The Coot's Folding Feet
- 153 audio storiesacross Lake Mead’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Burro, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 42 trails, 70 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Razorback Wash North Trail
A remote one-way walkRazorback Wash North is a 5.
Razorback Wash North is a 5.43-mile point-to-point route through Pinto Valley Wilderness, from Northshore Road mile 21.8 to mile 18.2. It follows the north side of Razorback Ridge into Cottonwood Wash. Leave a car at both ends; the access points are 3.6 road miles apart. Allow about 3.5 hours. Choose it if you are comfortable navigating without a maintained tread.
Follow the washesCross desert pavement from the start, then choose a safe descent over low cliffs into Razorback…
Cross desert pavement from the start, then choose a safe descent over low cliffs into Razorback Wash. The narrow wash winds upstream; the main channel is described as obvious for roughly 1.7 miles. An old road climbs about 80 yards to a low saddle, the route’s main uphill. From there, follow the washes downhill. About half a mile below the saddle, a low notch leads toward the separate south route; stay with the north route toward Cottonwood Wash. Pass Cottonwood Spring, then near the highway bridge look for a use-trail on the wash’s northeast side up to the Mile 18.2 finish.
Red mudhills and route findingColorful mudhills and gypsum veins in red mudstone are the distinctive scenery.
Colorful mudhills and gypsum veins in red mudstone are the distinctive scenery. This is a remote wilderness route with no cell service and no maintained path to keep you on line. No potable water is verified along the way, so don’t count on Cottonwood Spring as a water stop. Flash floods can occur in dry washes during summer and fall storms; stay out when storms threaten. Pets are allowed on Lake Mead hiking trails on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake Mead
525 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
116 sightingsBurroMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 4 PMSighting map
99 sightingsWhite PelicanMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
145 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
106 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake Mead. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
