Spirit Mountain Trail

Spirit Mountain is an informal out-and-back summit hike in Spirit Mountain Wilderness. From Spirit Peak Trailhead Parking, the mapped experience is about 4.6 miles round trip, with roughly 2,200 feet of cumulative climbing. Allow about five hours. The first 0.3 mile follows Christmas Tree Pass Road to the roadside pullout where the recorded summit track begins; that connector is included in the distance. Starting from that second pullout makes the hike about 4 miles. This is for hikers comfortable with remote route-finding and scrambling, not a signed walking trail. Load the route before you leave the car; intermittent cairns are not enough if you lose the tread.

The social route climbs a small hump, then drops about 300 feet north into foothills and small arroyos. You’ll have to regain that elevation on the way back. Cairns help but the tread fades, and the wrong spurs have worn confusing paths across the slope. Around 3,900 feet the trail becomes easier to follow, skirts cliffs, drops into a drainage, then climbs steeply up the mountain’s south side. If the line disappears, retrace your steps instead of following a tempting spur.

Near the southern ridge, around 5,400 feet, the climb eases and the route heads north. A short rock rib sits between you and the summit. Reports differ on whether the established line is tough Class 2 or a low Class 3 move; expect to use your hands briefly and turn around if that feels beyond your comfort. Off-route scrambling gets harder quickly. The summit opens to a broad view over Lake Mohave and the surrounding desert ranges.

Spirit Mountain, also known as Avikwame, is sacred to tribes of the lower Colorado River and is described as a spiritual birthplace. This is a living cultural landscape, not just a summit. Leave archaeological and cultural features untouched and unmarked. The Bureau of Land Management says a backcountry permit is not required for recreation here.

Spirit Peak Trailhead Parking is a small roadside pullout on Christmas Tree Pass Road. The road is graded dirt and is normally passable in a 2WD vehicle, but storms can leave it rough or damaged; check with rangers before driving. No water source or facilities were documented at the trailhead or on route, so treat this as a self-contained desert outing and plan around heat.