Fortification Hill - Boulder City, Nevada - Extinct Volcano Overlooking Lake Mead

Located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Fortification Hill is an extinct volcano that has become popular with hikers. It is especially well traveled in the spring, when flowers bloom on the mesa, and in winter when the air is cool and crisp but not too cold. In summer, it can be a challenge owing to the heat as well as the moderately difficult climb.

The round-trip trek to the summit of Fortification Hill covers six miles from the trailhead. It starts at an elevation of 2,365 feet and rises to a height of 3,699 feet. From the top, one can see panoramic views of Arizona, Nevada, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam below. Mount Charleston, Las Vegas, and Muddy Mountain can also be made out in the distance.

The trail appears to be straight forward, but there are actually a series six hills to negotiate along the way. They range in difficulty from a steep Class 1 to Class 2-3 climbs. Atop the mesa, the trail is easy and flat. Flora here includes mostly low-growing Mojave Desert scrub, such as Creosote Bush, Broom Snakeweed, Burro Brush, and White Bursage.

Fortification Hill is about 90 minutes southeast of Las Vegas off U.S. Highway 93 beyond Boulder City on the Arizona side of Hoover Dam. To reach the trail, continue past the dam for 2.5 miles to Route 70, a maintained dirt road that leads northeast 3.5 miles to the trailhead at Kingman Wash past the Paint Pots primitive camping area.