"Where can I ride
and /or Hike the trail?"
"I
can’t find the Trail?"
"What is under construction, now?"
What is taking
so long?
What
challenges and opportunities
does the partnership face?
May 25, 2004
The information written last year (below) is still
current. We had a slow year.
-- Webmaster, Bill Laub
May 7, 2003
Good questions all. I get ask this question all the time and so do our
partnership members. The important thing to remember is the trail is still being
designed and portions are under construction or will be very shortly.
The good news is most of the funding is in place to design
and build the 35 mile loop trail and its various trailheads.
Let me answer some of the questions by starting with:
Q. "Why is it talking so
long to build".
A. If you take a look at the partnership itself, you’ll
find your first clue.
The Partnership is made up of Federal and government agencies. The River
Mountains Loop Trail is primarily located on public lands and managed by
multiple government agencies. In many trail segments we will have multiple
layers of jurisdiction for approvals, right-of-ways, permits, and operational
oversight. In many cases in order to prevent additional disturbance of the
desert terrain we have chosen to use utility r.o.w.’s which also adds review,
and permits.
This unique partnership was formed to coordinate and
manage this very challenging trail project.
Q.
I can’t find the trail?
A. The main reason you can
not find the trail is our "Trail Heads" have not been built yet.
Trail segments have been built to date to catch funding or construction
opportunities to hopefully save "your tax dollars" (in the long run). We
currently have one trail head built in Boulder City area at the Alan Bible
Visitor center. We have three more trailheads designed and ready to be
constructed this year or next.
The trailheads will be located:
 | Golda Way, Henderson – On Lake Mead
Parkway just east of Calico Ridge on the south side. Design is complete and
will be built later this year as part of a package bid on Segments 6-10
construction.
|
| Equestrian Park Trail Head, Henderson –
Actually a trail head is in place in Equestrian Park now, but is over a mile
from the RMLT corridor. This trail head will be re-located to the corner of
Foothills Dr. and Equestrian Drive later this fall with construction of
segments 6- 10.
|
| Railroad Pass Hotel & Casino Trail Head,
Henderson – This trail head is designed and ready to go to bid. It
will be located in the south end of the upper parking lot at Railroad Pass
Hotel. The trail head and trail construction
for segments 6 – 10 will hold an official ground breaking June 7th,
2003 on National Trails Day. You are invited to attend.
|
| Pacifica Way Trail Head, Boulder City –
This trail head has been designed and is ready to go to bid. It will be
located on Pacifica Way where the Boulder City limits meet the Lake Mead
National Recreation area boundary. |
The RMLT partnership is in the process of developing new
users maps showing segments completed, trail heads, and segments under
construction. This map will be online and updated regularly.
Q. What is
under construction now?
A. Lets answer this question by talking about what is
under design currently.
| Segment #5 is currently under design by Boulder City.
|
| Segments #6-10 is at 100% design by City of Henderson.
Final input, permits and bid documents are being prepared. Construction should
be underway during the third and fourth Quarter 2004. We would expect a trail
opening in last quarter 2004. This construction will also include two
previously named trail heads.
|
| Segments #15 through #22 are all funded. Preliminary
layout and right of way has been reviewed. All segments lie within the
National Park Service. The final design and construction management will go to
bid later this year (2004).
|
| Segments #3 & 4 in Boulder City will be relocated to
new alignments that will move them north and provide better views and
recreational experiences. |
Q. Where can I ride
and or hike on the trail, now?
Follow this link to our map for
the location of segments numbers. Click on the segments numbers
for additional information about that segment.
A. Most folks I have talked
to are accessing the paved portion of the trail (segments 11, 12, &13) from the
Golda Way (future trail head) location. The paved portion of the trail parallels
Lake Mead Parkway on the south side for about ¼ mile and you can access it
anywhere along this area.
A good many locals currently ride future portions of the
trail with their mountain bikes or hike along the alignment as they currently
exists as old roads or disturbed areas. The good news is come this winter
(December/January) you will be able to ride, hike, and jog nine (9) miles from
Lake Mead Parkway to Railroad Pass Hotel or vice a versa and from trail head to
trail head.
Other good hikes/rides along portions of future RMLT trail
are:
| Segment #17 – This is currently a patrol
and maintenance road for the BMI water line within the Lake Mead National
Recreation Area. It is a good hike or mountain bike ride of about 2 miles one
way with excellent views of Lake Mead and surrounding mountains to the North.
Access off Lake Mead Parkway at Loren Williams Parkway to the south side of
road is a paved off the road area. Just follow the pipeline to the east. To
extend this hike/ride see segment #18.
|
| Segment # 18 – This is the old Lakeshore
Rd. now abandoned. You can access this best by entering the Lake Mead NRA and
driving past Las Vegas Bay marina. Take the viewpoint/wayside road just about
¼ mile past the marina. From here you can walk or ride back up to the new
Lakeshore Road, cross the road and enter on to the old road alignment. It is
gated and you can not park here. Once past the gate you have a paved
road/future trail that runs 3.4 miles to ride, hike and explore. You can
access segment #17 directly off the old road for a vigorous uphill hike and
ride. Segment #18 is not being maintained so beware of rocks on the road.
|
| Segment #22 – Follows the old historic
railroad alignment uphill from the Alan Bible Visitor Center lower parking
lot. This is a good hike and mountain bike ride. This trail segment covers
about 3.4 miles and has grades up to 4% as it winds across Hemmingway valley.
Trail conditions are not known so check at the NPS visitor center first.
|
| Historic Railroad Trail through five tunnels
– The River Mountains Loop Trail shares a common trail head with the Historic
Railroad Trail at the Alan Bible Visitor Center. If you have not done this 2.5
mile one way hike/ride it is a trip back into history. This joint trail head
will be typical of other trail head along the 35 mile loop trail. We will link
and connect too many other trails providing opportunities to explore and
recreate in Southern Nevada. |
Q. What
challenges and opportunities does the partnership face?
A. We face challenges at
very turn in the trail. No trail project of this size and length has been done
in Southern Nevada.
We are dealing with educating the public about desert dumping, about native
plants and animals, about non-motorized trails, about the environment in
general. We have literally had to clean the desert of years of dumping in order
to build the trail and create improved vistas. We have had to repeatedly replace
signs and barriers torn down by off road vehicles and a.t.v.’s. Once the trail
heads are open and more trails users are in place we feel a lot of this
vandalism will stop. Also the Henderson Police Department and other law
enforcement agencies are coming on board with patrols which will catch the
vandals.
Opportunities are found everywhere as we progress along
the trail. Learning the history of the River Mountains and finding ways to share
and interpret that history with trail users is our greatest opportunity. Besides
the obvious recreation uses we hope the trail becomes an outdoor discovery
trail.
Discover animals, plant life, mining history, how power is generated, about
flash floods, and many other things. We hope to develop ways the trail can be
use for tourism. We feel portions of the trail can lend itself to alternate
transportation to and from work and various points of interest for the general
public.
| 
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