Hiking Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte National Monument
 East side of the second ridge (view W) |
Overview Garden Canyon is a curious geologic feature where a wash cuts through Azure Ridge, a limestone mountain range. Usually, washes flow around ridges, but here the wash cuts through the core of the mountain range. Starting from the Azure Ridge Cabin at the end of Garden Wash Road, the route runs down into the narrow canyon, past Azure Ridge Copper Mine, past curious fossils, and down about 1.3 miles to the end of the narrows on the other side of Azure Ridge. In that area, the northernmost stand of Ocotillo grows on the hillsides. The wash continues through a second narrows where the wash cuts through a second limestone ridge and then flows out into the Grand Wash. Presented here are photos of the return hike up the canyon. For details of the hike, see the full route description in the downstream direction. Link to map. |
 Hiker starting into second narrows (view W) |
 Hiker exiting second narrows (view SW) |
 Garden Wash east of Azure Ridge (view NW) |
 Ocotillos growing on the hillside (view N) |
 Interesting strata in the canyon walls (view N) |
 Polished stone in the narrow canyon (view SW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view N) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view S) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view W) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view SW) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view S) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 The only "obstacle" in the canyon bottom (view NW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 Returning to the fossil wall (view W) |
 Banded bedrock (view NW) |
 Hiker at the fossil wall (view N) |
 Paint dots mark curious fossils (view W) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view N) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view N) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 Polished bedrock in Garden Canyon (view SW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view SW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view SW) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view W) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 Wooden mining debris in the wash (view W) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view NW) |
 One length of ore cart track in the wash (view NW) |
 Lower adit of Azure Copper Mine (view S) |
 Winding up Garden Canyon (view N) |
 The canyon walls begin to lay back (view W) |
 Mouth of the canyon comes into view (view W) |
 Illegal road exits wash towards miner's cabin (view W) |
 Illegal road approaching miner's cabin (view NW) |
 Passing the miner's cabin (view NW) |
 Azure Miner's Cabin near the trailhead (view N) |
 More to come ... |
Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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