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The
Trip: From Henderson we drive Highway 95 south about ten miles to the junction of State Route 165, which we follow east toward Nelson. The road takes us into the Eldorado Mountains and we enjoy the rugged desert scenery for eleven miles before we descend into Nelson.
A few miles down the road we meet George Stephen III, a local rancher and tour guide who takes us into Eldorado Canyon and explains some of the area's interesting history. At the Techatticup Mine Millsite, George introduces us to Tony Werly. Tony offers to take us inside the old mine, and we're happy to accept. The mine extends deep into the mountain, where you can walk up and down stopes and see the veins of ore the miners chased. The mine was once owned by Senator George Hearst, and has a colorful history that includes claim jumping, murder and ghost stories. Returning to the bright daylight outside of the mine, George tells us that there's a great view of the Colorado River from his nearby ranch. We pile into his vehicle to take a look. It's a dirt road all the way. And while not too rough, anyone taking these back roads would be wise to bring a vehicle that can handle them. George's doesn't mind visitors of the two or four-legged variety. In fact, a group of desert bighorn sheep comes through here regularly. Just part of the reason George and his neighbors enjoy calling this remote and rural area home.
We access the habitat via a dirt road off of State Route 164. The road is rough and requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. It cuts through an area that is dense with Joshua trees and leads us into the Highland Range. While we do not have the good fortune to encounter any bighorns as we hike the area, we do have the chance to enjoy some pretty scenery and a vivid desert sunset. After a night's rest, we are ready to continue our adventure. Jane Overy is an authority on the history of Searchlight, and we meet her at the Searchlight Museum, an institution and archive she helped to create. There are not many of the town's original buildings left, but Jane takes on a tour of the area and helps bring it's past back to life for us in her recollection of its colorful stories and anecdotes.
It's about a mile and a half from the highway to Christmas Tree Pass. The dirt road has some washboarding, but we have no trouble navigating the road in our two-wheel van.
A few more miles down the road, Jane directs us to Grapevine Canyon, a petroglyph site. The area is a short walk from the road and contains a multitude of unique and intriguing examples of the ancient artwork. The canyon offers a fascinating conclusion to our adventure. Thanks to the advisors and contributors of Wild Nevada Program #116:
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This
trip begins in Henderson, Nevada. Named the fastest growing large city
in America, the city of Henderson is perhaps best known as a gateway
community into the Las Vegas region. Located 7 miles from the famous
Las Vegas Strip and a mile from Lake Mead, Henderson is now ranked as
the second largest city in the state.
Like
so many Nevada towns, Nelson began with a mining boom and then faded
when the mines' production diminished. Today, a small amount of 
Soon
we are back on the road and on to the next leg of our adventure. It's
about twelve miles south on Highway 95 to Searchlight where we meet
Kirsten Cannon, a Public Affairs Specialist with the Bureau of Land
Management. She's going to lead us to the Highland Range Crucial Bighorn
Habitat Area. 
Back
on Highway 95, it's about 13 miles from Searchlight to the turnoff for
The
pass itself is pretty, but the real beauty comes next, as we continue
east and descend past Spirit Mountain. Nature's artistry is on full
display with an awe-inspiring view that would have been worth the trip
all by itself.