Christmas Tree Pass, Newberry Mountains, Laughlin, Nevada

by Will
(Nevada)

The Newberry Mountains are the highlight of this area and they are wondrous. These mountains have jagged saw tooth peaks, rounded sandstone peaks, and gigantic boulders strewn about. There are also natural arches and other wild rock formations. The geology here is amazing. The highest peak, Spirit Mountain, stands at 5,639 feet. Yes, it's a spectacular place to camp.

RV Campsite GPS Coordinates: N 35 15.902’ W 114 47.017’

Elevation: 3498 feet

Campsite Directions: From the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada head west on Hwy 163 for 19 miles. Turn right (north) onto US Hwy 95 and drive 5.3 miles. Turn right (east) onto Christmas Tree Pass Road and drive 5 miles to the campsite on the right. It will be just before the road enters the mountains.

More Camping: There are a handful of good campsites further up the road near the pass. Campsites here are best suited for small rugged RVs and high ground clearance is a good idea. This is BLM land where camping is allowed. Once the road crosses into Lake Mead National Recreation Area, no camping is allowed. Christmas Tree Pass Road is a bit washboard in spots, sandy in spots, but well maintained. Some sections of the road east of the pass are a bit steep.

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Christmas Tree Pass, Newberry Mountains RV Camping Journal

November 20th, 2012

I’m camped off Christmas Tree Pass Road between Laughlin and Searchlight, Nevada. I’m just west of Christmas Tree Pass, and camped just before the road weaves through the Newberry Mountains. This campsite has a commanding view of Nevada and California desert scenery. From this high point I can see for miles. I have a fantastic view of the Piute Valley to the west and the many mountain ranges beyond it. I can see Highway 95 way, way off in the distance in the valley.

Christmas Tree Pass is just a short bike ride from my campsite. Near the pass there are juniper trees as well as pinyon pines. It’s remarkable to be camped in a desert here, and to find a forest just up the road.

Recreation: The

Newberry Mountains and nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area offer outstanding scenery. There aren't many hiking trails nearby, but there is one trail in Grapevine Canyon to the southeast just off Christmas Tree Pass Road. There are many canyons and washes that make excellent scenic hiking routes too. There are also a few primitive roads off Christmas Tree Pass Road that can be explored on foot, mountains bike, or OHV.

With such an abundance of natural beauty, it’s nice to see that a good portion of these mountains are protected inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Granting these mountains wilderness status wouldn't be a bad idea either. They are certainly worthy of such protection.

Weather: 3,500 feet is a bit too high for winter camping in my opinion. Fall and spring would be more ideal. Most days, highs have been around 60, lows in the 40s. Last week I did have a few nights where the temp dropped to the 30s. The wind has been almost non-stop here. I had several days with 15-20 mph gusts. The wind makes it feel much colder. I got a break yesterday and had only 5 mph winds with sunny skies all day. I had clouds on 4 out of 11 days. One day it was overcast the whole day. No rain has fallen.

Wildlife: I’ve seen many jackrabbits, a few ground squirrels, gambel’s quail, ravens, and a few other birds.

Insects: A couple flies and a few bees. No problems.

Cell Signal: Excellent. It’s about as strong of a Verizon cell phone signal as I’ve had. Verizon mobile broadband internet is very fast.

Peacefulness: This is a quiet road. Weekdays see about 10 vehicles or less. There’s slightly more traffic on weekends. No highway noise here, just an occasional airplane overhead.

Shade: There’s no shade at this spot, but closer to the pass there are juniper and pinyon pine trees which may provide a bit of shade for some campsites.

RV Solar: There's plenty of sun for charging with solar panels.

RV Campsite Rating: 7 out of 10. This campsite is close to the road (as are most sites off Christmas Tree Pass Road) so traffic is easily seen and heard. It’s windy. But the Newberry Mountains are amazing and not to be missed. The views are grand.