So you've heard of this cabin in the woods just outside of Las Vegas, we call it Lost Cabin. To get to this cabin you take a trail called Hidden Forest Trail. This hike is well worth the trip. It's a little over four miles, and the going is uphill almost all the way on an angle of about six or seven degrees, and, it's mostly all deep sand in a wash.
So yes, be prepared to take most of the day. Even the return trip is a little difficult because of the deep sand but at least you're moving down hill. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time and bring plenty of water.
The following is a Google Earth map of the drive to where you exit the 95.
When you're leaving Vegas North on the 95, head to Corn Creek Road. From the 95, Veteran's Memorial Highway at the 215 in North Las Vegas, continue North for approximately 13.5 miles, 11 minutes.
Here are the LAT and LON from Google Earth as well.
Here is the LINK Google Earth KMZ file for the drive from the 95 at Corn Creek to the parking area, the Hidden Forest trail head. And here is the LINK for the trail hike to the cabin, although you won't need it as the trail will keep you on track.
It's well enough to know the desert is vast, as you can see here you can take dirt roads which will take you in many many different directions. You can get a better grasp of the roads by looking at Google Earth.
Many of the roads are very well maintained and on most of them you can drive a regular two-wheel drive vehicle without a problem.
This is a view of the road from when you make the turn towards the mountain at the trail head. The majority of the time you will be driving parallel to these mountains - by the way, there are mountains on both sides.
A small tidbit of information you may not have known, Nevada is one of the only states whose mountains run East and West where most all other mountain ranges in the US and North and South America run from North to South.
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| This picture is just before the entrance gate after the parking area. |
At the beginning of the trail the view is mostly baron, rocks, and scrub.
There are a number of very sheer cliffs along the way. It would not be a good idea to hike or climb them as much of it is very loose rock.
Over the eons there must have been tremendous water flow through these canyons because of the depth.
The drive you took to the parking area, to your left, is a massive water runoff canyon which looks amazing if you step back and think about the forces which must have caused it.
There are a number of typical species of plants you'd expect in the desert. As you can see on the left, there are the beginnings of Pine trees.
A shot of the front of the cabin. People leave items here for others to use. You will find all kinds of nick-knacks. There's a basic rule, if you take something you're supposed to leave something. If you hike here bring batteries, matches, lighter fluid; some simple, light items which might help someone out.
There are holes in the root and the walls, but each time someone comes back they try to remember to bring something to help maintain the cabin and make it a little better.
Presumably this cabin was built in the late 1800's and through the years it has supposedly been used for smuggling purposes including liquor running during prohibition. If the walls could talk...
I hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting.
