Hike 2014.056B -- Sloan Canyon National Recreation Area, NV -- New Directions to the Trailhead

Because construc-tion has restarted on the "Inspirada" develop-ment in Henderson, new roads and home sites are being graded and added, which means access to the Sloan Canyon site from Bicentennial Parkway may likely change repeatedly in the months (and years) to come. I make no guarantees as to if this is the easiest, safest, or most legal access; this is just how I got there earlier in the month.

I first visited this site in March 2013. I returned twice more. But the approach I took on those previous three trips is no longer possible. The access I used off of Bicentennial Parkway is now a construction entrance.

However, most of the directions still apply. As of early November 2014, I could still take St. Rose Parkway to Executive Airport Drive. It still eventually turns into Bicentennial Parkway. However, as just noted, when I got to "my" turn, I encountered the Construction Entrance sign.

So I continued east just a hundred yards or so and found a paved road heading due south. I took that road to near its end, at which point a right turn with a "No Construction Entrance" sign was posted. I understood this to mean that this was the access to the Sloan Canyon area.

However, with all the grading, I was completely disorient-ed. At this point, I would suggest, locating the large concrete overflow to the debris and detention basin, to the southeast of Inspirada. Find the line of silver-colored powerline towers that run north to south. Observe where they intersect with the brown-colored powerline towers that run east to west. Count two brown towers west from the silver tower line. Then go about 1/3 of the distance further west. That's your destination; the Sloan Canyon Road intersects the power line access road there. My third and fourth pictures in this post show the view from the south. You'll be approaching from the north, of course.

The road from the access road that parallels the brown towers heads due south from that point. There's a faint road that goes to that point from the north, and directly connects with the Sloan Canyon Road. However, the actual road and the approach to it is really only for high clearance vehicles, so if you're in a passenger vehicle, park in the large flat area a few hundred yards north of the powerline road, near the point where Sloan Canyon Road will intersect with the access road.

As this may be an active construction zone when you visit, take special care when driving, and, of course, follow the directions of construction personnel if they direct you away from the area. I don't know if there's a construction conditional use requirement for continued access to Sloan Canyon. I hope there is, but I don't know.