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This is the scenic way to enter Las Vegas from the east - through a gap in the Sunrise Mountains. Early light is also the time of the best views of the improbable city.

1.(00.0m,1510ft) START-END SOUTH: southern trailhead of Wetlands Trail 2.(06.4m,1670ft) profile joins Boulder Hiway 3.(14.8m,1840ft) profile joins Lake Mead Blvd, west of jct with N Nellis Blvd 4.(17.8m,2440ft) TOP 5.(26.1m,1390ft) profile turns left on Lane Mead North Shore Rd 6.(30.4m,1210ft) START-END NORTH: Government Wash area on Lake Mead

Approaches

From West. There are infinitely many ways of getting to the east end of the four lane portion of Lake Mead Blvd. Some go through quiet, extensive residential areas, organized in a strict grid pattern. Others follow busy shopping boulevards, lined with dedicated bikelanes. The high rises of downtown Las Vegas shimmer in the distance, flattened into a black and white cutout. Finally reaching the western end of Lake Mead Blvd, it looks like all the traffic has disappeared and the road just ends before reaching the gap in the mountains.

Actually - it transforms into a 2 lane road. A short portion over the top has no shoulder, and that is the first time along the entire ride, with reason to worry about traffic. But it is a very short section. Here the sides of the road are not just lined with garbage, they are filled to capacity with garbage. A million different shards of glass and metal glisten in the sun, in between the Bud Light cans and the plastic bags, formerly containing chips of some sort. At the top two steep tracks take off in both directions, to points above on the bare Sunrise Mountain.

From East. (described downwards) The road passes another access road to the Sunrise Mtn recreation area. The BLM has attempted to put up guardrails to keep the traffic on the access roads. Now it looks like all the trash dumps have been fenced off. The glass shard shimmer next to the road become noticeably less, as the road crosses a guard station into the Lake Mead Park. The air on this side of the mountains is much clearer, and the wide washes reach to the horizon, eventually reaching the Muddy Mountains. Amazing dessert scenery on this side.