Red Rock Canyon Campground
Campground
Sites open the weekend of Nov 13 on Recreation.gov
Nevada · Mountain biking · Near Sandy Valley
Classic Dead Horse
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 425 ft
- climb
- Mixed
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Feb–May, Oct–Nov
- best months
Classic Dead Horse is a short, moderate mountain biking climb on Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada, within the Red Rock/Sloan Field Office. The route is an out-and-back, 1.3 miles long, with a high point of 4,995 feet and a low point of 4,809 feet. The climb starts at 4,988 feet and rises to 4,995 feet before descending back to the start. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.15 miles in, with a grade of 17 percent, and the total elevation gain and loss are each about 425 feet. The route is a compact option for a quick ride, and the closest town is Red Rock Canyon, about 0.67 miles away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. At a nearby weather station in Red Rock Canyon, typical averages run to highs around 70°F in April and 75°F in October, while July and August average highs in the mid-90s. That station sits roughly 1,200 feet below the route, so temperatures on the climb run cooler. The climb sits in a cluster of mountain biking and climbing. Upper Dead Horse is about 0.8 miles away, and the East Side and Clear Light Cave climbing areas are each within a mile. Techno, another mountain biking spot, is about 1.4 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Maria's Taco Shop
Fast food
Open after 6
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in Sandy ValleyBest time to go · Feb–May, Oct–Nov
Best time to visit Classic Dead Horse
Best months: February–May and October–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
53° / 32°
4 wet
Feb
56° / 35°
5 wet
Mar
64° / 41°
4 wet
Apr
70° / 47°
2 wet
May
80° / 56°
1 wet
Jun
90° / 66°
1 wet
Jul
95° / 73°
2 wet
Aug
94° / 72°
2 wet
Sep
87° / 62°
2 wet
Oct
75° / 50°
2 wet
Nov
62° / 38°
2 wet
Dec
52° / 31°
3 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Red Rock Canyon - Spg Mt Rch S, NV, 6.2 mi away at 3,780 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
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Photo: Hermann Luyken, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Tunneling into Red Rock
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Photo: Hermann Luyken, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Brokeback Mountain
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
