The Sloan #601 West Loop Trail uses the most scenic 1.8 mile west section of the Sloan #601 Trail, along with just over 2 miles of the the McCullough Hills Trail, for a 4 mile roundtrip loop hike from the McCullough Hills Trailhead. The Sloan #601 West Loop Trail starts on the McCullough Hills Trail at the McCullough Hills Trailhead for .2 miles until you reach the Sloan #601 Trail. Then this hike takes you on the first 1.8 miles of the western section of the Sloan #601 Trail, going counterclockwise, until it reconnects with the McCullough Hills Trail. Lastly, this hike will use the first two miles of the McCullough Hills Trail to return to the McCullough Hills Trailhead. This is a fairly easy and well-marked trail, and this is a good hike for beginner hikers and families.
The entire Sloan #601 Trail is a 6.2 mile loop that begins and ends .2 miles from the McCullough Hills Trailhead. The eastern section of the Sloan #601 Trail mostly follows a power line road to the southwest for roughly 2 miles, then turns west towards the North McCullough Range. A good portion of the southwestern section of the Sloan #601 Trail follows a large wash to the northeast until it intersects with the McCullough Hills Trail just west of the Mile 2 Marker. The northwest section of the Sloan #601 Trail is the most scenic portion of the trail and takes you through rolling hills and washes until the trail reconnects again with the McCullough Hills Trail just before the McCullough Hills Trailhead.
Before attempting to hike the Sloan #601 West Loop Trail, make sure that you are prepared and are following the guidelines for hiker safety.
Sloan #601 West Loop Trail Map
Waypoint 1 – The McCullough Hills Trailhead (N 35.99799° W 114.99819°)
The McCullough Hills Trailhead is located at 295 Mission Drive in east Henderson. There is a small bathroom at the trailhead. From the trailhead, you will begin the hike on the McCullough Hills Trail, heading southwest for .2 miles until you reach the Sloan #601 Trail.
Waypoint 2 – Turn Right (West) on the Sloan #601 Trail (N 35.99564° W 115.00053°)
After .2 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, you will see a brown trail marker for the #601 Trail. Turn right to head west on the Sloan #601 Trail. The first part of the trail has been lined with rocks on each side of the trail to help guide you.
Waypoint 3 – Take Left Fork in the Trail (N 35.99225° W 115.00446°)
After traveling .55 miles from the trailhead (.35 from the beginning of the #601 Trail), you will encounter the first of several forks in the trail. Take the left fork to continue on the #601 Trail.
Waypoint 4 – Head Up the Small Hill (N 35.99080° W 115.00422°)
At roughly the 1 mile mark from the trailhead, you will see a small hill and a fork in the trail created by mountain bikes speeding down this hill. You can take the steeper route straight to the top of the hill, or the gentler route. using the short set of switchbacks to the right.
Waypoint 5 – Trail Junction, Head Straight (N 35.99005° W 115.00478°)
Just 325 feet from Waypoint 4, you will encounter a trail intersecting with the #601 Trail on the left. Continue straight on the #601 Trail.
Waypoint 6 – Take Right Fork in the Trail (N 35.98967° W 115.00614°)
After traveling 1.2 miles from the trailhead you will encounter a fork in the trail. Take the right fork to continue on the #601 Trail.
Waypoint 7 – Take Left Fork in the Trail (N 35.98975° W 115.00635°)
Just 50 feet from Waypoint 6, you will encounter another fork in the trail. Take the left fork to continue on the #601 Trail. The right for us an unmarked trail that leads to the small peak shown in the photo below.
Waypoint 8 – Pass the Sloan #603 Trail on the Left (N 35.98879° W 115.00750°)
After traveling 1.3 miles from the trailhead, you reach the intersection with the Sloan #603 Trail on the left side of the trail. Continue straight on the #601 Trail. The Sloan #603 Trail is a short half mile trail connecting the #601 Trail to the west and the McCullough Hills Trail to the east. If you wanted a to do a shorter loop hike, you could use the #603 Trail (.5 miles) and then the McCullough Hills Trail back to the trailhead (1.1 miles), which would make for 2.4 mile return trip hike.
Waypoint 9 – Turn Right at Trail Fork (N 35.98793° W 115.00755°)
After traveling 1.4 miles from the trailhead, you will run into an unmarked fork in the trail. Head right at the fork. Up until this point, the #601 Trail has been fairly well marked. Here you will find an unmarked for in the trail that was likely created by mountain bikes creating a new path to the east.
Waypoint 10 – Follow the Trail Through the Wash (N 35.98806° W 115.01168°)
After traveling 1.7 miles from the trailhead, the trail takes through the bottom of a wash. Follow the trail through the wash to the wash.
Waypoint 11 – View Point (N 35.98592° W 115.01326°)
After traveling 1.9 miles from the trailhead, the trail will provide excellent views of the North McCullough Range and Black Mountain to the west and southwest, and the hills toward Dutchman Pass to the southeast. At 2,890 feet, this is the high point on the Sloan #601 West Loop Trail.
Waypoint 12 – Turn Left onto the McCullough Hills Trail (N 35.98154° W 115.01212°)
After traveling 2 miles from the trailhead, the #601 Trail intersects with the McCullough Hills Trail. Turn left (east) on the McCullough Hills Trail to return to the McCullough Hills Trailhead. If you wanted to continue further south on the #601 Trail, you would need to turn right (west) on the McCullough Hills Trail, and go roughly 250 feet until you see the #601 Trail on the left side of the trail.
Waypoint 13 – McCullough Hills Trail Mile 2 Marker (N 35.98142° W 115.01019°)
After traveling .1 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, and 2.1 miles from the trailhead, you will see the McCullough Hills Trail Mile 2 Marker on the right hand side of the trail. I’m not exactly sure how these markers were measured, but they many of them are off by about .1 miles or so throughout the McCullough Hills Trail.
Waypoint 14 – Pass the #603 Trail on the Left (N 35.98630° W 115.00023°)
After traveling .9 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, and 2.9 miles from the trailhead, you will see the Sloan #603 Trail on the left side of the trail.
Waypoint 15 – McCullough Hills Trail Mile 1 Marker (N 35.98742° W 114.99864°)
After traveling 1.1 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, and 3.1 miles from the trailhead, you will see the McCullough Hills Trail Mile 1 Marker on the right side of the trail.
Waypoint 16 – Intersection with Power Line Road & the #601 Trail (N 35.98807° W 114.99742°)
After traveling 1.2 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, and 3.2 miles from the trailhead, the McCullough Hills Trail intersects with a power line road, which also part of the eastern section of the Sloan #601 Trail. The McCullough Hills Trail crosses the power line road/#601 Trail, then takes a 180 degree turn to the north and west to cross the power line road/#601 Trail a second time. The trail the makes a path northwest towards the trailhead. If you were to go north on the #601 Trail from here it would take back to Waypoint 2, and it would add an extra .2 miles to the hike. I prefer the views and trail on the McCullough Hills Trail, and I am not a big fan of the crackling sounds made by the power lines above this section of the #601 Trail.
Waypoint 2 – Intersection with the #601 Trail (N 35.99564° W 115.00053°)
After traveling 1.8 miles on the McCullough Hills Trail, and 3.8 miles from the trailhead, you will pass Waypoint 2 at the north intersection of the McCullough Hills Trail and the Sloan #601 Trail. Continue on the McCullough Hills Trail .2 miles until you reach the McCullough Hills Trailhead.
The End – The McCullough Hills Trailhead (N 35.99799° W 114.99819°)
When you return to the McCullough Hills Trailhead, you have completed the 4 mile Sloan #601 West Loop Trail.
Hiking Around Henderson, Nevada 