Pahrump Loop
Easy Days Ride
This is an easy ride that I thought I’d toss in because it is so easy and has so much potential. This is sort of like a basic burger that you can do whatever you want with it. There is nothing difficult. No roads to test your skill, but a nice way to spend an easy day seeing Southern Nevada.
I’m going to describe the run counter-clockwise, but you could just as easy read this backwards and go that way. Our group usually meets at the Silverton Casino for rides in this direction. From here you will want to go west on State Highway 160 or Blue Diamond Rd (Same road different names). This is a busy and sometimes dangerous stretch. The explosive growth in the valley has turned this from a country byway into a major urban street without any improvements. As you get out of town things should ease up.
Once past Rainbow Ave. the road becomes more rural and traffic thins out. You begin to slowly at first climb away from the Vegas valley. Off to the right you’ll get a good view of Red Rock Canyon and the face of the Spring Mountains. Going up the hill you begin to follow a canyon with great sweepers and an extra lane. You’ll have this to the summit. Here you will find the hamlet of Mountain Springs.
The bar on the north side of the road is a favorite hangout for local bikers. On the weekends the parking lot is usually filled with bikes. The food isn’t great and the bar is basic redneck, but being significantly higher than the valleys on either side makes it a welcome escape.
Going down the hill towards Pahrump, the highway turns into a divided four lane roadway. This is rather peculiar, since it was two lane back in Vegas and will return to two lane just prior to entering Pahrump. This can be a boring stretch. It’s fairly straight and long hills.
Pahrump is a growing small community in the shadow of Mt. Charleston. The main intersection has a Terrible Herbst gas station- casino. This is the turn to go west to Shoshone and one of the entrances to Death Valley. About a mile up this road is the Dunes Bar. The café attached has good food at a reasonable price. The route I’m following though continues through town on 160. You may want to gas up in Pahrump. Prices are frequently better than Vegas.
Continue north on 160. The road remains two lane but runs next to some nice desert scenery. Outside town you will see another road to Death Valley. This road goes to Death Valley Junction. Continue on 160. Several miles outside of town you will see some signs for Crystal. There is a very friendly biker bar in Crystal. They even have rooms for those who drink too much to ride back to town.
Just past the Crystal turnoff, you will arrive at US 95. Take a right back towards town. You’ll ride through some wide canyons as you climb to Indian Springs. The casino at Indian Springs has good chow for a reasonable price. I’ve ridden up here and back to Vegas, just for a lunch ride.
The ride the rest of the way is rather uneventful. More divided four lane. The turn-offs for the mountains are tempting and are worth the trip if you have gas and time.
