Greys Peak

Greys Peak

Place Name: Elko County

Place Description: State: Nevada
Date: 08/14/2022
Elevation: 10,674 Feet
Prominence: 714 Feet
Miles: 4.2
Elevation Gain: 2,283 Feet
Lists: Great Basin Peak List, Nevada Peaks Club

• Difficulty
• Solitude
• Kid Friendly
• Summit Views

Nevada Scrambles

Hiking in Nevada definitely has fewer opportunities to scramble rocks than other states, especially up north. Greys Peak is an exception with some fun route finding from the shores of Angel Lake up to the summit.

Overall

2.9

Pros

• Angel Lake and Campground
• Great views
• Pretty terrain

Cons

• No trails
• Bushwhacking if not careful
• Would be very wet in spring

Driving west bound on Interstate 80, as you pass Wells, NV, a sign for Angel Lake pops up. While this sign may seem out of place, look to the southwest side and Greys Peak will be standing high above you.

Looking rather impressive, Greys Peak is very accessible and non-technical.

Getting There

Pretty easy directions here. Follow the signs to Angel Lake. The road is two lanes and paved. It winds up to Angel Lake and beautiful campground. There is a $7 day use fee that needs to be paid in cash.

It’s less than 20 minutes from Wells.

Drive into Angel Lake

The Hike

The easiest way to access Greys Peak is by hiking the trail around the left side of the lake. The Trail dead ends at the waterfall, and this is where the scrambling begins.

Greys Peak above Angel Lake.

You can bypass the waterfall on either the left or right side. The left side is easier with a series of non-exposed ledges. 

From here, it’s all route finding. There will be small cliff bands, rock piles, and 8-foot-tall manzanita. With careful route finding, you will be able to dodge all of the bush and keep the scrambling easy. There is no need to go past class 2 climbing on this hike.

Climbing up Greys Peak

As you climb higher, the main saddle lies straight ahead, and a minor saddle sits off to the left. Either route goes.

Headed up the first gully on the left.

I climbed up to the left which takes you up to a large flat bench area. It’s very pretty up here as some cool rock formations, including the chimney are in close proximity.

Leave the bench area and climb the large slope to your right as it gains the ridge. 

A short class 2+ climb leads upwards and gains the main ridge line.

Light class 2/3 climb

Once above this rocky section, a short ridge walk ensues, and the summit is easily attained.

The final summit ridge.

The Summit

The views from Greys Peak are phenomenal. Pilot Peak and Spruce Mountain loom large and the spine towards Hole In The Mountain Peak looks like fun. The north end of the Rubies can be seen.

Spruce Mountain in the distance.

Looking south towards Hole In The Mountain Peak

The Final Word

Overall, Greys Peak is a fun and generally easy peak. With a great road, a campground, and beautiful lake, it’s a rare gem for Nevada peaks. 

During runoff, I would expect this to be a tough and wet climb, however, summertime seems perfect. 

Even though we did not see any, Mountain Goats, bighorn sheep, and mule deer call this area home.