Henderson is planning a 1,300-acre nature preserve at the north end of the McCullough Range. The city will pay for it with a $5.5 million federal grant, and construction is targeted for early 2027. The preserve's own design letter says it will tie into Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area through the McCullough Hills Trail. That trail already runs from a trailhead on Mission Drive to Anthem Hills Park.
So the new preserve will be built at the far end of a line that is already finished on the Anthem side. The trailheads, restrooms and summit route at this end exist today. October is when the weather makes them usable again.
Three ways onto the mountain from this side of town
The trails on the Anthem side start from three points. Each one leads to a different kind of morning.
| Trailhead | Address | Facilities | What starts here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Canyon Trailhead | Shadow Canyon Drive, Sun City Anthem | No restrooms, limited parking | Black Mountain #404 to the summit |
| Anthem Hills Park & Anthem East Trailhead | 2256 N. Reunion Drive | Restrooms, walking trails, park open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Anthem East Trail and the south end of McCullough Hills |
| McCullough Hills Trailhead | 295 Mission Drive | Restrooms, picnic tables, trail information | The north end of McCullough Hills |
Hikers often park along Shadow Canyon Drive because the trailhead lot is small. The first half mile is a paved path that branches toward several trails in the area. The City of Henderson lists Anthem Hills Park under trails and trailheads, not just parks. It has the amenities Shadow Canyon lacks. The Anthem East route from the park runs about seven miles. The first three-quarters of a mile is paved, and most of the rest is dirt.
Black Mountain, now that the heat has broken
Black Mountain is the high point of the North McCullough Wilderness at 5,093 feet. A September 2026 guide on Las Vegas Area Trails describes a 7.4-mile loop that starts and ends around 3,000 feet, just above the Anthem East Trailhead. It climbs one approach ridge on the west face, crosses the saddle between the mountain's two summits, and comes down the other ridge. AllTrails lists the out-and-back version at 7.1 miles with 1,994 feet of gain. It notes that the final summit stretch is steep and rocky, takes some light scrambling, and has no shade. Expect roughly 2,000 feet of climbing either way. The exact distance depends on which ridge you take and whether you loop.
The same guide gives a clear rule for timing. Hike from late fall through early spring, on days when the Las Vegas forecast high falls between about 70 and 80 degrees. It also warns about strong wind, and about snow or ice near the summit on the coldest winter days. The views include the Strip and the Spring Mountains to the west. From the summit you can also see east to the Eldorado Wilderness and Black Canyon.
The Bureau of Land Management's heat guidance for Sloan Canyon still applies in early fall. Avoid hiking at midday, carry at least a gallon of water per person per day, and know that trails can close without warning when there are hazards.
The line that connects Anthem to the new preserve
Black Mountain is the climb. McCullough Hills is the connector, and the 2027 plans depend on it.
AllTrails describes McCullough Hills as a wide dirt trail that runs from its eastern trailhead to Anthem Hills Park. Its full out-and-back listing is 16.1 miles with 1,722 feet of gain. Most people won't hike that both ways. The city's Parks and Recreation department offers an easier option this fall.
On Saturday, November 14, 2026, Henderson's Fall Hiking Series holds a National Take a Hike Day outing from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group starts at the McCullough Hills trailhead on Mission Drive and hikes about 8 miles inside Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area to Anthem Hills Park. A shuttle takes participants from the park back to their cars at the start. The fee is $2.00 to $2.30, registration runs through the city's WebTrac activity page, and anyone under 18 must come with a parent or guardian.
The hike follows the same corridor the preserve is designed to connect to, and it finishes in Anthem.
What Henderson plans to build at the other end
The Black Mountain Nature Preserve sits on city-owned land in the Horizon Ridge Parkway and I-11 area. That is the north side of the McCullough Hills, not the Anthem side. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in June that people have hiked the property for years, mostly on informal "social trails."
Amie Wojtech, the city's park planning manager, told the paper the plan uses those existing paths instead of cutting new ones. "We will be taking advantage of the trails that have been carved out from people just using the area," she said. "We'll bring those up to city standards and use those, as opposed to creating new trails." The Review-Journal also reported planned connections to Hidden Falls Park and the Amargosa Trail, as well as McCullough Hills and Sloan Canyon.
The design application filed June 8, 2026, puts the new trailhead at Buckhorn Street and Palisades View Drive. Doug Prouty, senior landscape architect at Lage Design, wrote the letter. It describes:
- A 126-square-foot restroom building powered by solar panels
- Solar-powered lights in the parking lot
- A shade structure with seating
- Recycling containers, water-efficient native plants, and a native seed mix wherever the ground is disturbed
The city's project page also lists natural-surface trails, interpretive signs, scenic overlooks and native revegetation. The schedule is still a target, not a commitment. As of the June reporting, the project was in design, with construction aimed at early 2027 and an opening Wojtech hoped to reach by the end of that year.
Once it opens, both ends of McCullough Hills will have a formal trailhead with restrooms. Anthem Hills Park already does.
The fall calendar around the conservation area
Sloan Canyon switched to its winter schedule on October 1. Through May 19, Petroglyph Canyon and the Visitor Contact Station are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In summer, access ended at noon. BLM has also closed Nawghaw Poa Road and the parking area at its end through November 11, 2026. Petroglyph Canyon and the 101 Trail are rerouted to Democracy Drive during the closure.
The volunteer group Friends of Sloan Canyon has listed these fall dates with BLM:
- October 24, 3 to 7 p.m. Staff the conservation area's information table at the Inspirada Fall Fest, Aventura Park, 2525 Via Firenze.
- October 25, 9 a.m. to noon. Trail restoration at the Visitor Contact Station: raking, moving rocks and vertical mulching.
- October 31, 9 a.m. to noon. Switchback repair on Petroglyph Canyon Trail, which takes at least a half-mile hike to reach.
- November 14, 8 a.m. to noon. Restoration on Cowboy Trail, capped at 15 volunteers, with at least four miles of hiking.
Both October restoration dates list 3100 Nawghaw Poa Road as the meeting point, and that road is under the closure. Confirm the meeting spot and access with the organizers before you go. The Cowboy Trail session falls on the same Saturday as the city's McCullough Hills hike, so you'll have to choose between them.
The golf course has its own fall schedule. Overseeding at Anthem Country Club finished on September 30. The Men's Fall Classic runs October 21 to 24, Spooky Glo Ball Golf is October 28, and the Club Championship is November 6 and 7.
Access to open space shapes how a home in Anthem is valued and presented, from the trailhead in the listing photos to the walk out to Black Mountain. If you're weighing a sale or a purchase, The Agency Las Vegas | Henderson can show you how being near these trails factors into a property's story and price. Request a Private Consultation & Home Valuation with our senior team.
