| Rainbow Mountain | |
| Elevation Ft: | 6811 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Prominence Ft: | 240. |
| Prominence Ref: | [2] |
| Range: | Spring Mountains[3] Great Basin Ranges |
| Isolation Mi: | 0.39 |
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Nevada |
| Region: | Clark |
| Region Type: | County |
| Part Type: | Protected area |
| Part: | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Rainbow Mountain Wilderness |
| Map: | USA Nevada#USA |
| Map Size: | 230 |
| Label Position: | top |
| Coordinates: | 36.108°N -115.4903°W |
| Topo: | USGS Blue Diamond |
| Age: | Early Jurassic |
| Rock: | Aztec Sandstone |
| Easiest Route: | scrambling |
Rainbow Mountain is a 6811feet mountain summit in Clark County, Nevada, United States.
Rainbow Mountain is located 17miles west of downtown Las Vegas in the Spring Mountains which are a subrange of the Great Basin Ranges. It is set on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, part of the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area. The peak is 0.62miles immediately north of Mount Wilson.[3] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's slopes drains north into Red Rock Wash and south into Oak Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 2500abbr=offNaNabbr=off above Oak Creek Canyon in less than one-half mile (0.8 km). This mountain's descriptive toponym has been officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.[1]
Rainbow Mountain is set within the Mojave Desert which has hot summers and cold winters.[4] The desert is an example of a cold desert climate as the desert's elevation makes temperatures cooler than lower elevation deserts. Due to the high elevation and aridity, temperatures drop sharply after sunset. Summer nights are comfortably cool. Winter highs are generally above freezing, and winter nights are bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping well below freezing.
Rainbow Mountain is composed of Aztec Sandstone which formed about 180–190 million years ago as lithified sand dunes in a desert during the Early Jurassic.[5] The red, orange, and brown coloring of the sandstone is caused by the presence of iron oxide or hematite. Red spots in the buff sandstone are iron oxide concretions called "Moqui marbles."
Established rock climbing routes[6]