Mt. Charleston - Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. With elevations reaching nearly 12,000 feet, it is better known to locals as Mount Charleston, and is conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Las Vegas. Mount Charleston and the SMNRA covers more than 316,000 acres of incredible beauty and surprising diversity.

The tall pine trees, stark limestone cliffs and alpine-like vegetation make you quickly forget you are near the Nevada desert. Enjoy four-season camping, and in the winter you can even ski or snowboard at the Las Vegas Ski Resort.

Download the official Mt. Charleston visitor’s guide.

The Mt. Charleston Scenic Byway is 36 miles long and is a paved, well-maintained road accessible by all cars. The 40 minutes of travel on this byway starts at the arid desert floor, then climbs into the rugged mountains dominated by Joshua trees, juniper, ponderosa pine, and white fir trees — you forget that you are in Southern Nevada as soon as the road begins its climb into the mountains.

Hiking, Backpacking, and Camping

There are more than 50 miles of trails in the Spring Mountains. Some allow motorized vehicles such as ATVs; many will also allow horses. There are many camping opportunities in the Mt. Charleston Area. Kyle and Lee Canyons grant you access to five picnic areas and six developed campgrounds. Paved highways and spectacular scenery create exceptional opportunities for scenic driving.

The Mount Charleston Wilderness is a spectacular alpine environment at high elevations offering fresh mountain air, ice-cold springs, and over 18,000 acres of bristlecone pine forests. Charleston Peak is the highest point in this wilderness area at 11,918 feet. Over 40 miles of trails criss-cross through the wilderness area.

For more information on camping, check out our Mt. Charleston camping section.

Refer to our hiking chart below to find a hiking trail on Mt. Charleston. Please keep in mind that the difficulty rating listed below is if you plan to complete the entire hike. Many of the listed hikes, such as Mary Jane Falls, start off very benign with little altitude gain and smooth ground – almost all of these hikes are appropriate for kids so long as you don’t intend to go then entire distance.

If you or your kids are into geo-caching (using your GPS receiver to search for hidden caches), there are plenty of geo-cache opportunities on Mt. Charleston.

Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort

Come winter, you can join many of the valley residents on the slopes at Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort on Mt. Charleston (Lowell Canyon). Although the skiing is not as good as Southern Utah, it is conveniently located just minutes from Vegas, and there is even a ski school that will instruct your kids. Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard (NV) Single Day Lift Ticket from $33 (save 40%)

Mt. Charleston Hiking Trails



Trail Name	Elevation	Rating	Distance (one-way)	Time (one-way)	Season
1. Echo/Little Falls	7,600 to 8,200	Easy	0.8 miles	20 minutes	Spring-Fall
From Echo Road, cross the Little Falls drainage through forests of Ponderosa Pine and White Fir to the junction with Little Falls Trail where the path ascends to a small seasonal waterfall. The Little Falls Trail is relatively steep but is only 0.3 miles. This trail is rated easy, having some elevation gain and a little uneven terrain. It leads to an overlook on the top of the Echo Cliffs. Beginning at Cathedral Rock, it climbs 1,500 feet passing through pine and fir forests, an avalanche chute and several switchbacks to the top of Echo Cliffs. The avalanche chute is beautiful in the late summer with trees that change color. There are a lot of trees for shade along the way, and the hike takes about one and a half to two hours. The views from the cliffs are magnificent. The edge of the overlook may be slippery, so hikers should watch their footing.
2. Sawmill Loop	7,410 to 7,490	Easy	1.3 miles (loop)	45 minutes	Year Round
This is a 1.3 mile loop trail that takes 45 minutes. It is an easy trail that is mostly level with only a 175 foot ascent and passes through beautiful woodland with juniper, mountain mahogany, many wildflowers, flowering cliff roses and pine trees. It gives excellent views of the Mummy Mountains as the trail emerges in and out of meadow-like openings. Mountain biking is allowed from the spring to the fall as well as horses. It is a clearly marked trail with few or no obstacles.
3. Robber’s Roost	7,860 to 8,020	More Difficult	0.7 miles (loop)	20 minutes	Spring-Fall
This is a short trail at 850 yards both ways. It takes 20 minutes total and is rated more difficult. It is open from the spring to the fall. The trail climbs a canyon to some caves and a pinion pine and mountain mahogany fores, then on to a rock-climbing area, and a high vantage point. Robbers used to use the caves as a hideout and resting place when they were robbing the travelers going to Utah and California. The caves have an excellent view of the local area and were easy to defend from attackers. They used to store stolen goods and livestock there. There is also a rock climbing area on this trail.
4. Fletcher Canyon	6,940 to 7,790	More Difficult	1.6 miles	45 minutes	Spring-Fall
Hike to a lush spring and then scramble up a steep bed before entering a narrow canyon with limestone walls towering 200 feet overhead.
5. Bristlecone	8,470 to 9,380	More Difficult	6.2 miles	4.5 hours	Spring-Fall
This trail is 6.2 miles round trip and is a more difficult hike. It takes about 4.5 hours both ways and is open from the spring through the fall. It begins at the parking lot of the Lee Canyon ski area. This trail is the only one not located inside the wilderness area and is open to mountain biking. The views include Mummy Mountain, the Lee Canyon ski area, and aspen groves. Hikers will wind through White Fir and Quaking Aspen, then climb exposed slopes to eventually reach a stand of bristlecone pines after climbing out of the canyon. After passing the junction with the Bonanza Trail, descend into a canyon to the trailhead near McWilliams campground. Read about our recent adventure on the Bristlecone Trail.
6. Mummy Springs	8,400 to 9,820	More Difficult	3.0 miles	2 hours	Spring-Fall
This trail is only 1/3 mile one way, and is rated more difficult, but to reach the beginning hikers must go 2.7 miles on the North Loop Trail or two miles on the Trail Canyon Trail. The hike of Mummy Springs is 15 minutes one way, but it is two hours on either of the other two trails. It is worth the effort to see the bristlecone pines at the trail head, as they are the oldest living things on earth with some of them 3,000 years old. The tree named Raintree is the largest bristlecone pine in the Spring Mountains. Through the bristlecone forest there is year-round spring where mule deer, an eagle or possibly a mountain lion may be seen if hikers approach quietly. From Highway 158, hike the North Loop Trail to the “Raintree”, at the intersection with the actual Mummy Springs Trail.
7. Cathedral Rock	7,650 to 8,520	Most Difficult	1.4 miles	1 hour	Spring-Fall
This is a 1.4 mile walk one way that is most difficult. Most difficult trails have extreme uphill sections and possibly loose rock. There will be more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain with longer distances and difficult terrain. Ascend gradually through a mixed conifer forest, then switchback up limestone cliffs to the summit of Cathedral Rock and a fantastic view of the canyon and valley below. This trail is open from spring through fall and begins in the Cathedral Rock picnic area. During the summer it is full of colorful wildflowers with plenty of butterflies. There are major avalanches that only the Aspen and brush survive. At the three quarter mile level is a waterfall that is beautiful in the spring and early summer, but becomes just a trickle by fall. At the back of Cathedral Rock there is a view of the avalanche chute, and just a little further on, there are switchbacks for hikers to reach the summit.
8. Griffith Peak	8,360 to 10,800	Most Difficult	5 miles	4 hours	Spring-Fall
This trail is considered a most difficult trail. However, the spectacular views of Lake Mead, Las Vegas, Lovell and Kyle Canyons and Pahrump make it worth the effort. Lovely meadows with colorful wildflowers, ponderosa pines and white firs are seen along the first few miles, but when it reaches altitude the vegetation is sparse when it meets a bristlecone pine forest. From Forest Road 104, hike upward through Pinyon Pine and scrub oak to Harris Saddle, climb to meadows, a Bristlecone Pine forest and spectacular views, past the summit of Griffith Peak and connect to the South Loop Trail. At the five mile mark, it meets South Loop Trail. The trail on the right goes into Kyle Canyon to the Cathedral Picnic area. The hike is 4 hours one way.
9. Mary Jane Falls	7,870 to 9,270	Most Difficult	1.5 miles	1 hour	Spring-Fall
The Mary Jane Falls trail is 1.5 miles one way and takes about one hour. It is rated a most difficult trail and is open from the spring through the fall. The best time to take this trail is in the early summer when the ice is melting. There are good views of Big Falls as well as cascading springs. Two caves have water dripping across their entrances. Hikers pass ponderosa pines, aspen, white fir and mountain mahogany. Another interesting site is a twisted limestone strata formation that was thrust up over 50 million years ago. This trail follows a closed-off road and travels through tall ponderosa pines, white fir, aspens and mountain mahogany. As the last one-third mile ascends steep switch-backs, there are impressive views of the opposite side of the canyon. After a gradual climb up a forested canyon, switchback up a steep slope to see excellent views and Mary Jane Falls. The falls flow heaviest in spring and dwindle to a trickle by summer’s end.
10. Trail Canyon	7,820 to 9,330	Most Difficult	2 miles	2 hours	Spring-Fall
This is a marked four mile hike round trip. It takes about five hours for this most difficult trail. It goes up the side of a canyon through aspen, currants, mountain mahogany and ponderosa. There are a few small caves in the limestone cliff faces. When it climbs out of the canyon it reaches Cockscomb Ridge where it joins the North Loop Trail. The left trail goes to Charleston Peak, and there is a good campsite under a rock ledge with a spring that fills a carved wooden horse trough.
11. Bonanza	7,500 to 10,280	Most Difficult	15.3 miles	14 hours	Summer-Fall
This trail is rated a most difficult trail of 15 miles that runs above Cold Creek. It takes 14 hours in the summer and fall. There are switchbacks up to the crest of the Spring Mountains. There are mainly bristlecone pines along the way with dramatic views of Pahrump Valley and to the east and west of the crest. The trail is marked and has many switchbacks to Bonanza Saddle. This is not the highest point but it can be reached from the saddle. There is a cairn and a register that marks the summit.
12. North Loop	8,400 to 11,880	Most Difficult	10.3 miles	8 hours	Summer-Fall
This marked trail is rated most difficult. It is 10.3 challenging miles one way and takes eight hours. It is open from the spring through the fall. At the 1.5 mile point is a flat ridge that has a few campsites and great views of Las Vegas. After four miles it meets Trail Canyon Trail and continues to the right for two miles into Kyle Canyon where it reaches a campsite with a rock ledge and spring water flowing into a hollowed out log. As it ascends it passes a bristlecone grove and winds along rocky walls to the east face of Mount Charleston Peak; the final switchbacks climb upward half a mile through limestone and dolomite rock eventually reaching the summit at an altitude of 11,918 feet. The view from the summit is spectacular for 300 miles in every direction.
13. South Loop	7,640 to 11,880	Most Difficult	8.3 miles	6 hours	Summer-Fall
This marked trail starts at the Cathedral Rock picnic area, is 8.3 miles one way and takes about six hours. It is a most difficult trail and is open in the summer and fall. It begins with a steep ascent towards Echo Canyon and passes an avalanche chute. This is a brilliantly colored area in the fall with the quaking aspens. Climbing out of the canyon is four miles and 3,000 feet of ascent. There are spectacular views of Kyle Canyon on this part of the trail. At his point the trail is easy and passes through meadows of wildflowers with bristlecone pines which are the only trees that grow at that altitude. There are good views of Lake Mead, Las Vegas and other places. After crossing barren rock, hikers reach Charleston Peak with the magnificent views 300 miles in each direction.

Easy: Expect uphill sections that include up to 1,000 feet of elevation gain; possible uneven terrain.

More Difficult: Expect to follow obvious, well-marked trails with gentle grades and few obstacles.

Most Difficult: Extreme steep uphill sections with loose rocks; more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain; possible difficult terrain and longer distance.

Snow on the Peaks at Kyle Canyon		Mt. Charleston Lodge

View from Mary Jane Falls Trail		View from Trail Canyon Hiking Trail

Hikers finishing a trail at Mt. Charleston		View of Mary Jane Falls

Driving Directions

Take Route 95 North from Las Vegas. Turn left (west) onto Route 157 (Kyle Canyon Rd) and continue as the road climbs in elevation. If you are heading to the Las Vegas Ski Resort, turn right (north) onto Route 158 (Lee Canyon Rd) and continue upwards.

Las Vegas Area Tours

Black Canyon Rafting Adventure - Enjoy calm waters and magnificent scenery on this unique rafting day trip between the Black Canyon cliffs on the Colorado River. Relax and admire beauty of Black Canyon and views of Hoover Dam while your experienced and knowledgeable guide shares the history of this magnificent geological area. The Black Canyon’s high walls will leave you breathless, so remember to bring your camera! You may spot desert big horn sheep, osprey and great blue heron in their natural setting.

Las Vegas Tandem Skydiving – Are you up for it? Complete your visit to Las Vegas with a tandem skydive! You’ll experience the adrenaline rush of a 60-second free fall, followed by a peaceful parachute descent. There’s nothing like it, and you have the option of capturing your skydive on DVD. When the door opens and you exit the aircraft, most people say their fears stay in the plane. For over 45 seconds, falling at speeds in excess of 120 mph/193 kph, you will finally understand why the birds sing!

Red Rock Canyon Tour - Begin your tour at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area with a leisurely 13-mile (21-kilometer) scenic loop. Stops along the way include the colorful sandstone Calico Hills, limestone Indian roasting pits and the petroglyphs at Willow Springs. The tour continues with a visit to Spring Mountain State Park, a ranch once owned by eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes.