Mt. Charleston - hiking information with pictures and camping near Las Vegas

Mt. Charleston

Mt. Charleston is about 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It has over 300,000 acres and is part of the Spring Mountains which is part of the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. At over 7,000 feet elevation on average the temperatures are 30 degrees cooler than in the Las Vegas valley. Charleston Peak is 11,918 in elevation which makes it the highest point in southern Nevada and also makes it the third highest peak in Nevada.

On the drive to the top you will see mostly Joshua trees and yucca covering the desert at 2,080 feet. But quickly the flora gradually changes to cedar trees, juniper, mountain mahogany, aspen, ponderosa pine, and bristlecone pine forests. And, once you have reached the mountain's uppermost region you will be surrounded by an Alpine forest. Occasionally wild burros and horses can be seen throughout the region, and many different types of birds such as humming birds, eagles, and woodpeckers.

Mt. Charleston offers a variety of trails and mountaineering routes to numerous peaks. There are over 35 miles of trails with significant elevation changes from trailheads to ridgelines. The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort is located in Lee Canyon and has a total of 13 runs and different levels. Mt. Charleston has some RV camping as well as seven campgrounds with more than 180 campsites, and there are about 160 picnic sites.

The first seven pictures were taken on the popular Cathedral Rock Trail. It reaches an elevation of 8,600 feet and is three miles long. The trail starts in Mazie Canyon which is among ponderosa pine and white fir before entering an aspen forest. About halfway up the Cathedral Trail there is a three-tierd waterfall. When we hiked this trail these waterfalls were hiding behind a curtain of snow. It was a slippery getting up to see the waterfall behind the snow but definitely worth it. While there we decided to take a few rides down the snow. Back on the trail, once you get through canyon and past the saddle you get a view of the wide avalanche chute. You can see the only trees that can survive the repeated snowslides is the aspen and some brush.

Another popular trail is the Bristlecone Trail which is a six-mile loop. Mountain biking is also allowed on this trail so keep an ear out for bikers careening down the trail. The upper trailhead is located past the Mt. Charleston ski area at the end of the Lee Canyon Road. The Upper Trail is the best part of this hike where you are walking along a flowing spring, among fir, aspen and then bristlecone pines. The Lower Trail is along an abandoned road that basically has no shade. The Lee Canyon Ski area and Mummy Mountain can be seen from this trail.

Jason's thoughts - Great easy hiking. Easy to get to from Vegas. Fun, cool air, lots of trees, and huge panoramic views with snow to play in make this great for kids too. Longer overnight hikes are in the works for us here. If you are looking for wildlife it can be boring as there are very few animals.
Kelly's thoughts - Cathedral Rock Trail was good and rugged but there were quite of few people on the trail. The upper trail of Bristlecone was beautiful and shady, unlike the lower trail which I didn't care for. I prefer a loop rather than an out and back trail because I like to see whats next. Jason laughs at me for this. If it was up to me I would stay out all day just to see what is around the next corner. Our "longer hikes in the works" is a choice between a very large loop or an out and back through some serious wilderness. I am having trouble deciding this one.

Visit girls first Las Vegas trip for more information.

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