Spring Mountain National Recreation Area

If you like the great outdoors, get off the strip and see some spectacular sites. Beware the altitude and note that it’s much cooler than the strip. Go here if you’ve already been to Red Rock Canyon.

We hiked the Cathedral Rock Trail and the description at this link was accurate:

The park ranger at the visitor center warned us off the Mary Jane Falls Trail. He said the last leg of it is very strenuous because of the altitude, and if you’re not used to the altitude it could be a problem. If you are looking for an easier hike, he suggested Fletcher Canyon.
I can’t wait to go back and hike some of the other trails.

ANOTHER FAVORITE GETAWAY!
Hate the heat. Love the snow! For some reason I never drove this far to go hiking to see pass the Mount Charleston entrance turn. Turn to Lee Canyon to see this beauty!
God, it’s so nice to just get away, have no reception and enjoy the nice cool breeze up a mountain. Reduce the stress and clear your mind.
If you go to the Upper Bristlecone Trail parking area to go skiing and snowboard, there is a $ 5 fee to go in. Sometimes there’s no one there, so it’s free. But when I went the other day, seems like everyone wanted to snowboard and such.
Only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because on the drive up there. There was a lot of trash scattered on the side of the roads. Seemed like it wasn’t being intended too well. There was also an abandoned truck that smelled like hell’s dump yard and a bunch of homeless people decided to poop all over the place sitting in the lower parking lot of the Bristlecone trail. I’m sure a squatter was chillin around though and their car broke down.
Anyway, since we didn’t want to go up the trail where the smelly truck was broken down at, we reported it to the cute girl taking payment to the Upper Bristlecone Trailhead and she let us in without paying the $ 5. Woo! THANK YOU, CUTE GIRL. Haha.
Besides all that, it was a wonderful experience. I will go back!

There are various parts to this rec. area, spread over a pretty large distance. This review is for the Northernmost portion, accessed across from Mercury, NV.
This portion is NOT very well maintained, and it truly for those off-​roading campers/​adventurers. There are no bathrooms nearby and no amenities to speak of nearby (including running water of any type). The roads are absolutely horrible unless you have high clearance and 4WD. But many great trails for ATVs and horseback riding.
That being said, it is an incredibly beautiful place to be. We were there at the end of February and the temperature was in the upper 60s/​lower 70s. We did a hike up one of the mountains to check out one of the former mining camps, and the view all around us was spectacular.
This would have had 5 stars if the roads were a little better/​more accessible, and because we only experienced a portion of the Rec Area, I didn’t want to be too critical. So we land at a healthy/​solid 4 star review.
2016 Unilocal 100 Review Challenge #35

Winter was such a short time this year but even now that the sun has been really hot there is so much sow to have fun with. Everything we want to scape from stress and enjoy nature we come here. Nothing better than fresh smell of a pines and nature all around.

$ 10/​car for a half day of snow fun is a pretty good deal for two families. Parking is a challenge but the earlier you arrive the better. We were advised to dress like we’re going skiing and to brings snacks. We did for the kids but not for me except for a ski jacket. Nonetheless it was fun hiking up the side of the hill and using a disc to come back down. Another patron brought fire wood and had a warm fire burning and was kind enough to share his heat. The temp was 25 but it felt great as the sun was shining bright today.

A+ scenery. Nice way to get out of Vegas and experience nature!

After looking at more pictures I don’t believe we went far enough once we were in Kyle Canyon Rd. We saw signs for this and stopped but there was a visitors center under construction. We still parked at the end of this and went on a trail but it was very plain. Seems better for biking. Next time we will try going up further.

I love getting outdoors and exploring. Redrock Canyon and Valley of Fire are both great places close to Vegas but they do not compare to the Spring Mountains in my opinion. I love hiking up here with my dogs. It’s very peaceful, relaxing and yet you can get a challenging workout on the trails at the same time. The elevation goes all the way up to almost 12,000 ft at the highest point. Lots of wildlife and fresh air to be had. You will routinely see wild horses, mule deer, wild burros, coyotes, etc. There are also Elk, Mountain Lions and Bobcats. It is a great place just to get away from it all in Vegas. It is a whole different world than the strip. It is about 45 – 60 mins drive from Vegas.

I love coming up here and going hiking with the bf. It’s so nice to get away from the city and just breathe in the fresh mountain air. The temps are always 20 degrees cooler than Vegas, so we love coming up in Sept/​October right when it’s starting to cool down. Then we usually make another trip out when there is snow on the ground, because who doesn’t love to play in the snow? Plus it makes for really gorgeous pictures.
There are many different trails to hike, with varying intensities. You can check the website to see which trails are located where, and how hard they are. In the winter you can head up to Lee Canyon where they have the ski and snowboard resort. Sometimes we pack a lunch, and then stop at the Deer Creek picnic area to eat after a hike. You park across the street and then walk over to the picnic area. There are bathrooms in the parking lot and also there are some about a half a mile into the picnic area as well. Just fyi there is never any toilet paper so we always bring our own.
The picnic area is paved, so it is easy to walk on, although it is uphill. There are wooden tables you can use to stop and rest and enjoy your lunch. They also have bbq grills, but I don’t think you can use those anymore. What I love most is hearing the water trickling down from the creek that runs through that area, it is so peaceful and serene when you are out there, there is really nothing better.

Best time to go is early in the day. Beautiful, water and tress hiking trails is just so much fun.

Beautiful day in the mountains. Love this place. Just the drive up there is so worth it. Go slow enjoy ur drive. Just less then 40 min from Vegas. Great hikes majestic views from every direction. Day in the snow on Jan. 31 2015

Where the hell is this place? We drove there and around it, and is was a parking lot. Are you kidding me? All the pictures described on this website was not seen. It was frustrating. If I could give it a zero star, I would.

This is the PERFECT getaway from the Vegas city life! I can’t believe this place exists only 45 minutes from Las Vegas.
I am a huge fan of pine nuts. For those that buy pine nuts, we all know that it costs $ 30/​lb at Whole Foods. Here’s a secret… Pinyon pine trees grows here! «Annually between September and November, the Forest Service allows one pound of shelled nuts or ten pounds of cones to be collected per family within the National Recreation Area. No permit or fee is required to gather for personal use.» How amazing is this? FREE pine nuts! I went to harvest pine nuts in late October and there were PLENTY.

The Spring Mountain National Recreation Area is generally regarded as the area around Kyle and Lee Canyons. The recreation area allows many things that you wouldn’t expect in the Las Vegas area. There’s skiing and snowboarding in the winter, snowshoe trips in the winter, hiking in the summer, and lots and lots of trees. While it’s still desert, the mountains get much more rain, relatively speaking, than does Las Vegas and thus the lush nature of the mountains.
I visit the mountain in various times of the year but mostly in the summer for hiking. There are many trails. The hiking can be difficult for many because of the elevation. There are few trails that start at less than 7,500 feet so you may be gasping to catch your breath and stopping more often than for a normal hike.
In the summer, on weekends, you can ride the chairlift to the top of the ski area and walk back down, ride back down, or enjoy a game of Frisbee golf as you make your way down the run.
If you’re lucky, you can see some of Nevada’s wild horses as they roam free in the Spring Mountains.
*************************************************************
A couple of things to remember about the Recreation Area in 2014.
*************************************************************
Due to the Carpenter 1 Fire of 2013, there are several trails and areas that are closed. These are the Cathedral Rock Trail, the South Loop Trail, the Little Falls Trail, and the Echo Trail. Fines for hiking in the fire burned area can be as high as $ 5,000. It is a federal offense. Don’t be a jerk and hike through the burn area. You’re just impeding the regrowth of the forest and you’ll be harming the ecology. Be a smart user of our shared resources!
Stay out of those areas and you still have a large part of the Recreation Area to explore and use – Lee Canyon and the trails of Deer Creek Road. These are still open. Use them.

Over the past year I’ve realized I really need to appreciate the outdoors around me more. I’ve gotten out of the city on quite a few occasions lately and I’ve taken a liking to hiking, even though I am not particularly good at it. This area outside of Vegas is primarily known for being the home of Mt. Charleston. The thing to realize though, is that there’s much more to do here than go to Mt. Charleston.
On mine and my husband’s last venture here we brought our two dogs to go on the North loop hike. This hike is located in the Kyle Canyon area. It’s a nice hike, and I love the views you can get as you make each summit. It is up, up, up most of the way, but there are a few areas that allow hikers (like myself) a few moments of ease and the ability to catch your breathe.
I love the feeling of coming up into the mountains from the valley. It’s really just a totally different world. Honestly if you are not coming out here every once and awhile you are doing yourself a disservice just stewing in the Vegas valley.
Give your lungs some fresh mountain air, give your nose new smells — pine, wildlife, clean air! And give your legs some room to move! There’s just nothing like this in the city. You have to get out there and live it.

Spring Mountain National Recreation Area is a very generic term as there’s so much that that title covers.
There’s hiking trails, picnic areas, motels, restaurants, skiing, mountain biking, camping… if you enjoy the outdoors there’s literally something for everyone here.
If you can’t find something enjoyable to do up here you’ve got a problem.

Should prominently say MOUNT CHARLESTON in the listing.
Probably the best thing about Las Vegas, and it was built by mother nature and not a developer. It’s a must-​see place, especially in the summer, when the climb from the desert floor to an elevation of about 7,200 ft. and the powerful view over the valley in which Las Vegas sits is breathtaking. There is also at least one casual place to eat up there and it has a terrace. Not only that, there is a welcomed 20 degree F temperature drop at Mt. Charleston.
One caveat: the A/​C should be turned off for the steep ascent and you should watch the temperature gauge and, on the way down, brake judiciously … because you will need to.

I hate how there is never any parking areas available, and its always packed with guests. Especially during winter when everyone wants to take snow home in the back of their trunk or store huge chunks on top of their hood.
The view and wildlife is as good as it gets here next to Las Vegas. And a great place to stay out of the summer heat for a little bit.

Great place in the summer to get away from the Las Vegas heat.
Tons of great well marked hiking trails to be had, for all fitness levels. Make a stop at the Visitors Center and grab yourself a free trails map or just google it. If you go in the spring time there will be more opportunities to see waterfalls or streams like on the Mary Jane Falls trails and Big Falls.
Take your lunch and eat at one of the many picnic areas or stop by the Mount Charleston Resort and have a bite.
You can even camp up there and make a weekend of it. Plenty of wildlife can be seen at all times of the day.
It’s a short drive from Las Vegas so don’t hesitate, before you know it, it’ll be covered with snow!

How lucky are we? We get to live in Las Vegas and have a nice, mild winter and then whenever the mood strikes us to have some cooler temps, all we have to do is take a short drive up to Mt Charleston!
I’ve been visiting Mt Charleston ever since I moved to Vegas. Being a Pittsburgh girl, I occasionally get the calling for some evergreen trees and cool air. Mount Charleston is easy to get to and the drive is unbelievable. It’s amazing to watch how much more vegetation appears on landscape as you make your way up in elevation. Once you get to the top, you have a gorgeous pine forest to admire.
Spring Mountain National Rec Area (what I incorrectly consider «Mt Charleston») is nice for the drive alone. There are plenty of pull-​outs for photos on the road between Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon. It’s a nice spot to visit for the afternoon to have a picnic and get some fresh air. There is also plenty of hiking if you want to get outdoors but don’t want to pass out from the 110 degree weather down in the valley.
If you ever decide you need to see some snow, Mt Charleston has that for you as well. I was up there hiking in May a couple years ago and there were still piles of snow 5 feet high in some places on the trail! For those of you that like you have your «White Christmas,» then you should definitely consider getting a room at the resort or lodge in December. Oh, and did I mention there was skiing in Lee Canyon?
I love it here and don’t visit nearly as often as I should. If you’re a tourist and you are looking for something different to do while visiting Vegas, you might want to consider this. If you are from Las Vegas and never been, then get your butt in gear and get up to the mountain! Your body will thank you for the few hours it’s not melting in the sun.