Mummy Mountain Northern Rim Overlook, Nevada

The views along the Northern Rim of Mummy Mountain are truly incredible, but seen by only a few climbers and hikers. It’s usually all one can take to to muster up the effort to summit the 11,500ft Mummy Mountain. On this day, for the first time, having arrived at Mummy Mountain’s summit, I summoned the energy to completely explore the entire rim North of the summit area. Route details: 16 mi / Approx. 7,785 > 11,530ft; **Some Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…

Lee Peak from Kyle Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

In the rush to get to the summit of Charleston Peak, highest peak in the Spring Mountains of Nevada, most climbers bypass 11,289ft Lee Peak (less than 700ft lower than Charleston Peak), failing to realize it even exists. This is unfortunate because Lee Peak offers at least 2 unique features over Mt. Charleston. First, the view from Lee Peak includes two beautiful canyons: Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon. All the mountains along both sides of Kyle Canyon are visible (Mummy Mt., Fletcher Peak, Harris Mountain, Griffith Peak and Charleston Peak) and the view is spectacular – right down the middle of the canyon! At the same time, there’s a spectacular view of Lee Canyon including the entire Bristlecone Pine Trail and all the way to the Sheep Range in the distance. In addition, from the summit you can see all the way to Telescope Peak on the far side of Death Valley, and beyond that to the Sierra Nevada range. Route details: 12 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,289ft; **Excellent Trail** Click image or title above for more…

Harris Springs & Harris Mountain Roads | Spring Mountains | Nevada | Off-Road Cycling

The important Harris Springs and Harris Mountain Roads system is one of the main access points for the La Madre Mountains Wilderness (4 times the size of Red Rock Park), Harris Mountain and even the Lovell Canyon area and a back door wilderness ascent to Griffith Peak. We take time to show these important wilderness access points. The views from upper Harris Mountain Road are spectacular. One can look straight down the canyon to see the entire Sheep Range, Fossil Ridge and Gass Peak in addition to La Madre Mountain and El Padre Mountain. Route details: 6 mi RT if you start at the end of Harris Mountain Road / Approx. 9,000 > 10,018ft; **Some Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…

Harris Springs Canyon, Nevada | Mountain Biking from Centennial Hills in Las Vegas

Harris Springs Canyon parallels upper Kyle Canyon Road around 5-8 miles below the Charleston Village area. The most notable feature of the canyon is the incredible slot canyon at its lower opening near the intersection of upper Harris Springs Road and Kyle Canyon Road. Though the canyon parallels Kyle Canyon Road it seems as though it is in an entirely untouched wilderness area as there are no sounds of the vehicles just over the ridge on Kyle Canyon Road. Very often as you round a bend there is a direct view of Charleston Peak. Route Details: About 20 miles to the intersection of Kyle Canyon and upper Harris Springs Roads, then 2-4mi RT in the canyon / Approx. 8,439 > 10,255ft; **Good Route from Upper Harris Sprs. Rd.** Click image or title above for more…

Harris Mountain | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

See the Harris Griffith Circuit page on this website. That adventure shows the Harris Mountain summit approach from South Climb Trailhead at Cathedral Rock. A future adventure posted to this page will show Harris Mountain summit approach from Harris Springs and Harris Mountain Roads, which is the most popular summit approach. Route details: 12-15-miles RT from the intersection of Kyle Canyon and Upper Harris Springs Road; **Unpaved roads and established trails all the way.** Click image or title above for more…

Griffith Peak | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

At 11,056ft, Griffith Peak is the third highest peak in the Spring Mountain range and Southern Nevada. Though often overlooked by hikers whose destination is Mt. Charleston, the highest peak at 11,918ft, Griffith Peak is a great summit destination in itself. It has a unique view of the Eastern portion of Las Vegas, the Strip and the mountains bordering Red Rock Canyon and Calico Basin which are not visible from Mt. Charleston or Mummy Mt. The summit itself is more interesting than the barren Mt. Charleston summit. And finally, Griffith Peak makes a great out and back conditioning run for trail runners as the trail is a fairly good running surface, the incline is steady and steep and the round trip is just under 10 miles so one can travel fairly light and fast. Route Details: 9.3 mi RT / Approx. 7,713 > 11,060ft; **Excellent Trail** Click image or title above for more…

Cockscomb Peak and Ridge, Spring Mountains, Nevada

Cockscomb Peak and Ridge is little over a 4-mile round trip with a nearly 3,000ft elevation gain. Stretching from Hwy 157 Northward up to its highest elevation of 9692 ft, it creates a beautiful and rugged feature that can be viewed in a unique way from every high point in the canyon. As of the writing of this article there were no trails to Cockscomb Peak and Ridge which makes the approach, especially from Hwy 157, a great opportunity to practice some light wilderness navigation skills. The final mile up to the summit from the Hwy 157 approach affords spectacular views of Mummy Mountain, Fletcher Peak, Harris Mountain and the Griffith/Harris Circuit, Griffith Peak and the lower South ridge of Kyle Canyon. It’s like being on a mountaintop for that entire stretch! Route details: 5 mi / Approx. 7,785 > 9,307ft; **Mostly Excellent Trail via Trail Canyon Trail; Wilderness, no Trail from Hwy Kyle Canyon Rd** Click image or title above for more…

Charleston Peak from Cathedral Rock

Behind Cathedral Rock there are two very inconspicuous routes that go straight up the side of the South Ridge of Kyle Canyon. They are actually washes that I understand have been used by climbers to ascend Charleston Peak during the Winter months when the South Climb Trailhead and parking lot has been closed and blocked off and the upper elevations are snowed in. One of the most beautiful year-round springs in the Spring Mountains flows through this route in the area above Cathedral Rock. The route to the top of the South ridge of Kyle Canyon may take up to 4 hours from the Cathedral Rock Trailhead. Route details: 18 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,918ft; **Wilderness, No Trail** Click image or title above for more…

Charleston Peak Snow Dust | Mt. Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

This is a very magical view of Charleston Peak during a dusting of snow in mid-October. The conditions were just right to coat every pine needle of every bristlecone pine tree with an intricate glistening layer of snow and ice. Route description: 17 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,918ft; **Excellent Trail** Click image or title above for more…

Charleston Peak | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

At 11,918ftm Charleston Peak is the highest mountain in the Spring Mountain Range and in Southern Nevada. Here you get the best view of the entire North-South Charleston Loop including all the mountain peaks mentioned above, along with a great view of Charleston Village over 5000ft immediately below, then all the way down Kyle Canyon to I-95 and beyond. The approach trail is about 8.5 miles in length from the South Loop Climb trailhead, but many make this an 18-mile circuit adventure. Route description: 17 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,918ft; **Excellent Trail** Click image or title above for more…