Lee to Kyle Canyon | Foxtail Canyon Route | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
This beautiful route ascends through the Foxtail Canyon picnic area and an abandoned Girl Scout camp and then gradually weaves around passing just right (south) of the beautiful Foxtail Canyon Springs before ascending to the upper rim of Kyle Canyon. A left (North) turn there will take you along the summit of Kyle Canyon’s upper rim to Mummy Mountain’s main summit area. However, in this adventure we turn right to traverse the high Lee/Kyle Canyons ridge top before connecting with the Mt. Charleston upper North Loop Trail then descending back to the Foxtail Picnic Area via Lee Canyon’s gradual mid-ridge making this a circuit adventure. Route details: 15 mi RT/ Approx. 8,000 > 11,000ft; **Brief Initial Road, Then Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
02 Lee to Kyle Canyon | Overview | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Ascending the ridge from Lee to Kyle Canyon is like crossing a bridge to another world. I’ll never forget that first moment, after long weaving through deep wilderness slopes, that I reached the Lee/Kyle Canyon upper rim. Topping that last hill, suddenly the world of Kyle Canyon with its familiar peaks was there! There are no trails from Lee to Kyle Canyon. However, this point I have found a number of wilderness routes that ascend from Lee to Kyle Canyon, each uniquely magical in nature. This page lists those routes and provides links to the individual adventure pages with the details, videos and images for each route. Best time of year for adventures here: Early Summer to Mid-Fall. Temperatures at the higher elevations are usually in the mid-70s even when Las Vegas Valley is up to 115 degrees! Expect to navigate snow at other times of the year. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…
Cockscomb Ridge Wilderness Circuit | Mt. Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
The Cockscomb Ridge Wilderness Circuit is an extension of the Cockscomb Ridge hike/run. The difference is that it includes a descent from Cockscomb Ridge through the wilderness back to the trailhead on Kyle Canyon Road just beyond the Rainbow Subdivision turnoff. Depending on your comfort level you will grow the ability to navigate by large landmarks vs. depending on compass, electronic guidance systems or maps. This will bring you closer to the experience of dissolving the artificial barriers that commonly exist between yourself and nature. Route details: 8 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 9,307ft; **Some Trail, Mostly 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…
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…
01 Mt Charleston Wilderness Overview | Kyle Canyon Trails | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Kyle Canyon is the main jumping off point for hikers, trail runners and mountain climbers in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness. There are two main trailheads: Trail Canyon Trailhead and South Climb Trailhead. The Trail Canyon Trailhead (near Mary Jane Falls) is the starting point for completing the Mt. Charleston Loop from the North. The South Climb Trailhead, at the base of Cathedral Rock, is the starting point for completing the Mt. Charleston Loop from the South. It is also the shortest out-and-back route to the summit of Charleston Peak. Best time of year for adventures here: Early Summer to Mid-Fall. Temperatures at the higher elevations are usually in the mid-70s even when Las Vegas Valley is up to 115 degrees! Expect to navigate snow at other times of the year. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…
