Lee Peak | Charleston Peak via Lee Canyon Mid Ridge | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

Starting in Lee Canyon across from Upper Lee Meadows, ascend the gradual mid-ridge that begins there and connects with the Mt. Charleston North Loop Trail a little over a mile below Lee Peak. Take a right on the North Loop Trail to the final summit approach for Lee Peak summit. Deviate from the North Loop Trail to ascend to the Lee Peak Summit, then descend again to the North Loop Trail. Continue on the North Loop Trail to Charleston Peak summit. Take the Mt. Charleston South Loop Trail from Charleston Peak summit to the junction below Griffith Peak summit. Descend to the South Loop Trail and descend to the South Loop Trailhead just above Charleston Village. From there take a mountain bike stashed earlier at that trailhead and return to Upper Lee Meadows via Deer Creek Road and Lee Canyon Road. Route details: 35 mi Circuit/ Approx. 8,000 > 11,920ft; **Some Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…

Lee to Kyle Canyon | East Ski Run Route | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

This adventure will begin by ascending the Eastern ski run in Lee Canyon. The route will continue beyond the summit of the ski run and summit the Lee/Kyle Canyon upper rim on the right (West) side of a prominent plateau just East (left) of Lee Peak. The views straight down into the ski area and beyond will be spectacular. As you can see, this adventure is still in progress, but will be documented here once complete! Route Details: 10 mi RT/ Approx. 8,000 > 11,535ft; **Ski Run Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…

Lee to Kyle Canyon | Gradual Mid Ridge Approach | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

This approach to Kyle Canyon’s upper rim appears to be the most gradual approach from Lee Canyon. It begins roughly across from the Lee Canyon Meadow and gradually ascends to a plateau that connects with the Charleston North Loop Trail about a mile or two South of Lee Peak. This route is mostly pure wilderness: wild and beautiful. You will see no one during the entire route. In fact, though I looked closely for footprints and signs of human passage along the way, I found little of that. There were occasional faint use trails that appeared unused for years, and there were a few old cairns at a couple key points. But it looked as though absolutely no human had ascended this ridge for over a year or more, and then perhaps only one human ascent per year at most. Route Details: 14 mi RT/ Approx. 8,000 > 11,535ft; **Mostly Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…

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…

01 Mt Charleston Wilderness Overview | Lee Canyon Trails

In addition to Kyle Canyon, Lee Canyon in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness of Nevada is the second major canyon area. Lee Canyon is a destination for skiers and has a major ski lodge with 3 ski runs and ski lifts. Even during the Summer months, the ski area is open and converts to a Summer recreational destination. in addition to the commercial aspect of Lee Canyon there are a number of wilderness trailheads. Only one, The Bristlecone Pine Trailhead, is clearly marked with trailhead parking. But we have found a number of other unmarked “hidden” trailheads in Lee Canyon to beautiful, lightly traveled, wilderness destinations! 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…