Mount Charleston, (standing just above 11,900 feet) is Las Vegas' tallest nearby mountain
and is covered with
snow in the winter and offers a break from the heat in the summer.
Merely 45-50 minutes from "the strip" this affords an easy day trip and
a possible much needed escape from the glitz and glamour of the casino
life. Take the 15 north of Las Vegas and exit at State Route 157.
A good hike is the Fletcher Canyon Trail (about 2 miles). This is
located on the north side of 157 about 1/2 a mile before you reach the
ranger station visitors center. Its a pretty short hike - not too
difficult. The trail winds its way up the canyon among a large stand of
pinion pine trees. Hiking this trail after a light snow storm when the
weather is clear and the sun is shining is an incredible experience. In
the late fall through the early winter depending on the year, pinion
pine nuts may literally cover the ground under certain trees. If you
enjoy eating pinion pine nuts this is the trail for you! The best
quality of nuts and larger nuts are typically from the larger trees
lower in elevation not surrounded by many other pinion pine trees. The
whitish nuts usually are empty so you can avoid collecting those.
The Mt. Charleston Lodge is located about 3 miles continuing towards the
mountain from the Ranger Station/Visitor's Center. More information is
available here:
www.mtcharlestonlodge.com
Be sure to stop at the Ranger Station Visitor's center and pick up a
free paper detailing the local hikes and campgrounds. Camping is mostly
limited to May through October but there are two campgrounds that offer
year round camping.
In 1955 a US military plane crashed on the side of Mt. Charleston
killing all 14 people on board. The wreckage was later blown up by the
military, but the crash site can still be found. You can actually hike
to the summit of Mt. Charleston using either the north or south loop -
both of which are approximately 16-17 miles in length round trip.
For local skiing not too far from Mt. Charleston visit the Las Vegas Ski
& Snowboard Resort located at the end of State Route 156 (which
parallels highway 157 to the north). You can actually use Highway 158
which connect highways 157 and 156 (refer to map). More info? Visit:
www.skilasvegas.com
The beautiful desert scenery along the 157 drive up towards Mt. Charleston |
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