LOVE THIS TRAIL. The first half of the trail isn't super cool only because the path is pretty wide…read moreand standard looking. But about 3 miles in you reach a sign where you could either turn back and go the way you came or keep going which is another 3 miles back just another way. We decided to keep going and i'm so glad we did. The second half of the trail was so much fun because it was more through the forest and had a tighter path with lots of rocks and branches. The path during the second part is only wide enough for one person. Super fun for me and my friends, but might not recommend for little kids.

Awesome 6.5 mile hike! Beautiful views and peaceful trail. It's mostly flat with a bit of incline…read morebut nothing difficult, my son was able to keep up easily. There were alot of chill spots to have a quick snack break or take pics. The hike went by quickly and definitely didn't feel like 6+ miles. Love Mt. Charleston!

Nice hike with a partially shaded trail that ends up with some rock scrambling. Be prepared to walk…read moreover a lot of rocks on this hike (that is basically the challenge of it). When it rains, there is a waterfall in the back of the canyon that is lovely. Otherwise, its still pretty with dramatic rocks and some nice views. The parking lot is small, so plan accordingly to get a parking spot before your hike. Sometimes it's a challenge.

My local friend took me on this amazing hike when temps were hovering 100 degrees. The canyon is…read moremostly shaded and there was nice scrambling to the top. Not much water due to the lack of rain, but I didn't know what was at the end of the trail and I was absolutely amazed when I found out. Spectacular and so unexpected. Trailhead has limited partaking and when we left there were people waiting. Please come and create your own adventure.

Fun fact: Southern Nevada's Spring Mountain NRA has 7 different climate zones, a change in habitat…read morethat is similar to traveling from Mexico to the Canadian Arctic. SOURCE: Travel Nevada. There are also groves of Great Basin Bristlecone Pines--one of the oldest species on Earth that are only found in NV, CA, and UT--as well as at least 20 endemic species (that are found nowhere else on Earth). Home Means Nevada. :)

Early May, 2024. (Arriving on a Sunday, leaving on Monday). We spent two days, including one night…read morecamping, in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (NRA) which includes Mount Charleston. Administered by the US Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, the entrance is just 17 miles from Hwy 95 on Rte 157 or 45 minutes (and a world away) from the hustle and bustle - and heat - of the Las Vegas strip. Sunday. We started at the Visitor Gateway, where there are helpful staff and maps to help you to plan your stay. In addition, there is a gift shop, clean restrooms, an amphitheater, picnic areas, and trailheads to the Pack Rat Route and the Escarpment Trails. Next on our itinerary were a pair of scenic drives. From the Visitors Gateway, we traveled a short distance on Rte 157, until intersecting with Rte 158, which took us up the windy mountain road. We passed the entrances to The Resort on Mount Charleston, various trailheads, picnic areas, and campgrounds. We stopped at the Desert View Overlook, walking the short interpretive trail and taking photos. We continued in Rte 158 until we intersected with Rte 156, which we took left to the Lee Canyon ski area, passing picnic areas, campgrounds, and trailheads along the way. We then turned around, and went back down the mountain. Upon again intersecting with Rte 157, we took it to its terminus at the Mount Charleston Lodge. Our final destination was our campsite at the Fletcher View Campground (reviewed separately). Monday. We returned to the Visitors Gateway, and did the two "more difficult" hikes that originated there -- the Pack Rat Route (only 0.4 mi) is short, paved, and very steep. If you do it as a loop, the trail is somewhat washed out towards the end. Pack Rat connected to the 2.4 mile Escarpment Trail, which takes you above the cliffs and to some wonderful mountain views. Both of these trails are for hiking only. No bikes or horses. Some things to note: *The Visitors Gateway provides a good map of the area which I've posted a Yelp (in Spanish). It shows trails (including hiking, cycling, equestrian, and interpretative), campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, etc. *The map also highlights the trails in the NRA, with ratings of easy to moderate to more difficult to most difficult. It also provides distances, but not elevation changes. *When we were there (May, 2024), at least 6 trails, including the popular Mary Jane Falls Trail, were closed due to storm damage.

Amazing hike! Short (for a difficult hike), adventurous, challenging, and real fun with a view…read morethat's more than worth the journey it'll take you to get up there. I did this hike on MLK day with perfect hiking weather. We ended up going extra long on the Rocky Gap road, but the weather actually made it a pleasant walk. You're in a canyon with gorgeous views of La Madre and Red Rock mountains. We actually missed the beginning of the actual North Peak trail, which would have saved us about 3 miles total. However, we did take that missed trail on the way back and it was a lot steeper and rough! It would have probably taken us about the same time going up on that trail. The view at the end was absolutely magical. Surprisingly, there was just about no wind at the peak, so it made for a pleasant extended stay. There is also an ammo can with a journal to log in your accomplishments. There is some fun scrambling at the last stretch of the hike once you can see the peak in view. The great part about taking on these difficult hikes is that there's likely to be nobody on the trial so that you may be in more intimate with nature.

Lost Creek Children's Discovery Trail is inside the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area…read morewhich is about 21 miles from downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. USA, baby! Not a five star experience for the simple fact that the trail was not clearly marked. I mean, come on, this was created for children. Adults need to be present, but I'm the kind of parent that encourages my kids to figure out stuff on their own. Kind of hard when there are areas that look like the trail, but they weren't. For that matter, snap a photo of the map before you head down the 0.6 mile loop. Other than that, the trail is super easy for active kids. Mine hustled me through it in about 30 minutes. Lol. The elevation does not get incredibly steep, but if you're carrying other children it might get slightly to moderately difficult for a short while. Nothing too dangerous. My kiddos loved walking over the boardwalk, pretending to be mountain lions in a cave-like area, staring up at the colorful rocks, throwing rocks in the dry arroyo, reading some of the trail info, and pretending to slide down a slick bedroom-sized rock formation. The waterfall and creek was bone dry when we were there on 6/8/21. The weather was in the upper 90s. Parking is free and plentiful with your pass into Red Rock. There are restrooms near the lot.

With this PLANdemic going on. We try to stay busy, and made sure that our little 1 1/2 year old…read moregets his outdoor time to burn energy off. I was looking for a good hiking trail that was kid friendly, and I stumbled upon this. It is located in the Red Rock conservation area. There is an entrance fee of $10 per vehicle. Which isn't bad since it is 13 miles of scenic drive/area. We definitely enjoyed this hike.It took us about an 1hr to 1 1/2hr to finish the trail, and that was with our little boy and our puppy. We only took one snack break, and our little boy walked most of it (with a little bribery with a lollipop ). The hike has enough shade, so it wasn't too hot. I love how it wasn't too steep, so it wasn't scary for our little one. The hike had enough scenery, and we definitely enjoyed it. I heard there's a small waterfall, and pond, but we weren't able to see it due to it being dried out. Lots of trees and plants for kids to see and enjoy. Just like any hike. Bring a backpack with snacks and water, wear sunscreen, and comfortable shoes and clothing. It is such a super easy hike. We will definitely do this again.

Beautiful hike where if you go all the way way to the canyon it gets even quieter at the end…read more The canyon part does have some rock scrambling. Came in early February and there were some spots with snow and ice. Parts with ice can be slick so be careful. Beautiful views, nice trail, and pretty scenery all around. There is a bathroom in the parking lot.

Great trail, lot of variety and mostly along the creek/canyon bed that narrows to a lot canyon…read morewhere you have to do some bouldering and pull yourself up in places. We had several patches of snow towards the end in mid March but that made it fun, hiking poles were a bit helpful in the snowy areas. There were also a few small waterfalls from the snow melt. Suggest wearing good boots for traction any time of the year.

I was invited by friends to complete this hike today the first day of the new year and new decade…read more(1.1.20). I was excited to complete this hike as I have decided to complete a hiking challenge for this year and this would be hike number one. We promptly met at 9:00am in the Red Springs parking lot and begin our ascent up this so called staircase. There really is no set trail or staircase at all but lots of climbing and scrambling over and through large rocks. You just have to go with someone who has done it before and will guide you up the safest route possible. Luckily my friends complete this hike annually. I wasn't sure that I could handle this climb, but turns out that I was much stronger that I thought. It is strenuous at times and the cardio workout is real, but the reward at the top is so worth it. The views are epic from viewing the entire Red Rock Canyon and seeing way out toward Mt. Potosi. In the other direction seeing through Brownstone Canyon up to Mt. Charleston Peak. This hike also includes some stunning views of our beautiful city. I can only imagine how pretty it would be up here at sunset, but never mind going down would be way to challenging. Remember to Leave No Trace - Keep our public lands clean! #52HikeChallenge - #1

I wanted to go on an adventure this weekend and that I did. I left Central Vegas around 5:15AM and…read moreheaded towards Red Rock Canyon. It was super light traffic at this time on a Sunday so I made it to the Red Springs turnoff at 6AM on the dot. There isn't a clearly marked route so I recommend you go with someone who has done this before. If you go alone, when in doubt, head up! Be careful of loose rocks and wear sturdy shoes. The view from the top is beautiful and overlooks the scenic loop and the strip. You can see the contrast of the city and the mountains. It's stunning and colorful. Bring a light snack, water, and your phone for pictures. It's not a long hike, maybe 30 minutes each direction, but it is moderate and tricky in some spots.

This was a uniquely special hike for me and while I normally hike in a group; I did this by…read moremyself.... But my safety net was I had friends waiting at the bottom just in case I needed help. Never hike alone, folks! The hike itself... stunning. I am terrible with directions and although the trail was well labeled throughout I still kinda got lost. However, there are plenty of people around so it was easy to right the course. I hiked early so there was plenty of shade. This is also inside the Red Rock loop so a reservation or a local hook up is required - I was lucky to have a local hookup and got in for free. So stunning and beautiful. There are parts that are moderately challenging but slow and steady, like a turtle with get you there. Please come and create your own adventure.

I've hiked nearly every trail at Red Rock Canyon NCA, and short of the Grand Circle Loop which is…read morejust challenging for its long distance (looping the interior perimeter of the entire park), Turtlehead Peak Trail is by far the most challenging hike inside the park. It's 4.6~ miles depending on if you don't lose the trail at any point (which is easy to do), you gain roughly 2,000ft of elevation and it can be fairly arduous depending on your fitness and preparedness level. It will cost you a $2 reservation fee, best purchased in advance, and if you do not have an America The Beautiful Nat'l Park Pass, an additional $20 park entrance fee. With the pass the entrance fee is waved. You'll take the scenic loop upon entering the park, and when you reach the Sandstone Quarry parking area you will be at the trailhead. Parking is limited so you're best off arriving early unless you're lucky with parking. The trail starts out fairly mellow, until about the 1/4 mile mark, and then the incline begins and never really faulters. The trail slinks back and forth through the desert landscape but there isn't much in the way of shade, so this is best not attempted in the middle of summer. Southern Nevada summers break records and hiking in a fully exposed desert can become very dangerous very quickly. Regardless of time of year, remember to bring plenty of water for everyone in your group. There are times when you're scrambling up shale and sharp rocks, and the trail will become narrow at times so be careful. Some portions of the trail are loose rock on steep sections so keep this in mind and wear the proper footwear. Because there is next to no shelter from the sun, be sure to wear sunscreen and something to cover your face and neck. You'll eventually reach a ridge line of sorts around the 1.75 mile mark, and you're nearly there, but it gets fairly steep here. Almost there and when you make it you'll be rewarded by panoramic views of the scenic desert cliffs, the Las Vegas skyline, the nearby summit of Mount Charleston and on a clear day you can see Arizona. Remember the summit is only half way so relax for a few, take pictures, replenish with a snack and then head back down. Back at the bottom you'll find 2 pit toilets with hand sanitizer, and you can celebrate having done something pretty cool outdoors just a few miles from the Vegas Strip.