Thursday, September 24, 2009
Mt. Charleston: Choose your own adventure
Mount Charleston, the highest mountain of the Spring Mountains, is located within the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area which is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Most would never guess a National Forest, let alone one of the largest in the United States outside of Alaska, is in Las Vegas’ backyard. But, it’s true.
View from Trail Canyon
A quick 35-mile drive northwest of Las Vegas will reveal this oasis surrounded by desert. Mount Charleston is home to the oldest single living organism – bristle cone pines, wildlife such as deer, bighorn sheep, elk and wild horses; plus 40 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, and camp sites. There is also a hotel, lodge and a ski resort.
Year round fun can be had at Mount Charleston. Summer is my favorite time to visit. I love to escape the dry scorching heat for cooler temps and crisp fresh air up on the mountain. It’s a refuge when the mercury rises above 110 degrees in the valley. This summer we’ve had a couple unique adventures with family and friends.
In July, we took my sister and nephew on a few off-road trails; we turned off near a wash and had a picnic with nothing more than nature in sight. Afterwards, we returned to civilization by touring the residential area filled with log cabin homes while we made our way to the Trail Canyon trailhead. The trail is shaded, however, it is strenuous; the two mile hike will have you climb 1,500 feet. We made it about halfway before turning back; my nephew is just two we didn’t want to overdo it. We enjoyed our shortened hike; we saw beautiful scenery, unique flowers, ancient trees, butterflies and other insects. Next, we stopped at the Desert Overlook Trail.
Desert Overlook view
It’s the easiest of them all, it’s paved and fully accessible. At 8,200 ft the overlook provides spectacular views of the desert and mountains to the north and east, the Nevada Test Site and Nellis Air Force Base can also be seen. People used to gather there to view atomic bomb blasts at the Test Site. Now, if you’re lucky, you can witness the US Air Force practice maneuvers on the Nellis Bombing Range. This day was as calm as could be. It was a great spot to have a last look around before we headed back home.
Over Labor Day weekend, we returned to Mount Charleston for our next adventure. We joined LVCFO, a group of F-body (the platform used for the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird) enthusiasts for an annual cruise. This year, members from AZFBA, an Arizona group, were invited along for the ride. There was a parade of twenty vehicles that motored up the mountain. It was a smooth ride, our Firebird hugged every curve as we climbed elevation. We enjoyed the warm sun on our skin, the crisp air in our hair, all the while appreciating the beauty that surrounded us.
A beautiful sight
Near the ski resort, we stopped and lined up all the vehicles for an impressive display. Many hikers and day trippers stopped to gawk. It was a gorgeous afternoon, after the meet, we stayed for a picnic and took in more of the stunning forest views before returning back to the hustle and bustle of the city.
Need an excuse to seek your own adventure? Take in the dramatic change of scenery with an overnight getaway. The Resort on Mount Charleston has been frequently offering a midweek special stay Sunday-Thursday for $19.99/night. Call (888) 559-1888 for reservations or further details. The special is expected to run through November.
Additionally, the weather is turning cooler, the next month or so will provide optimal temperatures for hiking around Mount Charleston. There are dozens of trails at varying degrees of difficulty stop by the Spring Mountains NRA Visitor Center on highway 157 for a full listing.
Soon enough, snow will begin to fall. Mount Charleston sees an annual snowfall of 120 inches. November will bring prime conditions for a joyous snow day with the family – build a snowman, sled or have a snowball fight. Additionally, during winter months Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort is open daily 9am-4pm.
There is an adventure to be had for every season on Mount Charleston, choose your own and enjoy.
(11 votes, average: 4.91 out of 5)
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Mt. Charleston is my favorite destination
I have been going there since I was very young and lived in Vegas
Last year I revisited Mt. Charleston for the first time in 3 years and it brought back lots of childhood memories, especially being at the lodge brought back plenty memories
I hope to visit Mt. Charleston again this year.
We just spent two nights at the Mount Charleston Resort. The place is pretty nice. Especially at the current $19 per night room rate. Here is a little hint. Call them and ask them if there is a little discount if you take two queen size beds instead of a king. You just may get a second night free.
There are plenty of hiking trails around that you could take right there from the resort.
The only draw back is you are a captive audience there. There is nothing there should you get hungry or thirsty and don’t want to eat in their restaurant or bar. Also phone reception is poor to non existant and there are 4 or 5 tv channels.
On the other hand they do have a nice lobby with a fire place and several comfy couches to sit and read in. They have a patio outside by the lake as well. They are currently in the middle of redoing the outside and it looks like night and day. it is going to be absolutely gorgeous when it is done.
Here are some pictures of the resort-
The resort has been “in the process” of making major renovations for the last decade or so. When Megan and I stayed there in January, 2006 (see this field article) they were building a new gym and a few other things, but from looking at your photos — nice — it looks like they’re in approximate the same state of completion as they were in 2006….
Thanks for the tip and the updates!
Mark
Gym? We did not see a gym. They do have a spa there which we did not check out. I know a couple of years ago they used to freeze some water in the back to have a very small ice rink but the girl at the front desk (Tracey, who was very nice to us) said they have not done that in a couple of years.
They are now using an electricity conservation system where as your room key has to be inserted into a key slot in the wall in order for the heating / cooling unit to operate. (The idea is if you are not in your room then you don’t need the thing running. I am not sure this idea works as it is harder to heat a cold room than maintain a constant temperature…and besides, you can get two room keys and keep one in the room and one with you.)
Also, did you notice in the pictures they had flat panel televisions in the rooms? That must be new.
The spa room was supposed to become a gym — but, like I mentioned, the completion dates for this work is a moving target.
The ice rink was never created from water. It was made of a teflon-like surface which was sort of like ice and skaters had an ice-like skating experience — but it wasn’t cold weather dependent — it worked as well at 110 degrees or 25 degrees. The ice rink was located just to the south of the section of the yard that they use for their wedding chapel.
It’s still a charming place, and a nice retreat. If the USFS ever gets that park built (located on the resorts southern boundary) that will really be a nice benefit for the resort.