The summit offers panoramic views from the Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, and Las Vegas. At the Cathedral Rock picnic area, they are now charging a $1 walk-in fee for hikers headed to the South Loop and Cathedral Rock trails. Totally awesome hike, the Spring Mountains are way underrated! Just in case...we used them all today. I went up the south loop trailhead first. This guide to Charleston Peak follows the South Loop Trail, a tough 8.5-mile climb with half the hike done above 10,000 feet in an alpine wonderland. Perfect temperature, some cloud cover most the time, if there wasn’t clouds though there would not have been much shade the entire time you traversing along the ridge line to the peak. From the junction, the treeless, gray Mt. The North Loop Trail is typically used as part of the descending leg in a loop hike of Charleston Peak. Just a small Segway trail, 50-100m off South Trail. The fellow hikers were all polite, courteous, helpful, friendly & trail -clean. Definitely glad I had trekking poles. (4 ). The last mile up to the peak this way was very steep and had to make several stops to catch my breath. South loop down goes thru the burn scar and is desolate in a strange beautiful way, not much in the way of colors and extremely dry. Sister peaks and Red Rocks. The entire journey beginning at the North Loop Trailhead in the Mt. It is such an obvious and natural peak loop (within 45 min of a major destination) that a lot of trail runners have done the loop (and blogged about the beauty of the Spring Mountains on the edge of the Mojave Desert). Charleston. Do not mistakenly take the North Loop trail! Charleston area (camped in the Kyle campground - very nice man who runs the camp). Would do it again, maybe counterclockwise next time, Completed this route going in the opposite direction. It also from here completely passes through the old burned out forest for most of its entirety. Charleston. - Large, old fallen tree at mile 8.86 enroute to Mt. I've done the South Loop Trail several times, and it does seem to be the most popular. After getting tossed by the wind on the peak, the real trouble begins when you run up against the snowdrifts laid out over already shifty trails on cliffs covered with shale. The trail is the South Loop trail. This trail can be started from two different access points – the Lower Bristlecone trailhead and the Upper Bristlecone trailhead. Over a mile of road hiking at the end which was annoying but worth it for the experience of doing the loop. You'll ascend through Aspen groves and Pine forests and meander below limestone cliffs, topping out around 10,000ft on this A to B adventure. Know your needs / braces / meds. The trail head for the North Loop trail is on the opposite side of Kyle Canyon from the South Loop trail. Comparison with North Loop Trail Many hikers climb Mt. So beware of this, maybe it is only on weekends, but they don't tolerate it anymore. Although the trail itself is excellent, the elevation gain, length and high altitude make it very challenging for most mortals. It took me & some others on the trail 12+ hours in great, cool, calm weather. Great trail, well maintained. Parked at the South Loop trailhead. The trail is really pretty filled with all kinds of beautiful bottlebrush and bristlecone pine trees along the way, and wildflowers everywhere. 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 … Haha. Views are spectacular, especially with all the burned trees around. Mount Charleston - South Loop ; Mount Charleston in Nevada has been on my list for years to climb. We always parked at the picnic area above the Lodge to do the South Loop, but now you have to pay. The extensive shade kept the first 1/4 of the trail cold, but sunshine lit up most of the rest of beautiful but desolate approach to the peak. The desert landscape slowly transforms into a mountain vista as you travel to the area, which is filled with pine, juniper, scrub oak, and manzanita. Home / Hikes & Trails / Mount Charleston National Recreation Trail/South Loop . Located 24 miles west of Las Vegas Nevada. (See the South Loop Trail for more information.) Deer Creek will end at Lee Canyon, make a right. I ran probably 30% of the way down. dpwickert posted the route: Charleston Peak loop in the Mount Charleston Wilderness portion of the Spring Mountains just NW of Las Vegas. After a brief respite at mile two, the trail ramps up for the next two miles to the summit ridge and the half-mile homestretch. Also who wants to pay $5 for just been couple feet closer? Love this hike! For some good Karma, bring extra power bars, cookies, gummy bears, Mole skin, band-aids or a large bottle of Water. Beautiful but strenuous. No extra water at the bottom of Mummy this time of year so bring extra and keep it in your bag unless you want to suck icicles at 6 AM, This was an awesome loop. A total killer. Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. As you begin the ascent you are climbing quickly. - North Trail (Trail Canyon) TH to summit of Mt Charleston is about 10.5 miles - potentially 5-7 hours based on capabilities. Bonus: The airplane wreckage is just down from the summit, South Trail, after the first bend heading to Griffin (on the east facing mountain side). This is the most popular route for ascending Charleston Peak. I will try this again going up North Loop and coming down the South Loop to see which was was the best. Some portions have snow on them especially on the south side of the peak then also the switchbacks between the griffith peak intersection and the parking lot. I struggled against this wind for a couple miles until thankfully I passed a small ridge that seemed to break the gusty wind. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. All Rights Reserved. Charleston Peak is a popular destination for hikers. Also we met only two people and they were already going back from the summit on the south loop, so weekdays are definitely better if you like to feel more secluded. Hiking through the burnt forest felt like an elephant graveyard. Charleston Trailhead (view W) Overview. I was sherpa-ing overnight gear for my hike and the extra weight (it wasn't all in the bag) made the final ascent very challenging. (1), Additions & Corrections I did the killer Hill-Top to Summit to S.Loop and then back to Hill Top. ! The high winds had cleared out the smoke, and I could see for miles before I took shelter behind a windbreak for 15 minutes. Average reviews (same confirmed for me) state about 12 hours for non-super humans here. Charleston called the North Loop trail. My total mileage ended up being just over 18 on the day. We spent the day in Red Rock and came back to camp and put in at least one more hike - the Cathedral rock. The trailhead is car accessib I'm eager to turn this trail over to a qualified hiker who is experienced with it. The trail starts near Cathedral Rock and climbs 3,100 feet up the side of Kyle Canyon to the summit ridge in about 4 miles. Following US-95 North towards the Mt. Checked mountain weather stated clear and sunny... unexpectedly thunderstorms came rolling in and endless hail storms. Cooler mornings now = light gloves / hat. From the trailhead, proceed two miles on Trail Canyon Trail through dense forest until it intersects with the North Loop Trail. Will try again next year going from north to south as it had switchbacks up to the peak on that side and seemed easier to climb. I ended up adding Griffith peak into the run and it turned out to be around 19 miles total. Trailheads: Griffith Peak, Mt. I highly recommend this hike, and even more so in the middle of September. Hiking | Mt Charleston, NV - Trail Canyon via Raintree to North Loop Trailhead | The scenery and the altitude will take your breath away on this unforgettable, 7 mile hike in the Mt Charleston Wilderness. Take 95 north out of Las Vegas, make left on Kyle Canyon(1.5 miles north of the Horse Dr off ramp)Follow Kyle Canyon all the way to the Mount Charleston Lodge. Although I wrote this page, I no longer live in Nevada so can't maintain it. 2nd time hitting the peak, 1st time doing the whole loop. The Summit is fully exposed & can be very windy, naturally. I packed 9L today (as I overheat & require a lot of water during activities) , but with a cold snap & temps down at a perfect 45-60F today, I only drank 5L (including mixed electrolytes, etc). *Other notes (notified All-Trails,TBD*; My recordings have waypoints & Photos): Charleston area, drive 34 miles, past the turn to Mt. For example, the Go through the town past the fire station then make a right on Echo Canyon Road following signs towards Mary Jane Falls and Trail Canyon.Park at the Trail Canyon Trailhead. We just came back from our trip to southern Nevada - beginning of July 2004. • Mummy Mountain – 3,515 m (11,533 ft), features on the North Loop Trail (see below) • Mount Wilson – 2,155 m (7,071 ft), near the south of the range. Charleston is 2.0 miles shorter and 750 feet lower than starting at the North Loop trailhead, so if you climb the peak using the Trail Canyon Trail, subtract 2.0 miles from the remaining trail distances. Definitely a great hike, I will do it again. It took us 11 hours in total. The South Loop is usually chosen for the ascent because it is less steep at high altitude, having taken most of … Well the parking was full and there were cars parked in the right shoulder so we parked there too (I also read the part in this section, that they tolerate it and also, you are in the middle of woods.....!!!!). Opinion: North to South Loop was more manageable to me, as I don’t want to start a 5000’ accent of switchbacks right out of the gate, some prefer South to North, as South Trail mostly levels out to the summit after Griffin Peak. This way you can do the hike without staging a car at each trailhead. Saved my day as the one extra I left at home - thank you!!! This trail follows the most popular route to reach Charleston Peak, so plan on heavy foot traffic on weekends. This hike would normally take all day, but I blazed through it so I could get home to the wife. 1 review of Mummy Spring Trail "Mummy Springs Trail is a great cardio workout. Mt Charleston Peak , N.Loop to south Loop trail Approx 18 Miles Elevation: 11,918 ft / 3633 m ,4,500 ft Elevation gain , 8-10 hour hike, Difficulty = 4 of 5 due to altitude and distance,We start up Trail canyon Summit the highest Peak in So.Nevada and return down the south Loop trail . Turn west (left) onto SR-156 (Lee Canyon Rd). Killer,..because I came down S.Loop in pitch dark and was not only dead tired, but I couldn't find the exit in the dark!! Hike southeast on rocky trail that crosses an aspen-filled avalanche chute twice, then switchbacks up 450 feet in half a mile. Scene North loop from trail canyon has very nice scenery and is an enjoyable but difficult hike. The trail is definitely strenuous. 20. The first several miles are a steady uphill, but not particularly steep. Finally, it's a loooong descent down the switchbacks to the parking area, then just over a mile down the road to the Trail Canyon parking area. I enjoyed it, and the walk back to the car was not difficult. I was even the lucky recipient today of much good will (unexpectedly) in treats & bandages, that I usually always carry & didn’t this time. Trail is probably the easiest to follow of any ultra I’ve done, there are rock walls and trees barricading any misleading paths. Mary Jane Falls, Cathedral Rock, Griffith Peak, the South Loop and Trail Canyon. Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. Actually went from south to north took several breaks along the way and ran out of water at the end. You never know if you will be the one needing it next time... We started at 7:30 am (the parking lot was already full) and we finished at about 5:30 (those South Loop switchbacks were tough to start with!). It takes most of its elevation gain at the beginning, followed by a relatatively flat stroll through alpine meadows to the peak. The Trail Canyon Trail to North Loop Trail at the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Mount Charleston, Nevada is a difficult 6.7-mile out-and-back trail that leads up to an amazing overlook high in the Spring Mountains Recreation Area. South Loop Charleston Peak Trail is a 8.25 mile one way hike with 4,278 feet elevation gain. No one at the peak when I got there. Brutal wind on the peak. I’m not an altitude / mountain hiker, but am well above reasonably fit, 40 - and it was brutal for me. *I verified today with the 21 Mile (Garmin GPS) Loop N to S...route in AT may be missing the switchbacks & the 1 Mile walk back to your car! Ha. Once on top the view is spectacular. Wobbly legs and misjudged timetables meant an overnight stay for me. Charleston Peak is a popular destination for hikers as the summit offers panoramic views from the Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, and Las Vegas. There are two well-marked and well-maintained trails to the summit: South Loop Trail and North Loop Trail. Very Tough, but beautiful trail- seriously. The last 6ish miles are a joy after a tough accent as the altitude drops off the lungs and the sun hits the hills. No matter which way you go down, it's painful. Cathedral Rock - Mt. You'll definitely feel the altitude unless you're a beast in prime condition. Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' Moderate snowfall turned into icepack turned into some hairy moments on disappearing switchbacks. Cave Spring watering trough (view NW) [more photos] That was on Saturday. Charleston in a loop, ascending by the South Loop Trail and descending by the North Loop Trail and Trail Canyon. It is an approximately 7.5 miles out and back trail beginning at the North Loop Trail. Bristlecone trai l is a moderately trafficked 6.3-mile (round trip) loop in the Le e Canyon area of the SMNRA. Charleston in the Spring Mountain Range. This ridge protected me from the 30 mph winds that were screaming over the top of the ridge. Charleston summit and the trail leading to it winding across banded, limestone cliffs is clearly visible to the west. By the time we came back, before 8pm, there were not many cars left and only ours was in the shoulder with nice fat parking ticket for $50. Follow highway 157 towards Charleston Peak. Unlike Red Rock, Mount Charleston is FREE!!!! The North Loop Trail to Charleston Peak in the Spring Mountains is open again, roughly a month after lightning sparked the blaze that scorched almost 28,000 acres. started up trail canyon then turned left onto north trail. We recorded 20.3 miles and it took about 12 hours with multiple breaks, started at 10:45a so we hiked the last 4 miles in the dark (w/headlamps). (3), Comments • Griffith Peak – 3,372 m (11,064 ft), south-east of Mount Charleston. 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