spring mountains national recreational area

We wanted a change from Red Rock Scenic drive and hike. The park has a historic area, some incredible green spaces, hiking (just one longer trail and some shorter trails) and yes, a lake! If you haven't been here you should go at least once.

My husband and I were thrilled to find this area not but 30+ minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. IF you like gorgeous scenery and a little exercise/adventure, try the Mary Jane Falls trail. It is a slow and steady hike up to the top, but worth the incredible views. The water fall was more of a trickle the time of year we went. It was a tad bit cooler there as well as you are higher in elevation. The scenery is different from Red Rock...more evergreens and gray/charcoal tones in the mountains. I would HIGHLY recommend for the hiking enthusiast.

Escaping the Las Vegas Strip and the heat is easy. Take Hwy 95 northeast turning on State Route 157 headed toward Mt. Charleston Resort. We traveled well up the canyon, passing the resort, which looks beautiful by the way; then to the Spring Mountains Visitor Center. There we learned about several hike options. We chose the Mary Jane Falls Trail. This trail begins at about 7900 ft, climbing to 9400+ ft where you will find a small shower, Mary Jane Falls. The hike is wonderful! The first portion is a slow climb, which moves into more aggressive switchbacks as you ascend more than 1000 ft in a relatively short time. Unless you have severe breathing issues like COPD, you should be fine. If you have asthma, pre-treat with your rescue inhaler and have a great hike! And do not forget your camera, the vistas along the way are breathtaking. Hard to believe that less than an hour ago you were in the mess that is Las Vegas' traffic and heat.

Come here for hiking, or get away from the heat.Have lunch at the Lodge which is at the peak of the Spring Mountain.Take it all in... it's a beautiful place.The park has long and short hike to suit everyone. We also spotted nice wildflowers at around 7000 feet elevation in mid June.

Took a drive to Mt. Charleston and continued up to the recreation area. The views along the way were remarkable. I forgot to mention there are a lot of trails for the hikers. Evidence of snow on the mountains although locals have stated it was a mild winter. There is an area at the 8400 elevation ( bundle up if it's winter there is a 20-25 degree difference in temperature up here) to lookout and you can see the desert below and for miles. At this area there is also a 3/4 mile long cement walkway which is a nice touch. "The Strip" just can't compete with Mother Nature as far as I am concerned.

If you enjoy camping, its nice and quiet here, away from the hustle, bustle of "the strip". Camping is nice, and is part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. I camped in the Blue Tree campsite, which no fee is required to camp there as there are no facilities, if you continue further up the road, there are more developed campgrounds with bathrooms in which a fee is required. If you want more information here is the phone number for the Forest Service contact for the Springs mountains 702-515-5428.In the area, there are hiking, horseback, and mountain biking trails. As I have hiked around I did notice that there are some trails that are still in progress and being built. Please stay on trails and do not go off trail, (I saw evidence of trails that have been decommissioned so please do not take it upon yourself to use them, they have been closed for a reason). There is also sport rock climbing in the area, with extremely hard routes many 3-4 star routes with grades 12 and above. In the winter you can ski at the Last Vegas Ski and Snowboard resort.I did notice garbage a lot when hiking and camping, so please respect our wilderness and remember the principles of Leave No Trace (LNT) -- http://lnt.org/learn/7-principlesTAKE ONLY PHOTOS AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS!!

It's great to have some high peaks, almost 12,000 feet so near a place like Las Vegas. Here you can, with a 30 minute drive, go from the "strip" to a cool retreat in the mountains. Mount Charleston, part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area has great trails to waterfalls and vista peaks. And yes, in May is was cool, about 55 degrees and snow on the peak. I can see how this is an oasis in the summertime. There are several hiking trails from the resort. Although challenging, the hike to Mary Jean Falls is worth it for the views and rock formations. A perfect escape from the mid day heat.

This beautiful area is less than an hour from Vegas but you feel like you are in the wilderness. In the winter you can ever go play in the snow. A few areas show the impact of humans but once you venture away from the road you have huge areas to yourself. There are no facilities so bring what you need and leave nothing behind.

I never get tired of views. Great for driving, hiking and picture taking. I always enjoy the National recreational areas. Come see and enjoy.

Love the venue and the fact that I'm in the mountains, eating a great dinner, and going to see a wonderful musical. One thing that could be improved is the parking lot - it's rocks and a little hard on the feet, but we endure that because we know we are in for a lovely evening under the stars sipping a glass of wine and dinner then a great musical treat. If you don't have your own chair, they do have rentals for $1.00. A food consession with a few items. Always bring a light cover-up, just in case it gets a little chilly. Check out the grounds - there is a wonderful house that you can take a tour in that has a great past.

Conseguimos ir no nosso carro alugado. Tem uma loja para aluguel de roupa e equipamento de ski. Tem também um restaurante onde pode-se amoçar comida americana , ou simplesmente tomar um chocolate quente