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Destination: Desert View Overlook
Length: 0.7 miles round trip.
Elevation: 8,200 feet
General Description: The Desert View Overlook is a popular stop along the Deer Creek Highway (NV 158). The parking area was recently improved to allow for increased parking capacity for passenger cars and large RVs and busses. In addition, the previous 350 foot pathway to the overlook viewing area was lengthened to 1,800 feet through a series of switchbacks with the addition of two more viewing areas. This new pathway features beautiful views of the valley 5,000 ft below and the mountains beyond. Other features include interpretive panels along the pathway that provide extensive interpretation of the Cold War atomic testing that occurred within sight of the overlook, as well as local geology, Native American history, and wildlife information. The short trail passes through a mixed forest of singleleaf pinyon pines, Utah juniper, rocky mountain juniper, curlleaf mountain mahogany, Fremont's mahonia, green ephedra, sagebrush, and a few other shrubs. After about 1-2 minutes of walking, the trail ends at the first overlook with a grand view to the north. During the 1950’s, the Mount Charleston area was designated by the Atomic Energy Commission as being the best vantage point for spectators to watch the United State’s A-bomb tests. On eight separate days in 1957, announced far enough in advance for tourists to plan their vacations to coincide, vast crowds assembled up here to watch the explosions. Metal poles erected to hold official cameras recording the events still stand just below the viewing platform. Continuing to the end provides two more viewing points. These days, you have to settle simply for a vast desert panorama.,
Special Points of Interest: The military still performs practice runs in this area. If your timing is right you may be able to catch. In the bottom of the valley to the north, you can see the tip of Creech Air Force Base and the town of Indian Springs just over a ridge. This is where the air force trains and operates drone aircraft. Keep an eye out for them doing touch-and-go landings on the airfield. The overlook also provides good views of a playa (to the northeast) that the Air Force uses for bombing practice. Sometimes you can see fighter jets on bombing runs as they dive-bomb and drop bombs or shoot rockets at targets on the dry lake northeast of the overlook.
Directions: From US 95 northwest of Las Vegas, take SR 156 southwest for 16 miles into Lee Canyon and turn left onto NV-158 and travel about two miles. The parking area is on the left. |
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05/13/2015 Trip Notes: On a brief drive through the area I stopped at the Desert View Overlook to capture a few pictures of the new parking lot retaining wall that was rebuilt last year as the result of a “washout” created by heavy rains. Back in March I received the following email from Osman Uygun.
“Good afternoon. I wanted to thank you for the wonderful words you used to describe the new and improved Desert View Overlook and historic trail upgrade. I was the construction superintendent responsible for that project. I don't know if you took note or photos of the MSE (mechanically stabilized earth) Wall, which essentially created the new parking area, but it is a magnificent wall to photograph from a distance. Anyway, just wanted to say how neat it was to see someone write some nice things about "my" project.”
As a result, I thought it would only be fitting to capture a couple of shots (Figs. 02 & 03) of this engineering project to do it justice.
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04/03/2014 Trip Notes: We were all pleasantly surprised to see how much effort was put into extending this short trail, making it a much more worthy stop. The enlarged parking area (Fig. 04) is much safer and more manageable. Not only does walking to the end of the new trail continue to provide the same great views (Fig. 05), it also offers the opportunity to safely hike off the paved trail, down into the surrounding mixed forest (Fig. 06) of pines, juniper, curlleaf mountain mahogany, sagebrush, and other shrubs, while looking for birds and animals indigenous to the area. On today’s visit I saw several birds and dozens of rabbit tracks in the snow.
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| (Fig. 05) |
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09/08/2011 Trip Notes: The pictures below were taken on a stop with the rock-hounds from the Heritage Park Senior Facility. This was just one of the five or six stops we made on this visit to Mt. Charleston.
Note: Every attempt is made to provide accurate information, but occasionally depictions are inaccurate by error of mapping, navigation or cataloging. The information on this site is provided without any warranty, express or implied, and is for informational and historical purposes only.
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