US-95 (North) - DNWR, Mt Charleston Wilderness Area, Beatty/Rhyolite

This page last updated on 02/05/2018

(Fig. 01) Click to Enlarge Desert National Wildlife Range: The Desert National Wildlife Refuge, west of US-95, encompasses 1.5 million acres of the diverse Mojave Desert in southern Nevada. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the lower 48 states. The Refuge contains six major mountain ranges, the highest rising from 2,500-foot valleys to nearly 10,000 feet. Located on the east side of US-95, abut 23 miles north of Las Vegas, Corn Creek Field Station is the staff headquarters and major access point to the range. (Note: only a small portion of this huge refuge is shown in (Fig. 01).

Corn Creek Station - DNWR. Corn Creek, is the main entrance/access to The Desert Wildlife Range, an area of more than 1.5 million acres. It is a refreshing, green desert oasis located on the edge of a broad, flat valley at the foot of the Sheep Mountains. Its several springs provide water for Honey Mesquite, Cottonwood Trees, and wetland plant species, all of which attracts hundreds of birds. Hiking, Birding, Photography Yucca Peak Fossil Beds - DNWR. This is a moderately strenuous off-trail hike that runs up a wash, then up a hillside, and onto the top of a ridge with lots of Paleozoic fossils in the bedrock and in the surrounding rubble. The route is fairly short, only about 3/4 of a mile, making an elevation gain of only 400-500 feet, making it a nice desert hike during the short days of winter. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography Gass Peak Road: The Gass Peak Road, is a bumpy dirt road that runs south from the Mormon Well Road west of the Sheep Range, then turns and runs east up a broad valley between major ridges in the Las Vegas Range. The road usually is a high-clearance road, but when maintained. Gass Peak Road provides access to Gass Peak, Gass Spring, Quail Spring Guzzler and Quartzite Mountain. There are two turnoffs that provide areas for camping. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography Mt. Charleston Wilderness: Located within the Toiyabe National Forest, west of US-95, the 57,442 acre Mt. Charleston Wilderness (area outlined in dark green) is an inspiring place with invigorating mountain air, ice-cold springs, and acres of evergreen forests. Its rugged mountain scenery extends across the crest of the Spring Mountains and includes towering crags, deep and wide canyons, narrow slot canyons, and steep hillsides. Elevations range from about 6,500 feet on the lowest slopes in the southwest part of the wilderness area, to nearly 12,000 feet at the summit of Mt. Charleston Peak, the highest elevation in the Spring Mountains. It contains 18,000 acres of bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), the most extensive stand of these ancient trees to be found in the inter-mountain Eco region. These trees are valued for their aesthetic and scientific purposes and are among the oldest living organisms in the world. In lower elevations, extensive forests of ponderosa pine and white fir provide habitat for the Palmer's chipmunk, a species endemic to the Spring Mountains. There are acres of Pinion-Juniper Woodland bright with 15 endemic mountain flowers such as the Charleston Mountain angelica (Angelica scabrida) and booming with wildlife. A hiking haven, the 40-odd miles of trails that crisscross this area provide vistas across the surrounding mountains and valleys that appear to stretch to the edges of the world.

Bonanza Trailhead at Cold Creek. About 45 minutes NW of Las Vegas, just inside the boundaries of Toiyabe National Forest, the town of Cold Creek is a small community with a serene and breathtaking high mountain desert environment. Its open ranges, wide open spaces and sparse vegetation is home to more than 40 wild horses. Cold Creek's landscape boasts of north-south mountain ranges up to 13,000 feet in elevation, separated by long narrow valleys ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation. The Bonanza Trailhead is located just a few miles north of town at the base of the Spring Mountains. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Mt Charleston Scenic Byway (Summary Page). As you turn off US-95 onto SR-157 (Kyle Canyon Rd.) towards Mt. Charleston at around 2,831 feet, you will begin a climb that will end at over 10,000 feet when you reach the Mt. Charleston Village. Including SR-158 (Deer Creek Rd.) and SR-156 (Lee Canyon Rd.), this 41 plus mile State Scenic Byway will take you past the thick sagebrush of the desert floor, into rugged mountains containing a mixture of trees including Joshua, Piñon, Ponderosa Pine, Juniper, White Fir and some beautiful Bristlecone Pine, the oldest living trees on the planet. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Center. As you turn off US-95 onto SR-157 (Kyle Canyon Rd.) towards Mt. Charleston you will begin a climb that will end at over 10,000 feet when you reach the Mt. Charleston Village. Approximately 17 miles in you will come to a roundabout that will take you to the entrance of the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway center. Offering fabulous mountain and canyon views in every direction, this is truly a “gateway” to the Spring Mountains Recreation Area. It includes landscaped parking lots, a 4,500 sq. ft. visitor center, an education building that can be rented out for events, two small amphitheaters, an 800 square foot educational building, picnic shelters for family cookouts, a “meadows” area for kids to play; plus hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Bristlecone Trail. You will find the Upper Trailhead located at the end of Lee Canyon Rd. This is a 6-mile R/T hike. The first two miles has a mildly strenuous elevation gain of over 800 feet, however, the next three miles back to the Lower Trailhead is all downhill. From there you have to hike back up the road to the Upper Trailhead. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Desert View Overlook. Desert View Overlook has a very a short, relatively wide, paved footpath. There is a railing on the downhill side. This short walk passes through a mixed forest of single leaf pinyon pines, Utah juniper, rocky mountain juniper, curl-leaf mountain mahogany, Fremont's mahonia, green ephedra, sagebrush, and a few other shrubs. After a few minutes of walking, the trail ends at the overlook with a grand view to the north towards the area used by the Atomic Energy Commission for the United State’s A-bomb tests during the 1950’s. Hiking, Photography

Deer Creek Picnic Area. Deer Creek Canyon is a deep, narrow canyon in a Pine-Fir forest with a small, perennial creek. Because of the water, birds from all over the area come to drink and bathe, making this is a good place to bird. Running down the bottom of the narrow canyon, and old road functions as a paved trail. Picnic tables are packed closely between the creek and the northern rocky hillside and is lined with enormous Ponderosa Pines, willows, shrubs, and wild flowers, all of which provide cover for the chipmunks and a wide variety of birds who come to the creek for water. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Fletcher Canyon Trail. Fletcher Canyon Trail is an easy hike that starts off wandering through some open stands of pinyon, Ponderosa, manzanita and mountain mahogany as it leisurely climbs 1/2 mile to a peaceful spring where you'll find shooting stars, columbine, wild rose and ferns thriving in the lush, cool riparian environment. The trail then drops into the streambed and may require some rock scrambling along the way. Just beyond the spring is the end of the trail maintenance. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Little Falls Trail - Summary Page. At an elevation of 8,223 to 8,923 feet, this 1.5 R/T hike has an elevation climb of nearly 700 feet. This trail, much more rocky towards the end, requiring a minor amount of scrambling and is more strenuous than one first assumes. Though the waterfall is quite tall and does have flowing water most of the year, the lack of any large amount of water makes it somewhat unimpressive. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Birding, Photography

Snow Mountain Powwow. (Yearly Event) On December 30, 1911, ranch owner Helen J. Stewart deeded 10 acres in downtown Las Vegas to the Paiutes, establishing the Las Vegas Paiute Colony. In 1970 they were recognized as a Sovereign Nation and through an Act of Congress in 1983, an additional 3,800 acres of land returned to Paiute possession at what is known as the Snow Mountain Reservation. Each year the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe celebrates American Indian culture with southern Nevadans at its Annual Powwow held at Snow Mountain, located just 20 miles north of downtown Las Vegas off of Route 95. Photography

Mary Jane Falls: This is a short but very strenuous hike utilizing switchbacks and stone steps (rip-rap) on a very well marked and heavily used trail. With a very steep trail, loose rock, and netting in place for erosion control, you definitely don't want to cut across this trail. This is a pretty trail with ponderosa pines, white fir, aspen, and mountain mahogany. Look for deer and fox in the aspens at sunrise and sunset, near the beginning/end of trail. Usually you will find a lot of birds near the trees and vegetation leading from the base of the falls.

Cathedral Rock: The view of Cathedral Rock's north face from the road at its base is actually quite imposing. The trail of this moderately strenuous 1.5-mile hike to the top of this rocky promontory follows an old road up an avalanche chute along its east side, through a large patch of Quaking Aspen trees to a 800 foot saddle behind the summit. From there, the trail climbs a few short switchbacks for another 200 feet to the summit. Its greatest asset is the great views overlooking Kyle Canyon. The views from the summit are spectacular:

Kyle Canyon Slots: The Kyle Canyon Slots Route, sometimes called the Harris Slots Route, is a short (0.2 miles one-way) walk through a narrow slot, through a somewhat longer narrow canyon, followed by a second narrow slot. The canyon walls are made of cemented alluvial materials, and as such, exhibit considerable differences in erosion. They also provide homes for birds and small mammals. Once beyond the second slot, you can return through the canyon, loop back to the trailhead using old roads, or hike farther up Kyle Canyon Wash before returning.

Town of Beatty: Established in October 1904, Beatty is an unincorporated Town in Nye County, Nevada. It is located on the crossroads of Hwy. 95 and State Route 374, Beatty roughly 120 miles from Las Vegas. The first community of size north of Las Vegas today this historic town offers off roading, bird watching, hiking, ghost town exploration, camping, photography, star gazing, geocaching, and the list goes on. It is important as a gateway to Death Valley (12 miles west), the ghost town of Rhyolite and the Goldwell Open Air Museum (a sculpture park) (4 miles west), and Yucca Mountain and the Nevada Test Site (18 miles east) and the Ghost Town of Carrara (10 miles south). There is an excellent museum just off the intersection of Hwy 95 and SR 374. Ghost Town of Rhyolite Nevada: Though Beatty, Nevada is about a two hour drive from Las Vegas, this historic mining area has a lot to offer. As you begin to enter Beatty through the Armargosa Narrows, there is Flourospar Canyon and several historic mining sites. Just west of Beatty is the famous ghost town of Rhyolite, once the capital of the Bullfrog Mining District. Ghost Town of Carrara. The town site of Carrara was laid out circa 1911-1913 by the American Carrara Mable Company, on the northeastern edge of Amargosa Valley, just a few miles down from the marble quarry, northeast of the tracks for the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad. Though it once enjoyed several years’ worth of hustle and bustle in the mid-teens and early 20s, the town's only remains today are a few cellars, slabs, building foundations, and the town's main attraction, a marble fountain that was 18 feet across, and 3 feet deep that once supported a 6 foot column of water.