Charleston Peak

Well my first time on the North Loop Trail didn’t go so well! For me, I was having FUN. But for my wife, she was not experiencing our hike in the same way. In fact, all I was hearing was the ‘F’ word from a person who rarely uses it. OK, granted, we were plowing through 12 inches of snow on the drifted slopes of Mt Charleston. I was hurt, here I thought I was showing her a good time in Las Vegas. Turned out the trail from Deer Creek Highway was not that easy to follow after a few miles in the fresh snow with no other tracks to follow. And yes, I may have gotten us off the trail a couple of times… but we were never lost. We did make it to the Rain Tree… in the snow.
So, on my second trip I learned and was better prepared… I took my loyal dog Sammy who loves to hike instead. She never complains and has NEVER chanted the ‘F’ word at me. So Sammy and I set off on our road trip from California to Las Vegas to summit the 11,918 foot Mt Charleston! All 17.4 miles with 4,118 feet of elevation gain. This time we stared from the Trail Canyon Trail head on Echo Road, saving ourselves a good 4 miles and 635 feet of elevation gain.
From the Trail Canyon Trail it is a nice short 2 mile trail that connects to the North Loop Trail. In the 2 miles you climb an elevation gain of 1,530 feet as you reach a saddle at the North Loop Trail junction. To continue towards Mt Charleston Peak, head west, to the left on the North Loop Trail. In 0.7 miles you will find the Cave Springs log at 9,600 feet. At 4.0 miles you reach the ridge with some awesome drop off views!
Around 7.0 miles you reach the Devil’s Thumb at 11,070 feet.
Sammy and I at the top of Mt Charleston. What a great hike with some breath taking views!!!

Tough hike. Varying measurements from Trail Canyon trailhead. Anywhere for 16 round trip, all the way to 24miles. I estimate about 11.
A slow hiker it took me 7 ½ hours to summit, and 4 ½ to return. Need to start at daybreak or sooner. I started at 7am and with a 1 hour lunch break halfway up and a 30 minute break before descent it took me 13 ½ hours. Sunset at 7:30 so I finished with a flashlight in the dark.
Packed fruit, jerky and granola and about 5-​liters of water. Used about 4 liters.
Trail is pretty easy to follow in terms of not getting lost.
Pretty much all uphill for 12 miles. Pack an extra battery for your phone to use tracking and take pictures. Lots to see.
Also there is a natural spring about a mile or two into the peak trail. That’s after you’ve reached the Trail Canyon or North Loop connector.
(Sorry, meant to add more pictures but tablet crashed so I just added them to the photo bank. I could not go back and edit to add. Doesn’t look like my 360° video showed up either…)

This is a great hike topping out at 11,918 for those who want to get away from Vegas while still being in Vegas. Trail is 22 miles from trailhead, expect to spend the better part of the day on the hike. Start early and eat your wheaties.

«The horror … the horror … the horror.»
Charleston Peak is not for those seeking a leisurely stroll. Charleston Peak is fucking torture. It is a goddamn death march.
«Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…»
I maintained a throbbing headache for the entire weekend succeeding my peak of Charleston Summit. Sure one signs the meaningless book, and sits in the moon crater up there for a bit; but, it is seriously the least fun I have ever had on any hike.
«King Kong ain’t got shit on me! «
It is not just a hike, it is fucking torture. Do it at your own peril.
I don’t ever want to do it again, but I failed to see the plane crash site because of weather, so I will have to do it again. (Fuck.)

There are now only two trails to get to Charleston Peak, (South Loop is once closed due to the Carpenter 1 Fire), you can start at the North Loop Trailhead or start at Trail Canyon. I would most definitely recommend starting at Trail Canyon, reason being, once you finish that hike, if you come back through Raintree, there are portions of uphill you will have to hike through and that’s the last thing you want to do on the tail end of this hike. There is also a few other routes, more mountaineers routes than trail routes to the Peak, I’ve done the route via Big Falls, there is also a route that starts out at Ski Lee.
I started the hike at Trail Canyon and followed the North Loop Trail. Heading up the 2 miles through Trail Canyon, once you hit the saddle, you will head towards your left and follow the North Loop the entire way. You will pass through Cave Springs, and start the switchbacks and hike through the area full of quacking aspen trees. Once you come to the ridge you can see the entire Kyle Canyon area, there is an old burn area (from like 15+ years ago) but the canyon still offers great views. Lots of Bristlecone, Bottle Brush Pine, wildflowers, and lots of different vegetation.
This hike is entirely class 1, all trail. It’s next to impossible to get lost, although I’m sure it’s been done. There are a few areas closer to the peak that have some serious cliffs, if you have any kind of fear of heights, it could test you a little bit.
This is a moderate to strenuous hike depending on your fitness level. It’s a long hike, so be prepared. If you plan to do this during monsoon season, bring a rain coat, and if you get caught in a storm, head off the mountain. Bring 3 – 4 liters of water, lots of snacks, hiking poles are helpful but not necessary. Plan on spending 8 – 10 hours here.
It’s generally cold and windy at the peak.
Quick Stats:
Trailhead: North Loop or Trail Canyon
Distance: 17.5 miles RT (from Trail Canyon, add another 2 miles if starting from North Loop)
Elevation gain: 4,300 feet
Elevation of peak: 11,916

Unilocal 100 Challenge 14′ * ²⁵⁄₁₀₀
This is the perfect time of year to hit Mt. Charleston. Pack a lunch, grab your backpack, tie up your boots, go up here and leave everything behind for a day. North Loop in particular, is quite a strenuous trail — rapid elevation gains — with a great view of Bristlecone and Ponderosa pine tree coated mountains so people who have difficulty adjusting to steep terrain on higher altitude may need to keep their breathing conditions in check.
On the plus side, reaching the trail is pretty straightforward. If you’re coming from Las Vegas, simply take route 156 then turn right towards Lee Canyon. You will pass Hilltop Campground and Robber’s Roost Trail before getting here. Finding the trail is easy and a large map is provided by the sign in case you are tight on time and need to approximate the length of your journey. This is rated ‘more difficult’, running about 10 miles into Mummy Spring and Cathedral rock. There are plenty of old pine logs lining up the trail in case you need to rest up.
Bird enthusiasts will be happy to know that a diversity of birds live up here — from the exotic Magnolia Warblers down to the common House Finch. I expect more of them to flock around the area as the snow continues to melt, bringing running streams down the slopes. About 3 miles in, my friend and I reached an opening which provided a beautiful view of the mountains so we took some time off — ate and drew some sketches. As if the view wasn’t majestic enough, it is also complimented by a cool breeze (about 70 degrees) and sounds of wind blowing through the trees.
One thing you need to keep in mind is to not take the cold breeze for granted. Bring lots of water up with you and high energy foods — granola, fruits, etc. — to tackle the uphill walk that begins the moment you step foot on the trail as well as the thinning air on your way up. It also helps to have a good pair of strong-​traction hiking boots to hold you down. My friend got a little light-​headed about a couple of hours in so we headed back down a little early. I’m making it a pact to hike the whole 10 mile trail one day soon after my road test and come prepared.