Mt. Charleston is associated with skiing, snowboarding, and sledding during winter, but is a popular destination throughout other parts of the year as well. As summer winds down, Southern Nevada’s tallest peak remains worthy of your attention.
🌤️ A Place to Cool Down
It’s not uncommon to experience temperatures at least 15 degrees cooler than those on the floor of the Las Vegas Valley. Take advantage of the mild weather with a visit to Lee Canyon, which offers summertime activities like disc golf and scenic chairlift rides, which are especially nice as the leaves change color in the fall. You can also grab refreshments at the Bighorn Grill or Brewin’ Burro.
🧘 Moments of Zen
Lee Canyon hosts Mountainside Yoga every Sunday and Friday at 10 a.m. through the end of September. Bring your own mat to Aspen Grove near the Hillside Lodge and breathe in the fresh pine air while enjoying a free one-hour session suitable for all ages and skill levels.
🚴 Downhill Biking
Lee Canyon introduced a downhill mountain bike park in 2023 that’s already proving to be a huge hit. Visitors load their bicycles on specially designed racks, ride the chairlift up to the top, then let gravity do much of the work while cruising down a 13-mile circuit with the scenery of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest as the backdrop. Bring your own bike or sign up for the Experience Downhill package with equipment included. Kids 10-14 can sign up for the Trailblazers program. The resort’s first-ever Mountain Bike Festival is August 24.
🥾 Mountain Hikes
Hiking remains popular on Mt. Charleston, although popular trailheads like Cathedral Rock and Mary Jane Falls are currently closed due to damage from Tropical Storm Hilary last year. You can still explore the terrain of the Fletcher Canyon, Eagle's Nest, and Cliffrose trailheads.
🍷 Arts, Crafts, Food, and Booze
The Retreat on Charleston Peak has the Canyon Restaurant for meals throughout the day and a bar serving spirits and cocktails at prices lower than what you’ll get in Las Vegas. The resort hosts the Labor Day Food & Artisan Festival September 1-2.
⛰️ More to Explore
Stay overnight at one of the cabins at Mt. Charleston Lodge or an available campground. The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway overlooks Kyle Canyon on land reclaimed from an old golf course with ample picnic areas, trails, and Seven Stones Plaza, which pays tribute to Southern Paiute tribes, and the Silent Heroes of the Cold War Memorial, honoring the victims of a 1955 plane crash on the mountain.
Learn about
what it’s like to actually live on Mt. Charleston. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
