Overview

Kyle Canyon Road is a maintained state highway (Hwy 157) that runs west from U.S. Highway 95 to the top of Kyle Canyon in the high mountains of the Spring Mountains National Conservation Area. The road begins low in the desert and climbs through several life zones to a cool, high-elevation forested canyon. From many areas, views extend to peaks above treeline.

The road provides access to numerous outdoor recreation sites (e.g., hiking, picnicking, and camping areas), as well as two lodges, the town of Mount Charleston, and tremendous scenery all around.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about driving in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe drive. The road is a regular state highway with normal highway grades, signs, and safety features. Nonetheless, always watch for crazy drivers careening around blind corners. There is no gasoline on the mountain.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this is a paved road, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Roadhead

This road is located off Highway 95 (the highway to Reno) about 20 minutes northwest of Las Vegas.

From town, drive north on Highway 95. Just past the outskirts of town, arrive at Kyle Canyon Road (Highway 157; Table 1, Site 0667). Turn left onto Kyle Canyon Road and drive west into Kyle Canyon and the Spring Mountains National Conservation Area.

The Road

While this road might be just a way to get somewhere, it is better thought of as a scenic tour through the landforms and habitat types of southern Nevada.

The road starts in the seemingly flat and barren desert, but is Mojave Desert Scrub dominated by Creosote Bush , Mojave Yucca, and few other shrubs. During summer, this area is so hot and dry that few plants and animals survive here.

As the road climbs towards the distant peaks, the road gains enough elevation to moderate the temperatures and receive a bit more precipitation. Here, the Mojave Desert Scrub becomes "lush," and a variety of shrubs (e.g., Apache Plume, Stansbury Cliffrose, Desert Almond) join the mix.

The road climbs past the last of the houses and drops into Kyle Wash. Here the road winds back and forth following the canyon. Initially, the road cuts through a narrow canyon where Paleozoic limestones are exposed in the road cuts. Limestones are laid down on the bottom of an ocean, and each layer represents different water conditions: colder, warmer, deeper, shallower. These are stone pages from the book of the history of the earth.

The canyon widens a bit, and the highway passes the turn off for Grapevine Spring Road (9.9 miles out, Site 1292). This rough dirt road leads northwest into the rugged foothills of the Spring Mountains.

Beyond Grapevine Spring Road, the canyon walls mostly are conglomerate rock that eroded from the mountain peaks during periods of wetter conditions and glaciation, washed down the hillsides, and were deposited in this area. Remaining in place for thousands of years, the eroded materials became cemented together. Under drier condition, Kyle Creek slowly cut through the conglomerate revealing the features seen today. Watch for erosion holes in the cliffs and hoodoos along the road where the wash bottom is full of shrubs.

Shortly, the highway passes Harris Spring Road (12.6 miles out, Site 0764), on the left. Harris Spring Road runs out to the Griffith Peak Trailhead. This area was touched by the Carpenter 1 Fire.

As the road climbs higher, it enters the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland zone. Here, short trees (single-leaf pinyon pine and Utah juniper) begin to appear growing among dense thickets of mountain mahogany and other shrubs. Watch for Panamint Chipmunks and Chukar along the highway.

The highway climbs rather steeply and winds a bit, but eventually the grade eases and the road straightens. In this area, watch for Telephone Canyon Road (15.5 miles out, Site 1279), on the right. This road leads a short distance to Telephone Canyon Trailhead.

Shortly ahead, the highway is interrupted by a round-about at the entrance to the Spring Mountains Visitor Center (16.3 miles out, Site 1610), then passes The Retreat on Charleston Peak (16.9 miles out, Site 1291).

About the time Kyle Canyon Road reaches Deer Creek Road (17.5 miles out, Site 0727), which runs north across the face of the mountains to Lee Canyon, tall ponderosa pine appear and the road enters true woods. The road then passes Kyle Canyon Campground (17.9 miles out, Site 1288) on the left.

Shortly, the highway passes Fletcher Canyon Trailhead (18.1 miles out, Site 1003). This trailhead provides access to some nice hiking and bird watching opportunities. The overflow parking is first, on the left, and the main parking (with a public toilet) is second, also on the left.

Continuing, the road passes Fletcher View Campground (18.3 miles out, Site 0966), on the left.

Up the canyon, the conditions of life become cooler and more moist, and white fir begins to appear. This is a tree species more typical of higher elevations, but it finds refuge in the cool shadows of Kyle Canyon. The road passes Mount Charleston town (Rainbow Subdivision), with various neighborhoods, an elementary school, a public library, and the fire station (ranging from 19.0 to 20.0 miles out).

Beyond the fire station, the paved Echo Road forks to the right (20.4 miles out, Site 0733). Echo Road leads to the Echo Trailhead, Mary Jane Fall Trailhead, Trail Canyon Trailhead, and another neighborhood. Staying to the left on the main road at the fork, the road crosses Kyle Wash and does a hairpin turn to climb onto the south side of the canyon.

The road climbs steeply (watch for rockfall on the roadway) and enters the Mount Charleston Lodge area (20.9 miles out) with cabins on the left.

A bit farther up, the road passes the turnoff (21.0 miles out, Site 1289) to Cathedral Rock Trailhead, on the right. This is the trailhead for several hikes including Cathedral Rock, Griffith Peak, and Mt. Charleston via the South Loop Trail.

Shortly, the road passes a left turn into the main Mount Charleston Lodge area (21.1 miles out, Site 1290). This leads to the restaurant and front desk of the lodge.

Continuing, the highway passes the entrance to Cathedral Rock Picnic Area (21.2 miles out) and loops around at the end of the road to head back towards the Mount Charleston Lodge and back down Kyle Canyon.

For photos of the return down Kyle Canyon Road, see Kyle Canyon Road - Select Downhill Photos.