Before you start your adventure...

AREA CLOSURES IN EFFECT

Area closure remains in effect for the Developed Recreation Canyons (Lee, Kyle, and Deer Creek) of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (Mt. Charleston) for public safety due to historic storm damage. State Routes 157/Kyle Canyon Road, 156/Lee Canyon, and State Route 158/Deer Creek Hwy are now open. Drivers are asked to use caution as there are still many repair workers and vehicles in the area actively continuing additional repairs.

The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway is now open (closed Thanksgiving Day), though some trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds remain closed, Additional details and a closure map are available on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest website. This Forest Order does not apply to private parcels, state highways, or any other non-Forest Service property within the boundaries of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. Map of Flood Damage Closure Area

Check our weekly report and our Twitter feed for regular updates

YEAR ROUND FIRE RESTRICTIONS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT, INCLUDING*:

1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stovefire. The ONLY exceptions are stoves using portable fuel with an On/Off switch or knob, OR campfires within the provided rings or grills at developed camp and picnic sites.
2.  Using any type of explosive, including fireworks and explosive ammunition or targets.
* Please note that additional fire restrictions may apply, read the Forest Order for details. For more information or clarification on individual agency restrictions, visit www.nevadafireinfo.org/restrictions-and-closures.

Weather
Weather patterns in the Spring Mountains can be drastically different than what the Las Vegas Valley experiences. The Weather page offers multiple tools, tips and webcams to monitor conditions and forecasts. The National Weather Service has additional information and webcams. Remember that high winds and dry conditions can create devastating fire conditions!

Shooting Area Restrictions and Closures
- Long term ammo type and target type restrictions are in effect against use of tracer ammo and explosive targets in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
- Lovell Canyon has been temporarily closed to shooting
*** Learn more about shooting in the Spring Mountains

Wild Horses & Burros
It is quite a sight to turn a corner and see a burro crossing the road, or walk into a clearing and find wild horses grazing. These animals are protected under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, and interfering with, handling, and feeding them is illegal. Besides the hefty fine, there is a high risk of being bitten or trampled because they are wild animals, so please keep your distance. Learn more about them here: Wild Horses & Burros

Road, Recreation Site, and Trail Closures
Roads, recreation sites, and trails are subject to closure throughout the year for safety and seasonal reasons. Check NDOT and Twitter for updates during active floods, fires, and snow events.

Current closures or access limitations include:

TRAILHEADS open unless noted (*) below:
Click here for full trail descriptions

TRAILHEADS OPEN UNLESS NOTED (*) BELOW:

  • Cliffrose/Stepladder
  • Fletcher Canyon/Eagle's Nest/Acastus
  • Harris Spring to Griffith Peak
  • Pack Rat/Escarpment/Acastus (from the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, trail has some erosion hazards)
  • Desert View Overlook
  • North Loop/Rain Tree
  • Robber's Roost

Click here for full trail descriptions

CLOSED TRAILS:

  • Bristlecone, Lower
  • Bristlecone, Upper
  • Mary Jane Falls
  • Echo
  • Cathedral Rock/Griffith Peak/South Loop (closed for cold season)
  • Mahogany CCC (trailhead will close with winter conditions)
  • Trail Canyon

PICNIC AREAS:
OPEN SITES*:    

Kyle Canyon (10 am-4 pm)
Sawmill (free, first come, first serve, open dawn to dusk)
SMVG Group Picnic Areas (reservation required)
Lee Meadows (open dawn to dusk, groups must be under 20 people, NO camping or fires)
Old Mill (10 am-4 pm)


Closed Sites:

Cathedral Rock Picnic Area
Foxtail Group Picnic Area
Deer Creek

 

*All Federal Public Lands Pass (Access Pass, Military Pass, Senior Pass, Annual Parks Pass, and Every Kid in a Park Pass) holders are permitted free usage at single picnic sites at all day use picnic areas except for SMVG, Foxtail, and Cathedral Group Picnic Areas. Pass must be present and its information must be filled out on a fee envelope and deposited in the fee tube at the Self-Service pay station. 

CAMPGROUNDS:
OPEN SITES*: 

Fletcher View
Blue Tree Area (undeveloped & unpaved)
Champion Road 
(undeveloped & unpaved)

CLOSED SITES:

Hilltop Campground
Mahogany Grove Group Campground
McWilliams 
Mack’s Canyon (undeveloped & unpaved)

Lee Canyon Ski Resort
The Lee Canyon Ski Resort will be open for the winter season.
Visit their website for details

- Lee Meadows is closed to overnight use from sunset to sunrise, daily, year-round. No fires are permitted in the meadows; however, stoves with an On/Off knob or switch are permitted.

Snow
Snow in the mountains is always a possibility. During the colder months, it can create road hazards that require chains or snow tires. It also draws crowds looking to play in the snow, but with that comes traffic and intermittent road closures where visitors must turn around. Road conditions are updated by NDOT and closures will be shared on our Twitter feed as quickly as possible (visitor & employee safety comes first!)

Avalanche Risk & Closures
Heavy snowfall can create a serious risk of avalanches. The ski resort grooms their slopes to reduce the possibility of an avalanche, however there is no way to completely eliminate it in groomed or natural areas. Outside of the ski area, no avalanche mitigation or monitoring exists in the Spring Mountains, so visitors are encouraged to learn about avalanche risks, watch the weather and avoid the backgrountry when there is lots of heavy or wet snow. If there is a closure order put into effect in the Spring Mountains, it will be linked here.

 

 

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