Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Nevada / Southern Nevada

North Loop Trail to Charleston Peak

Mt. Charleston Wilderness, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (northwest of Las Vegas)

Charleston Peak, about 11,914 feet by Birdandhike’s figures, rises above the Spring Mountains northwest of Las Vegas. The North Loop Trail climbs to it from Deer Creek Highway through bristlecone pines and along an exposed ridge, and Birdandhike’s guide points to campsites along the way that turn the long day hike into an overnight.

The trail lies in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness, which the BLM says covers about 56,000 acres and is managed jointly with the Forest Service.

The hike

The North Loop Trailhead is on Deer Creek Highway (NV-158), about 4.8 miles from Kyle Canyon Road (NV-157), according to the Forest Service, which lists it open year-round as weather allows and notes no water or restrooms. Birdandhike puts the trailhead at about 8,435 feet.

The trail climbs steadily. Birdandhike lists a viewpoint at 1.47 miles, then a high point near 10,000 feet at 2.18 miles, before a short drop to the junction with the Mummy Spring Trail at 2.65 miles. The Raintree, a bristlecone pine American Southwest estimates at about 3,000 years old, stands at that junction. Mummy Spring is a nearly level 0.3-mile spur, according to American Southwest, which describes the spring as a small year-round source that mostly seeps underground.

Beyond the junction, the trail drops to meet the Trail Canyon Trail at about 4.07 miles; the Forest Service lists Trail Canyon’s trailhead as closed because of Tropical Storm Hilary damage. Cave Spring follows at about 4.6 miles. Birdandhike calls it the only water on the main route, dripping from cliffs into a small basin, and says to filter it.

The trail then climbs onto the North Ridge, passing saddles with views north at about 6.1 and 7.3 miles, according to Birdandhike’s table. It switchbacks through cliffs near 11,000 feet, passes the Devils Thumb at about 8.55 miles, and traverses the southeast face to the summit at 10.24 miles. Birdandhike warns of narrow ledges with serious exposure near the Devils Thumb and notes that the rerouted North Ridge trail no longer matches the USGS map.

At the top, the North Loop meets the South Loop Trail, according to American Southwest. Secret Las Vegas reported in June 2026 that the South Loop was only partly open, so plan to return the way you came.

For a quieter crest route at the north end of the range, see the Bonanza Trail.

Tips

Camping

There are no designated campsites. The BLM’s Mt. Charleston Wilderness fact sheet sets a 12-person group limit and a 14-day stay limit and prohibits campfires. The Forest Service’s year-round fire order for the area west of Highway 158 bans campfires and stove fires except portable stoves fueled by gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid. Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and mechanical transport are not allowed in the wilderness (BLM). Birdandhike says the popular cave-like ledge at Cave Spring is too close to water to be a legal camp, and asks hikers not to camp beneath the Raintree.

Inside Intel: Birdandhike’s guide recommends the good campsites at the viewpoint about 1.5 miles up, and the saddles along the North Ridge, which have campsites with views to the north. American Southwest notes that the area around the Raintree junction is a popular spot for primitive camping; pitch away from the old tree itself.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Pitching on Charleston's North Ridge:

The saddle campsites below Charleston Peak sit above 10,000 feet on an open ridge, so a tent that stands up to wind earns its place. See the backpacking tents testers rate highest.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.