Vegas on Two Wheels: Mt. Charleston

Another Week and another incredible scenic ride to share! Last week I talked to you about Vegas holding secret gems of natural beauty. This one hides in plain sight by building high into the western Vegas sky and holds all four seasons! I’m talking about Mt. Charleston.

From its green tops during the summer to warm golds, oranges and yellows during fall and white snowy peaks December through February, Mt Charleston is one of the most beautiful areas Las Vegas has to offer. The ride is so much fun too! Takes about an hour and 20 to get from central Las Vegas to the top of Mt. Charleston and you can get up there several different ways. The easiest is heading north on I-95 and taking a left onto either Lee Canyon Rd. or Kyle Canyon Rd. and follow the signs for the Ski Resort!

Each road climbs the mountain at a decent pace. 45 to 55 mph is the normal speed until you hit a few small communities; then the speed drops to 30mph. The roads wind left to right slowly, so they are so much fun to take at the posted speed limit, but I found myself kicking up the throttle a few times for some added thrill!

As I climb, a couple of fascinating things happen. You find yourself riding in a desert first; 20 min later, cacti and rocks turn into small and large shrubs and stunted trees. After another ten minutes, bushes become larger, trees taller, the brush thicker and thicker. Soon I found myself in a sea of trees, pines, maple and oaks line each side of the road. Wildlife begins to emerge, and if you are lucky, you may grab a shot of the wild mountain horses that graze on the grassy fields nearing the Ski Resort. A true forest found in the desert…it was wild to me!

While the vegetation slowly builds, the hair on my neck begins to stand on end; goosebumps take over my arms and legs. Not because of the thrill of taking a mountain turn at 65 mph, but because the temperature begins to fall. Every ten minutes my body hits another wall of cool air. As you climb in height, you decrease the temperature and by the time you reach the top of Mt. Charleston, the average temperature up there is normally 30 degrees cooler than the Vegas Valley floor. Meaning, if Las Vegas is hitting 80 degrees today, the high on Mt. Charleston is around 50 degrees!

On the ride up, there are several spots to pull off to the side and check out the view. Each spot was created to pull off because it features some of the most beautiful overlooks of the mountain range. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but I normally wait until I reach the top. The “top” of Mt. Charleston is not really the top, it’s just the end of the road up by the Ski Resort. You have a few options at this point. You could either get off the bike and start hoofing it on the 11-mile hiking trail, take in a deep breath and enjoy the incredible view of the mountain range and valley, then head back down the mountain to the Lodge for a stick-to-your-bones, home-cooked meal. Or snag a beer at the Ski resort and continue looking at the scenery, relax and let the world go by for a little while.

I take a ride up the mountain every other week. The hustle and bustle of the city is out of sight, and the only sound you hear is the wind blowing through the trees or funneling through the cliffs of the Spring Mountain Range. It’s beautiful and calming another retreat for the soul all of which is a part of Las Vegas.

[Images: Greg Bennett]

Greg Bennett

Greg Bennett is the morning meteorologist on KTNV’s Good Morning Las Vegas newscast. He is an avid Harley rider but also is a huge classic car fan and loves to work on both. In his free time, you can catch Greg riding his bike around town, working out at the gym, hanging out with his Pit Bull (DewPoint), or getting his hands dirty by volunteering across the city of Las Vegas.