Southern Nevada hikers pining for a new, close-to-home mountain trail are in luck.
Lee Canyon ski resort has laid out a winding hiking trail through a forested area of ponderosa, bristlecone and aspen high above the Las Vegas Valley. The soon-to-be-named trail climbs a moderately challenging 2 miles for a vertical gain of 850 feet.
Hikers have been testing out the trail since early May, but its ceremonial launch is planned for Thursday, June 25, when its name will be officially revealed. The path is accessible via the ski resort, which opens its gates daily in time to start selling Brewin’ Burro coffee at 9 a.m. Scenic summertime chairlift rides begin an hour later, and visitors can choose to pay for a ride up to the trail’s end ($15 to $19 in advance online) and then make a 2-mile descent by foot. Prices increase sharply when chairlift tickets are purchased on the mountain the day of a visit.
Visitors can also skip the chairlift ride, and cost, by hiking the full 4 miles up and back.
New mountain path
Our visit started with a walk through Lee Canyon’s gates about 9:30 a.m. and up outdoor stairs that lead to a view of Lee Peak and the chairlifts that serve skiers and snowboarders in winter as well as mountain bikers and now hikers in summer. Walking past the chairlifts and looking to the left, hikers will head slightly downhill and along a rocky path to an opening into the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. A sign and arrows mark the trail’s entry point and passage through a short tunnel of aspens.
For years, the new trail’s location at the ski resort has been a winter playground when snow conditions are favorable for skiers and snowboarders who enjoy traversing among the trees, rather than sticking exclusively to the resort’s wide-open ski runs. For them, the hiking trail offers a chance to step through familiar terrain without snow. For the rest of us, the heavily shaded path creates an opportunity to hike for the first time in an unfamiliar space that comes with cooler summer temperatures and stunning mountain views.
In late May, wildflowers including bright yellow wallflowers and soft pink blossoms on bushes attracting noisy broad-tailed hummingbirds were spotted along the trail. Singing and calling birds were heard — Western tanagers, spotted towhees, Clark’s nutcrackers, chipping sparrows and red-breasted nuthatches.
Some sections and switchbacks on the new trail are short and steep, others long and luxurious. The hike is moderately challenging in part because there’s less available oxygen at 9,000 feet above sea level, compared with 2,400 feet in the Las Vegas Valley. Extra water, snacks and sunscreen are essentials, and hiking poles are a smart downhill complement to sturdy walking shoes on the dusty and rocky trail.
Enjoying peak views
The tree-lined path has the equivalent of branch-framed windows in the treescape that allow for peeks of nearby peaks. At a couple of points along the trail, hikers also have a good view of mountain bikers on Lee Canyon’s adjacent downhill trails. And the beauty and greenery of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest are constant companions.
As the mountain chickadee or common raven flies, the new trail is directly across the canyon from the popular Bristlecone trail, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. That path remains partially closed because of severe damage caused by Tropical Storm Hilary in the summer of 2023.
Upper Bristlecone trail, which starts near Lee Canyon ski resort, isn’t expected to reopen until 2028, a year earlier than had been forecast. Lower Bristlecone trail, which begins in a small parking lot off state Route 156 beneath the ski area, has already reopened. The two parts will reconnect after work on the upper part is completed.
From the new Lee Canyon trail, hikers with binoculars can look across the canyon to see people walking on the Lower Bristlecone trail. Without binoculars, the views are still stunning and include the sharp ridgeline leading toward Lee Peak; closer encounters with the contours of Mummy Mountain; and The Sisters peaks along with the bright green spot of Upper Lee Meadows beneath them.
As the new path ends near the top of the Sherwood chairlift, the big-sky view widens, and an appreciation deepens among admirers who spend plenty of time in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area to escape the Las Vegas summer heat.
Sharing the trail
After resting a bit and saying hello to the chairlift attendant, we headed back down exactly the way we came up. Hikers and mountain bikers are limited only to the official trails in an effort to protect plant and animal species that are endemic to the Spring Mountains. That includes the endangered and federally protected Mount Charleston blue butterfly, which historically has been spotted in the ski area.
For the most part, the hiking path is separated from mountain bike trails and traffic, but the new trail is also intended for uphill-only mountain bike traffic. Hikers will need to be vigilant about sharing the path, but not to the extent that would be required if faster-paced downhill mountain bike traffic were permitted.
Mountain biking has become a popular activity in recent years at the resort, as Lee Canyon has invested in trails and terrain as well as the equipment to transport bikes uphill on a chairlift.
In an arrangement common among ski resorts, Lee Canyon leases land from the U.S. Forest Service for recreational purposes. Since 2019, the local ski resort has expanded significantly and has invested $23 million in projects that include the hiking trail, mountain biking trails, new chairlifts, a lodge and additional parking.
