The Best Trail in Mount Charleston

The Best Trail in Mount Charleston

When the Las Vegas valley reaches those triple digits, the fresh mountain air only 45 minutes away beckons us to come play. Mount Charleston, part of the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest, is a gorgeous alpine area and a family favorite among Southern Nevadans. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing day at the meadow, or a vigorous hike, a picnic or bird-watching, you can find it at Mount Charleston.

One of my personal favorite things to do there is to go hiking (and do landscape photography, of course). There are so many gorgeous sights and pretty much any hiking intensity-level you can imagine. If you’re looking for a nice moderate to fairly strenuous hike, I highly recommend Rain Tree trail. It’s located along North Loop trail.  And takes you through a hilltop that is my FAVORITE place in all of Mount Charleston. And, if you don’t feel like hiking all of the way to Rain Tree, you can just hike to that hilltop and get in a good little workout in less than an hour.

Rain Tree trail is loved by many Southern Nevadans because of the 3,000 year old tree, known as “Rain Tree,” that stands at the end of the trail. I think it’s really cool that we have a tree that old in Mount Charleston. My personal favorite, however, isn’t a 3,000 year old tree, but a dead tree. You’ll see me standing next to it in one of the photos below. It sits on the hilltop I mentioned, and is my favorite spot in all of Mount Charleston.

The last time I was there (last month – May 2013), I met a woman who told me that my favorite tree was really beautiful when it was still alive. I cannot imagine it being anymore beautiful than it is right now.

You won’t see Rain Tree in any of the photos below. We were just doing a leisurely hike last month, when I took these photos. But, you will see some of my favorite sights on part of the trail, and what I believe to be the most breathtaking place in Mount Charleston. Enjoy!




 Gina Mizzoni Photography is a custom Las Vegas lifestyle photographer (and storyteller) specializing in a variety of custom services including maternity, engagement, portraits, boudoir and family (human and fur-baby) portraits. Gina is also a landscape photographer and documentarian with a true passion for the great outdoors and the state of Nevada. Her medium consists of two: pictures AND words.

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