Fall Foliage Tours Near Las Vegas, Nevada

The fall season is just a few weeks away and with it come some cooler temperatures and beautiful fall colors. Now, I live in the hot southern Nevada desert just outside of the Las Vegas Valley, so we do not experience fall colors in the desert. In the desert, the tree's leaves usually go from green to a dark brown or pale yellow. Even so, if I travel just 45 minutes to the northwest of my current location, there will be glorious fall colors popping out all over the place. This place is known as the Spring Mountains. The Spring Mountains are just a little more than a half hour away from Las Vegas. The colors usually start showing up in the middle of September and peak at the end of September through the middle of October. Unfortunately, I never really had the chance to see the peak of the fall colors because I didn't get there until November of one year. Oh well, I figure I will try again this year. This article will describe what Mt. Charleston, Nevada has to offer.

Lodging:

If you are looking to get away from your hectic life for a few days, stay at the beautiful Mt. Charleston Lodge. The lodge is located at an elevation of approximately 7700 feet and consists of 23 log cabins and a beautiful restaurant. There are cabins for families and couples. The rooms are very roomy and range anywhere from 500 to 900 square feet. People can sit in their beautiful rooms and view the beautiful fall colors. Prices are typically cheaper during the week and more on the weekends. From Sunday-Thursday, the rates for the honeymoon cabins are $135 and $200 on Fridays and Saturdays. For the family cabins, it is $165 Sunday through Thursday and $240 for Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit the Mt. Charleston Lodge Web site.

Hiking:

While the mornings start to become chillier during the fall, the days are still fairly comfortable. The fall time is a great time to do the many hikes that are available on the mountain. Hiking will provide a wonderful opportunity to see the beautiful gold, red, and orange foliage. The most notable hike is the Cathedral Rock hike. I have been on this hike a number of times and it is very enjoyable and not too difficult. The hike is approximately 2.5 to 3 miles long and if it is the right time of year, you may see a waterfall about halfway up. If you make it all the way to the top, you will have a magnificent view of the town of Mt. Charleston as well as the surrounding scenery. I have had the pleasure of taking some beautiful pictures over the years.

Picnic grounds:

Mt. Charleston has a number of picnic areas. My family and I have been going to the same picnic area for over ten years now and it is as beautiful as ever. Why not have a good packed lunch in a nice and secluded picnic area while looking at the beautiful fall foliage? For more information on picnic areas, visit the USDA Forest Web site.

I hope you enjoy your stay at this wonderful Southern Nevada attraction!

Sources:

Mt. Charleston Lodge, http://www.mtcharlestonlodge.com/index.html

USDA Forest Service- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/recreation/camp_picnic/smnra_camp/smnra_camping.shtml