Spring Mountains provide chance to picnic, camp

Forested mountains west of Las Vegas provide respite from summer's heat for Southern Nevadans and visitors. Daytime temperatures range 20-30 degrees cooler in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area than in the desert surrounding it. Leaving the city where the heat is bearable only indoors or in the water, summer refugees enjoy picnicking, camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, scenic touring and other activities in the mountains.

Pine-scented alpine canyons lie within a 45-minute drive of most parts of the valley. Head north on U.S. 95 to reach Highway 157, or Kyle Canyon Road, or drive another 14 miles north to reach Highway 156, or Lee Canyon Road. Either highway climbs about 20 miles from U.S. 95 to reach forested regions. The Deer Creek Road, Highway 158, links the two approaches, forming a scenic loop drive designated as one of Nevada's scenic byways.

Locals commonly refer to the area simply as Mount Charleston, after 11,811-foot Charleston Peak, which is among Nevada's 10 highest crags. The U.S. Forest Service administers the 316,000-acre Spring Mountains National Recreation Area as part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. With forest sections scattered across Nevada and Eastern California, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest contains more land than any national forest outside of Alaska.

Forest roads into the Spring Mountains access five picnic areas, three suitable for groups, and seven camping areas of various sizes, including one group site. Most of them are open May to October. Fletcher View Campground in Kyle Canyon and McWilliams Campground in Lee Canyon remain open all year.

Facilities total at least 148 individual picnic sites and 217 family campsites, not counting group sites. Sometimes they are not enough, especially on summer weekends and holidays. For best site selection, arrive early or go mid-week. A portion of the sites may be reserved from three days to 180 days in advance by calling the National Reservation Service at (877) 444-6777 or online at www.recreation.gov.

Fees of $8 a day apply for sites in the two largest picnic areas, Cathedral Rock in Kyle Canyon and Old Mill in Lee Canyon. Picnickers pay $10 in Foxtail Canyon off the Lee Canyon, both without water. Camping fees range from $8 to $47 per night, depending upon the site and amenities offered. Seniors or disabled visitors pay half of the regular fee if they hold park passes available for a lifetime for a one-time $10 charge at certain federal agency offices or national park entrance gates.

The forest service also allows dispersed camping outside developed areas with certain restrictions. Popular areas for this type of no-frills camping include an old archery range off the Deer Creek Road, scenic Mack's Canyon off Lee Canyon Road and the Cold Creek-Willow Creek area at the northern end of the Spring Mountains. Such areas utilize campsites informally used over many years. For more information, check at the interagency office on Torrey Pines Drive near Lone Mountain Road.

For more than a century, forest management simply suppressed fires, a practice that actually encouraged larger and more devastating wildland fires. Visitors to the Spring Mountains will notice evidence of changing fire-fighting philosophies. For the first time in about 90 years, logging is taking place -- often one tree at a time removed by helicopter to help create visible fire breaks. Hazardous underbrush and trees deemed "ladder fuels" are also being removed, particularly around buildings and campgrounds. Prescribed burns may be scheduled, usually when there is snow on the ground in our area.

Visitors to the Spring Mountains should be aware of open fire restrictions now in effect, particularly with the Fourth of July approaching. Leave the fireworks at home. Of the 105 recorded fires since the early 1900s, natural causes started 45 percent, while 55 percent resulted from human activities. Help Smokey Bear celebrate his 65th birthday by being very careful when visiting the forest this year.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.