Overview

Lee Canyon is a good place to bird the western montane forest. The Lee Canyon Road starts in typical Mojave Desert Scrub and climbs steeply to a Pine-Fir -- Bristlecone forest mixed with Quaking Aspen at an elevation of almost 8,700 feet. The change in elevation creates many habitat types and places to do a little birding.

Description

The Spring Mountains, northwest of town, rise from desert valleys at elevations below 3,000 ft to the summit of Mount Charleston at nearly 12,000 ft. The change in elevation creates a great range of climate and several vegetation zones. The Spring Mountains are completely surrounded by desert, forming an island of montane habitat surrounded by a sea of desert scrub. The mountains have a real winter, and the changing seasons and winter snowfall results in a variety of birding opportunities.

Lee Canyon is one of the major canyons on the east side of Mount Charleston, and the Lee Canyon Road provides easy access to a number of birding sites. The best way to bird the area is to drive the road, stopping to bird in different habitat types (be sure to pull off the road and watch the traffic), and walking the trails along the road.

The Lee Canyon Road starts in typical Mojave Desert Scrub, climbs through Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands and the Pine-Fir Forest to the bottom of the Bristlecone Pine Forest where ponderosa pine, white fir, bristlecone pine, and quaking aspen mix at an elevation of almost 8,700 feet. The end of the road is past the ski resort, high in the canyon surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and mountain ridges.

Places to bird in Lee Canyon include pullouts along the road in the desert and pinyon-juniper zones, the long meadow in the ponderosa pine zone, the pine-fir forest at the end of the road, and the bristlecone pine forest along trails in the upper canyon.

--Pullouts along the Road. There are a number of dirt and paved pullouts along the road to stop, pull completely off the road, and watch and listen for birds. In the desert zone, look for House Finch, Rock Wren, Say's Phoebe, and Red-tailed Hawk. In the pinyon-juniper zone, look for Pinyon Jay, Spotted Towhee, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. In the pine zone, look for Western White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Scrub-jay, Western Tanager, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco.

--Long (Lee) Meadow. Long Meadow (ponderosa pine zone) can provide good birding if there aren't too many people picnicking. Look for Western and Mountain Bluebird, Cassin's Finch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Scrub-jay, Western Tanager, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco. This area can be busy on weekends, so a short walk in the woods might be a quieter choice.

--Helicopter Landing Pad. The emergency landing pad at the end of the road (far end of the ski area parking lot) gives treetop views of the canyon and is a good place to look down on birds. Look for Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pygmy Nuthatch, Steller's Jay, Lewis's Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Cassin's Finch, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco, and Clark's Nutcracker.

Location

Lee Canyon is located northwest of Las Vegas, on the northeast side of Mt. Charleston, about 90 minutes from downtown. Drive out to Mt. Charleston. From the turnoff on Highway 95, drive west on Highway 156. The road ends at the Lee Canyon Ski Area (Table 1, Site 556).

--Pullouts along the Road. There are a number of pullouts along the road to watch and listen for birds. Consider stopping for a few minutes to bird at the gravel depot (Site 728) in the lower pinyon-juniper zone and the turnoff to Mack's Canyon (Site 729) in the upper pinyon-juniper zone.

--Long (Lee) Meadow (Site 557). The long meadow is located on the north side of the road, about 2 miles before the end of the road. You can't miss it.

--Helicopter Landing Pad (Site 556). The emergency helicopter landing pad is located at the very end of the paved road (far end of the ski area parking lot). Don't park in the landing zone.

--Lower Bristlecone Trail (Site 550). The lower end of the Bristlecone Trail is located about 1 mile before the end of the road. There are no signs for the turnoff; instead, drive past Long Meadow and watch for signs to McWilliams Campground. After the "campground ahead" sign, but about 100 feet before the actual entrance to the campground, turn right on a well-graded dirt road. Drive about 100 yards to the big dirt parking lot at the end of the road.

--Upper Bristlecone Trail (Site 556). The upper end of the Bristlecone Trail starts at the end of the paved road (the far end of the ski area parking lot).

Hours

Always open.

Fees

None.

Specialties

Lee Canyon is good for finding a variety of woodpeckers, chickadees, swallows, White-throated Swift, all three nuthatches; Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, MacGillivray's, Virginia, and Wilson's warblers, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Steller's Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, and other montane species. Williamson's Sapsuckers nest in dead trees at the top of the Bristlecone Trail.

Bird Species I've Seen: Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Williamson's Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Gray Flycatcher, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Western Scrub-Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Common Raven, Violet-green Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Western Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Virginia Warbler, Western Tanager, Green-tailed Towhee, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Cassin's Finch, Red Crossbill, Townsend's Solitaire, Hermit Thrush.

Other Species: feral horse, golden-mantled ground squirrel, kit fox, Mt. Charleston chipmunk, and western fence lizard.