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Big Falls Canyon Route
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Spring Mountains (Mt. Charleston), Kyle Canyon
Big Falls
Big Falls Trailhead
Mary Jane Falls and Big Falls trailhead (view W)

Overview

The Big Falls Canyon route is a fairly strenuous, 2.7-mile (round trip) hike that starts on the Mary Jane Falls Trail and runs up Kyle Canyon. When the Mary Jane Trail starts switchbacks to start up the hillside, this unmarked route stays left and drops into Echo Wash. In the bottom of the canyon, the route heads upstream a short distance, then curves left into Big Falls Canyon. Following the boulder- and log-strewn canyon upward, the hike ends at the base of Big Falls.

The canyon is deep, forested, and surrounded by beautiful gray limestone cliffs. The falls are seasonal, flowing strongest in the spring when snow on the high mountain slopes is melting. The hike, however, is more difficult at that time because melting snow hides snow caves and loose logs.

Link to map.

Big Falls Trail
Mary Jane Falls Trail, approaching Big Falls trail junction (view NW)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this trail is strenuous, so take it easy at this elevation if you've just come up from the desert. There are places along the route where slips could result in serious injury. Watch for ice if you hike in the winter or early spring. Because of the boulder scrambling, this isn't one of the best hikes for young children or dogs. Limestone rocks are usually rough to the touch, but the boulders in the bottom of the canyon are unusually smooth and slippery. The hike is more difficult when the snow is melting because of hidden snow caves and loose logs.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Big Falls
At trail junction, continue straight (left) to Big Falls (view NW)

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Kyle Canyon up in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, about 1 hour northwest of Las Vegas. From town, drive out to the Spring Mountains Visitor Center, then continue up the road to the Mary Jane Falls Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the Mary Jane Falls trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), the hike follows the Mary Jane Falls Trail up Kyle Canyon on a broad and clearly marked trail (an old road). Along this section, the trail passes through a forest of towering ponderosa pines, white fir, quaking aspens, and mountain mahogany. The understory is mostly open, but there are a few wax currents, other shrubs, grasses, thistles, and forbs under the trees. For details of this section, see Mary Jane Falls Trail.

Big Falls Trail
Old road approaches canyon bottom (view SW)

At an obscure and unmarked trail junction (Wpt. 02), the Big Falls Trail leaves the Mary Jane Falls Trail. To this point, the Mary Jane Falls Trail has been following an old road. When the Mary Jane Falls Trail jogs right off the old road and into the trees, the Big Falls Trail stays right (straight), remaining on the old road.

Alternatively, hikers can continue up the Mary Jane Falls trail for another 25 yards to the base of the first switchback (Wpt. 11). At the base of the switchback, hikers can walk down the hillside and return to the old road.

About 25 yards past the switchback (Wpt. 03), the old road forks. Both forks will get you there, but it might be a little easier to take the left (south) fork. The goal in this area is merely to get into the bottom of Echo Canyon without giving up too much elevation.

glacial moraine
Route drops into canyon bottom (view W)

After a couple of minutes on the south road, the road ends and the route drops into the bottom of Echo Canyon (Wpt. 04). At this point, an obvious trail leads straight across the wash and up the bank on the far side towards a snow-survey marker. Don't follow the trail to the marker; rather, turn uphill staying in the canyon bottom.

Staying in the rocky wash, the route quickly passes a huge pile of dirt on the south (left) side of the wash (Wpt. 05). This pile is interpreted by some geologists as the remains of a glacial moraine (terminal moraine). If correct, this is evidence that a glacier once flowed down the east side of Mt. Charleston.

Just past the glacial moraine, the route curves left and runs south into Big Falls Canyon (Wpt. 06). Because of the lay of the land and recent erosion, it seems like the route should stay in the main canyon (right), but this is not the case. Echo Canyon, the main canyon, continues to the west-northwest, while Big Falls Canyon runs to the south-southwest.

Big Falls
Route follows canyon bottom upstream (view S)

The route runs up Big Falls Canyon, scrambling over and around boulders and logs most of the way. Staying in the wash, the route reaches a 20-foot-high pour-over, which is formed where the wash runs through a narrow slot in a band of cliffs and a big boulder is jammed in the top of the slot (aka: a chockstone).

The obstacle can be passed by a log ladder up over the boulder or by backtracking a few yards (Wpt. 07) and climbing the east bank on a steep, narrow, rocky use-trail. The bypass runs up and around the pour-over, then drops back into the wash.

There are a number of use-trails in this part of the canyon. From atop the pour-over, the route continues up the wash until use-trails climb onto the west (right) side of the canyon. Several of the use-trails in this area are useful, but the route stays as low and close to the wash as possible.

Big Falls
Kyle Canyon Moraine (view S)

The route continues boulder- and log-hopping up the canyon to the base of the tall, gray limestone cliffs (Wpt. 08). If the water is flowing, it is obvious that this is Big Falls.

I've not done the climb, but the falls can be passed by scrambling up the steep, tree covered cliffs just east (left) of the falls.

Return to the trailhead by retracing your steps down the canyon. When hiking down, if you follow use-trails along the west side of the canyon and get to the Mt. Charleston Wilderness Area Boundary sign, cut steeply down the hillside to the bottom of the canyon. The broad and level use-trail that traverses the hillside to the north of the sign is not a better way to go.

Big Falls
Hikers in wash past moraine (view NW)
Big Falls
Curving left (southward) into Big Falls Canyon (view W)
Big Falls
Base of Big Falls Canyon (view SW)
Big Falls
Climbing over boulders and logs in Big Falls Canyon (view S)
Big Falls
Approaching band of cliffs and pour-over with chockstone (view S)
Big Falls
Bypass waterfall to the left (view S)
Big Falls
Returning to canyon bottom after bypassing pour-over (view S)
Big Falls
BirdandHike Guy at the wilderness boundary
Big Falls
Staying low in the canyon is best (view SW)
Big Falls
Cliffs east of Big Falls (route to get above the falls)
Big Falls
Hikers approaching Big Falls
Big Falls
Hikers climbing over avalanche debris
Big Falls
Hikers approaching Big Falls
Big Falls
Hiker at plunge pool below Big Falls
Big Falls
Plunge pool below Big Falls
Big Falls
Rocks and snowbank below Big Falls
Big Falls
Big Falls (view S)
Big Falls
Big Falls (view S; vertical panorama)
Big Falls
Approaching Big Falls in the snow (April 2014)
Big Falls
Big Falls plunge pool in April 2014
Big Falls
Big Falls icicle in April 2014
Big Falls
Looking up Big Falls with only a trickle of water in April 2014
Big Falls
Big Falls with snow, March 2017
Big Falls
Big Falls Canyon with snow, March 2017

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi) Verified
01 Trailhead 620227 4014220 7,817 0.00 0.00 GPS
02 Leave MJF Trail 619456 4014950 8,150 0.68 0.68 GPS
03 Old road forks 619417 4014975 8,168 0.03 0.71 GPS
04 Wash 619178 4014908 8,222 0.16 0.87 GPS
05 Moraine 619143 4014915 8,231 0.03 0.9 GPS
06 Big Falls Canyon 619050 4014926 8,275 0.07 0.97 GPS
07 Bypass Chockstone Waterfall 618904 4014610 8,487 0.24 1.21 GPS
08 Big Falls 618802 4014426 8,689 0.15 1.36 GPS
09 Alternate Route (not good) 618876 4014602 8,633 . . GPS
10 Alternate Route (not good) 618897 4014629 8,548 . . GPS
11 MJF First Switchback 619428 4014989 8,248 . . GPS
01 Trailhead 620227 4014220 7,817 1.36 2.72 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 200614

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