Note (April 23, 2013): a hiker reports that most of the snow has melted and the falls have slowed to a trickle. He suggests that hikers now wait for the next waterfall seaon to do this route.

Overview

This fairly strenuous, 1.4-mile route runs up Kyle Canyon on the Mary Jane Falls Trail to the base of the Mary Jane switchbacks. From there, the unmarked route drops into the wash and follows a boulder- and log-strewn canyon up to 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 mountain slopes above is melting, but the hike is more difficult when the snow is melting because of hidden snow caves and loose logs.

Link to map.

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.

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 2, 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 other forbs under the trees.

About 25 yards before reaching the first switchback on the Mary Jane Falls Trail (Wpt. 02), the trail passes a wooden sign post where a sign used to say "Please Stay on the Trail." The Mary Jane Falls Trail then angles to the right into the trees, leaving the old road behind.

At the sign post (Wpt. 02), either continue up the old road or follow the Mary Jane Falls trail for another 25 yards to the first switchback (Wpt. 11), and then leave the trail and follow the old road up the canyon.

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

After a couple of minutes, the route drops into the wash (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 upstream in the wash.

Staying in the 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 turns 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 stays in the main canyon, 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.

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 the bedrock and a big boulder is jammed in the top of the slot. Pass this obstacle by backtracking a few yards (Wpt. 07) and climbing the east bank on a steep, narrow, rocky trail. The route follows this use-trail up and around the pour-over and back into the wash.

There are a number of use-trails in this part of the canyon. Following what seems like the best option (at least when there is no snow and the water level is low), from atop the pour-over, drop quickly back into the wash just above the pour-over. From there, obvious use-trails run up the west side of the canyon. Some of these use-trails are useful, but stay as low and close to the wash as possible.

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.

To get back to the trailhead, retrace 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.