Overview

This easy, 2.25-mile hike climbs about 725 vertical-feet from the Harris Canyon trailhead to Harris Saddle. The trail starts at the upper edge of the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (Upper Sonoran Life Zone) and follows an old road built by the WPA in the 1930s. The old road runs up and across a sunny hillside until it ends abruptly at the bottom edge of the Pine-Fir Forest (Canadian Life Zone). From there, a trail continues on to Harris Saddle, which is in a cool, alpine-feeling Pine-Fir forest with Quaking Aspen. From the saddle, there are great views to the north into Kyle Canyon and south towards Mt. Potosi. Driving up Harris Canyon Road is a bit rough and requires a high-clearance vehicle. Most of the trail offers little shade, but during cool weather, this is a great short hike.

Link to map or elevation profile.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a safe hike if you stay on the trail. The first 1.5 miles of the trail are wide and secure (i.e., an old road), but the sidehill below the road is quite steep. The remaining 0.75 miles of trail present no unusual hazards. This shadeless trail gets surprisingly hot during warmer weather.

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 the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (generally called Mt. Charleston) off Harris Springs Road south of Kyle Canyon Road, about 1.5 hours northwest of Las Vegas.

From town, drive north on Highway 95 to Kyle Canyon Road, then to Harris Springs Road, and finally to the end of Harris Mountain Road and the Griffith Peak Trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), the trail runs out on the old Harris Canyon Road. The old road runs out onto steep, west-facing slopes high above Lovell Canyon, providing great views across the desert towards mountain ranges that disappear into the distance. The high peak to the northwest is Griffith Peak.

Near the trailhead, the vegetation is dominated by shrubs (Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany, Gambel oak, sagebrush, manzanita, silk tassel, wild current, green ephedra, serviceberry, and other low bushes) and few trees that provide little shade. The vegetation here is typical for hot, dry hillsides in the upper Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. It is interesting that there are a few small Ponderosa Pine (Yellow Pine Forest; Transition Life Zone) growing among the Singleleaf Pinyon Pine at the trailhead. In addition, along the road below the trailhead, the shady, north-facing slopes support a nice Pine-Fir Forest (Canadian Life Zone), demonstrating that aspect, as well as elevation, influences the distribution of Life Zones.

The trail follows the old, one-lane road for about 1.5 miles to where the road abruptly ends high in Lovell Canyon (Wpt. 02). The abrupt end of the road seems odd at first, but a story explains it. During the 1930s, the road was being built by the Works Progress Administration (known as the WPA), one of the government-funded public works programs that put people to work during the Great Depression. The road was intended to be a fire road that would connect with the Lovell Canyon Road (bottom of the canyon below the trail). However, in 1935 President Roosevelt went on a junket to the western mountains (the official line is the he came to inspect the construction site) and asked the project foreman where the road was going. The foreman said he didn't know (probably not really true; he was probably just nervous about talking to the president), and the president immediately stopped the project. Fortunately for the workers, the crew was moved to another project in Lee Canyon.

Up near the end of the old road, the vegetation is still dominated by Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany and sagebrush, but many of the other species have dropped out and a few pines and White Fir begin to appear. Here the trees include Limber Pine, a high-elevation species that is less common in the Spring Mountains than the other pines.

From the end of the old road, a good, normal-sized hiking trail continues on across the sideslope. Just past the end of the old road, a several old rock drills (at least four) that are still stuck in the rock, attest to the abrupt end of work on the road. These drill bits would have been retrieved and the rock blasted away if the road had been finished.

The saddle is a great place to stop, rest, and take in the views. There are great views to the north into Kyle Canyon and Mummy Mountain, and to the south towards Mt. Potosi and the vastness of the desert beyond. While there, keep an eye out for Mount Charleston Chipmunks and Clark's Nutcrackers. Palmer's Chipmunks are unique to the Spring Mountains; they occur nowhere else on earth. Clark's Nutcrackers, noisy, black-and-white birds about the size of a jay, occur only at the highest elevations in Southern Nevada -- if you find Clark's Nutcrackers, you know you are in a nice place.

From Harris Saddle, the Griffith Peak Trail continues west, climbs up through the limestone cliffs, passes near the summit of Griffith Peak, and connects with the South Loop Trail at the top of Echo Canyon. The South Loop Trail can be followed up to the summit of Mount Charleston or down to the Cathedral Rock Picnic Area in Kyle Canyon. In addition, a pleasant off-trail route runs east to the summit of Harris Mountain.

To get back to the Harris Canyon trailhead, retrace your steps down the Harris Saddle Trail.