Wilderness area
Mt. Charleston Wilderness
Mt. Charleston Wilderness is a 56,819-acre wilderness area in Clark County, Nevada. It rises from about 4,407 to 11,910 ft. The nearest town is Mount Charleston, 0.3 miles away in a straight line.
Mt. Charleston Wilderness map
Mt. Charleston Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
5 fire restriction orders are recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Each links the signed order.
- USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Spring Mountains National Reaction Area Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Effective May 29, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit. Stage 1. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Southern Nevada District Fire Prevention Order Effective May 26, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Las Vegas Field Office (BLM Southern Nevada District). Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Southern Nevada Year-Round Fire Restrictions Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Las Vegas Field Office (BLM Southern Nevada District). Year-round order. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest - Spring Mountain Recreation Area- Year Round fire restrictions order Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit. Year-round order. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Nevada Prevention Order: BLM statewide restrictions Effective May 1, 2026. Applies to all BLM and Forest Service land in Nevada. Prohibited: Possessing, discharging, using or allowing the use of fireworks, pyrotechnic or incendiary devices; possessing, discharging, igniting or causing to burn; explosives or explosive material, including binary explosive targets; discharging a firearm using tracer, incendiary, or steel-component ammunition. [Use of tracer or incendiary ammunition is always prohibited on public lands]; operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.
Nevada Fire Info, BLM Nevada's interagency fire site, keeps the Nevada fire restrictions map and signed orders for every fire zone, and a Nevada fire map of active fires.
Common questions
- Camping in Mt. Charleston Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- The maximum group size at Mt. Charleston Wilderness is 12.
- Campfires are prohibited.
- Mount Charleston, NV is the nearest town, 0.3 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Mt. Charleston Wilderness is about 11,910 ft, and its lowest about 4,407 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Charleston Peak, about 11,910 ft.
Who manages Mt. Charleston Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 2,178 | Not on record | 12 | 14 days | Las Vegas Field Office, 702-515-5000 |
| Forest Service | 54,641 | free self-issued permit required for overnight stays. | Not on record | Not on record | Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit, 702-515-5400 |
Getting to Mt. Charleston Wilderness
- Mount Charleston, NV is the nearest town, 0.3 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-25)
- Access roads named on the area's wilderness.net page: Harris Canyon Road.
Position, roads and vehicle notes: wilderness.net page for Mt. Charleston Wilderness, accessed 2026-09-25. Roads and conditions change; check with the managing office before driving in.
Trailheads at Mt. Charleston Wilderness
- Bonanza Trailhead (0.06 mi outside the boundary, 7,491 ft), at 36.3826, -115.7406
- Griffith Peak Trailhead (0.09 mi outside the boundary, 8,136 ft), at 36.2203, -115.5957
- Echo Trailhead (0.24 mi outside the boundary, 7,732 ft), at 36.2641, -115.6557
- Robber's Roost Trailhead (0.24 mi outside the boundary, 7,927 ft), at 36.3040, -115.6100
- Trail Canyon Trailhead (0.24 mi outside the boundary, 7,748 ft), at 36.2659, -115.6586
- Mary Jane Trailhead (0.27 mi outside the boundary, 7,807 ft), at 36.2668, -115.6616
- North Loop Trailhead (0.3 mi outside the boundary, 8,384 ft), at 36.3083, -115.6127
- Fletcher Canyon Trailhead (0.45 mi outside the boundary, 6,946 ft), at 36.2632, -115.6103
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-25. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Mt. Charleston Wilderness
- Charleston Peak summit
- Mummy Mountain summit
- Griffith Peak summit
- Cave Spring spring
- Fletcher Spring spring
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-25. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Campgrounds in and around Mt. Charleston Wilderness
- Fletcher View Campground (0.2 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
- Mahogany Grove Group Campground (0.4 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
- Kyle Canyon Campground (0.5 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
- Hilltop Campground (0.6 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
- Mcwilliams Campground (0.7 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
Public lands next to Mt. Charleston Wilderness
- National forestMt. Charleston Wilderness lies inside Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
- Wilderness areaMt. Charleston Wilderness borders La Madre Mountain Wilderness.
- BLM unitRed Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is 2.5 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Nevada
- https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=394 (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n37w116/USGS_1_n37w116.tif (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/GeographicNames/DomesticNames/DomesticNames_NV_Text.zip (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/2025_gaz_place_32.txt (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://apps.fs.usda.gov/arcx/rest/services/EDW/EDW_InfraRecreationSites_01/MapServer/0 (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/humboldt-toiyabe/wilderness (accessed 2026-09-24)