Located within 40 minutes of downtown Las Vegas, the Spring Mountains provide a paradise for sightseeing, touring, camping, photography and countless other outdoor recreation pursuits. One must travel at least 3-4 hours in any direction from Las Vegas to find a similar forest environment.

It is unusual to find forested mountains hemmed in by a desert. In fact, it is this unique setting that makes the Spring Mountains so vital. Their presence here in this forbidding land accentuates their importance as a haven for wildlife, a cool retreat for visitors to get away >from the valley heat, a storehouse of forest resources, and a vital watershed.

In addition to being a pleasant place to visit, these mountains support a variety of wildlife including deer, elk, wild turkey, mountain lion, wild horses and burros, desert big-horn sheep, as well as several species of birds and butterflies, and small animals such as the Palmer's Chipmunk, which is found nowhere else on earth.

The Spring Mountains provide a step-by-step tour of five different climatic life zones. The vegetation ranges from desert yucca plants and Joshua trees at the Southern Desert Shrub Zone, through abundant stands of Ponderosa pine, white fir, and mountain mahogany, to extensive stands of Bristlecone Pines at the Treeline Zone. Bristlecone Pines are considered by most authorities to be the world's oldest living organism.

The geology of the mountains tells an interesting history of why the Spring Mountains came to contain such a large number of plant species that are found nowhere else.

Several thousands of years ago, the Las Vegas valley was covered with numerous small lakes. During that time, plant species spread across the low, wet terrain and became established in the Spring Mountains. The lakes gradually disappeared and were replaced by the Mojave desert. As the climate changed, the Spring Mountains were left behind as an unique desert island. The plants that had been established in the Spring Mountains became isolated, sometimes a long distance >from their place of origin. Extended isolation, particularly in high mountain areas, provides an opportunity for plants to develop distinctive characteristics or even evolve into separate species. That's why there are over 40 endemic plant and animal species currently cataloged and many more waiting to be discovered in the Spring Mountains!

The Spring Mountains are not only rich in animal and plant wildlife, they are also rich in cultural and historic resources. Humans have lived in the Spring Mountains for well over 10,000 years. Between 11,000 B.C. and A.D. 500, the area was occupied by nomadic groups who depended on hunting and gathering for their subsistence. These groups were made up of small family bands who followed the water as the desert began to dry up. They left behind tools, such as Clovis, Lake Mojave, Pinto, Gypsum, and Elko projectile points for hunting animals and milling stones for grinding plant material.

The next group to occupy the area were the Virgin Anasazi who made their home in the Moapa valley between AD. 500 and 1150. Although their main form of subsistence was agriculture, the group also continued to hunt and gather, most likely in the mountains. Anasazi pottery types can be found throughout the Spring Mountains.

The Southern Paiutes, who were hunters and gatherers, adapted well to the hot, dry climate of the Great Basin and utilized the springs for growing corn, squash and melons. By A.D. 1150 the Paiutes occupied this area and continued to do so until EuroAmerican contact around 1830. Paiute site types included camps, rock-shelters, and roasting pits. Artifacts include Desert-series projectile points, brownware pottery, snares, nets, basketry, sandals, and a variety of other tools. Artifacts are protected by Federal law. Take only photographs and memories when you leave.

Historic use of the area began in 1830 with explorations, which brought the mule and wagon routes such as the Old Spanish Trail and the Mormon Road. The first permanent EuroAmerican settlement in the Las Vegas valley occurred on June 14,1855, when Mormon pioneers established a mission in the vicinity of Las Vegas. The settlement failed and the Mormons returned to Salt Lake City in 1858. Later, miners, cattle ranchers, and homesteaders entered the Spring Mountains and eventually pushed the Southern Paiutes onto reservations. Evidence of early EuroAmerican occupation of the area includes dumps, mines, cabins, ranches, improved springs, wagon ruts along the Spanish/Mormon trails, charcoal kilns, denuded mountains, and sawmills.