Aspens light up Mount Charleston — PHOTOS
Fall is here, and the colors are set to pop at Mount Charleston.
The air is cooler and, observers say, the tree leaves are brighter. Las Vegans can see a little tease of the fall color palette at higher elevations, but peak colors are not expected for another 30 days.
“The aspen trees are very vibrant with orange, yellow and red leaves that make for a beautiful mountain landscape,” said William Green, food and beverage manager at the Mount Charleston Lodge and Cabin, at Highway Route 157 at the top of Kyle Canyon.
Dion Nicolas, Spring Mountain Visitor center information representative said, “The leaves on quaking aspen trees are changing colors in Lee Canyon and Kyle Canyon.”
The color change is prominent in Lee Canyon’s Bristlecone Trail, Nicolas added. According to the Resort on Mount Charleston’s website, the Bristlecone Trail is 6.2 miles one way.
“Many wildflowers and brushes are blooming, which also adds to the season’s color changes,” he said.
The Spring Mountain Visitors Gateway offers guided hikes on weekends for visitors who preregister online to hike and view the seasonal change.
Mount Charleston Cabin Manager Ginger Fareio said, “It’s absolutely beautiful, trees are changing colors. The higher elevations are done, they’ve dropped their leaves.”
“I don’t think a lot of people know that we have trees up here that change color. Some scrub oaks change colors also,” Fareio added. “It’s crisp and cold, we’ve had clear sunny skies all day.”
Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.
