It is no secret that summers in Southern Nevada can be extremely hot. While the dry heat is a marvel, the temperatures are still brutal on many days in the summer months. As hikers and parents of an infant, we head up to Mount Charleston as often as possible to stay cool and continue hiking all year round. Depending on where we’re heading, it takes 40-50 minutes to get to the trailheads and usually the temperatures are a remarkable 30 degrees cooler. The pines and fir trees, the flowers, the mountains are all such an exciting change of scenery too.

Yesterday, we hiked the short, yet steep, hike to Cathedral Rock (Find it on Alltrails here). The trail begins at the same trailhead as the South Trail to Mount Charleston or Griffith Peak. To make it to the top, you’ll hike around 1.4 miles and nearly 900 feet in elevation gain. This one was shorter than we’re used to doing, but it is a real workout and it was a perfect hike for us to do after work one day and before the baby’s bedtime. We also had time to stop at the Plant Power Drive-thru for their special on soft serve ice cream, burgers, and fries!

To read more about other hikes we enjoy in the Mount Charleston area, check out our recommendations for Summit Hikes and Hikes with minimal uphills. For our recommendations on hikes with shade in Red Rock, we have those too.