The Hood

Description 

Simply put, the Hood is the most important/best cliff on Mt. Charleston, and is world famous for its incredible concentration of high-quality hard routes. There are many reasons for the Hood's popularity including a short-peasant approach, cool summer air, beautiful alpine surroundings, and most importantly the glassy smooth white limestone that is punctuated by soaring lines of pockets. The quality of the routes go up with the grades, and the Hood boasts four separate limestone caves all with excellent steep routes.

Getting There 

Take S.R. 57 from I-95 all the way past the Mt. Charleston hotel into Kyle Canyon. Follow this road as it winds up the hill until you encounter a sharp left-turning bend in the road. Immediately before this bend, turn right off of the road onto Echo Rd. and continue uphill past the signs toward the Mary Jane Falls turn-off. A short distance farther ahead is the small parking area for the hood at Trail Canyon. If this parking area is full park at the Mary Jane Falls trailhead parking and hike up to the Trail Canyon trailhead.

Hike up Trail Canyon for about five minutes until you can see the distinctive hat-shaped central section of the Hood up on your left. Look for two obvious large red-barked pine trees on your left; the trail up to the Hood starts here. It immediately crosses a small wash and then meets up with a series of switchbacks up the wooded slope towards the Corrosion Cave.

Don't take short cuts... this is a Wilderness Area!! =)

The Classics