Atomic Duck

Atomic Duck is a short, easy hike in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about 1.5 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 156 feet. It's an out-and-back route that starts and ends at roughly 7,100 feet, with the high point around 7,270 feet. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. The most comfortable stretch for a visit runs from June through September, when typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mt Charleston show highs in the mid-70s to low 80s and lows in the mid-40s to low 50s. Winter is much colder, with typical highs around 44°F and lows near 22°F from December through February. Several other trails sit right next to it, including Telephone Canyon Connector 1 and Shady Hollow, each about 0.1 mile away, and Scarlett at 0.3 mile. Climbers can head to Starter Crag, about a mile off, and Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Group Picnic Sites offers group picnic sites about 1.3 miles away.