Nevada · Hiking

Stepladder

3.3 mi
round trip
1,640 ft
climb
7,262 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Stepladder open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Stepladder, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Stepladder is a moderate out-and-back hike in Nevada's Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The trail is 3.3 miles long and gains about 1,640 feet on the way to a high point of 7,262 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.1 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trailhead is known as Cliff Rose Trailhead, which is open year round and takes about two hours to complete. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mt Charleston, about 3.5 miles away, run to highs around 79°F in July and 72°F in September, with lows in the low 50s. Winters there are cold, with January highs around 44°F and lows near 22°F. The route is shared by hikers, riders and horseback riders. Scarlett and Shady Hollow are both within a quarter mile, and Atomic Duck is a mountain biking trail close by. Climbers can head to Starter Crag, about 0.7 miles away.