Mary Jane Falls Trail

The Mary Jane Falls Trail is the most popular waterfall hike within easy reach of Las Vegas, leading to a seasonal limestone waterfall in Kyle Canyon within the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, a Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest unit rising from the Mojave Desert approximately 45 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. The trailhead is located at the end of Kyle Canyon Road (Nevada SR-157), approximately 30 miles from the US-95 junction. Ample paved parking is available at the trailhead lot, which fills quickly on spring weekends. A parking fee of $3 per vehicle applies, or the area is covered by an America the Beautiful pass. No public transit serves Kyle Canyon; a personal vehicle is necessary. The trailhead has vault toilets and an information board. From the parking area the trail climbs immediately and steadily through mixed conifer forest, passing ponderosa pine, white fir, and Gambel oak on a well-maintained rocky path. Elevation gain of 380 meters over 2.4 kilometers makes this a sustained uphill effort, though the grade is consistent and the trail is never technically challenging. The sound of the seasonal stream in the canyon below accompanies most of the climb. Mary Jane Falls drops into a natural limestone alcove at the head of the canyon. The falls are most impressive in March and April when snowmelt from the upper Spring Mountains drives maximum flow. By late summer the falls may reduce to a trickle or cease entirely depending on precipitation. A cave behind the waterfall allows hikers to pass beneath the water curtain when flow is moderate. The canyon walls above the falls rise dramatically, and the limestone cliffs framing the waterfall are a distinct geological feature. Looking back down the canyon from the falls overlook, the contrast between the forested Spring Mountains and the distant desert floor visible through the canyon mouth is striking. The trail ends at the falls viewpoint; no continuation trail exists beyond this point.