Your thighs are going to feel this hike, but your eyes will thank you. In just under three miles you will be gaining more than 1,500 feet of elevation, but you will also behold a staggering, ancient tree and drink from a fresh ever-flowing spring all while surrounded by enchanting bristlecone pines and the sweet calls of songbirds flitting about the peaceful mountains. Interested yet? Then it’s time for your to hike to the Raintree and Mummy Springs.

To reach this short, vigorous, and inspiring hike, head out of Las Vegas on Route 95 and look for signs pointing to Kyle Canyon. This will put you on State Route (SR) 157, which you’ll follow until SR 158, called Deer Creek Road. Follow Deer Creek Road until you arrive at the parking areas near the Raintree Trailhead.

The first part of this hike is not exactly a joyride (unless your idea of fun is more than a dozen long, steep switchbacks). Take it slow and steady and know how much elevation you are gaining, and be thankful the trail is well marked and usually kept quite clear. And know that the hard part won’t last! A little over two miles into the hike you will already have reached the high point of the journey. Now it’s just another half mile of easier trekking until you come into a clearing and enter the presence of the Raintree.

The Raintree is a massive bristlecone pine. It dwarfs all the nearby trees with its massive trunk and myriad snarled offshoots of branches and brambles. Respect this mighty tree: it is thought to be at least three thousand years old!

Once you have taken in the majesty of the ancient Raintree for long enough, find the unmarked but obvious side trail leading away from the clearing. A short quarter mile walk down this trail will lead you to Mummy Springs! This spring, named for Mummy Mountain and fed by that peak’s slowly melting snow and ice, flows down the sloping mountainside almost every day of the year. (Note that while the water is sweet and fresh, it’s still always a good idea to treat it with a filter, tablets, or boiling.)

The cool shade of the wooded hills surrounding Mummy Springs or the breeze blowing through the branches of ancient Raintree might convince you to sit and stay a while, and why not? Relax and enjoy yourself, you’ve already done the hard work – it’s pretty much downhill from here on out!