Mount Charleston, officially named Charleston Peak, at 11916 feet (3,632 m), is the highest of the Spring Mountains

Spring Mountains

The Spring Mountains are a mountain range of southern Nevada in the United States, running generally northwest-southeast along the west side of Las Vegas and down to the border with California...

 of southern Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 and the state's eighth highest mountain peak. It is about 35 miles (56.3 km) northwest of Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 and is within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is the principal U.S. National Forest located in the U.S. state of Nevada. With an area of , it is the largest National Forest of the United States outside of Alaska...

, the Mount Charleston Wilderness and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

Spring Mountains National Recreation Area

The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the U.S. Forest Service, and lies west of Las Vegas, Nevada. It covers over 316,000 acres of land. The area runs from low meadows at around 3,000 feet of elevation to Mount Charleston at 11,918...

. Well separated from higher peaks by large, low basins, it is the most topographically prominent

Topographic prominence

In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...

 peak in the state, and the eighth most prominent peak in the contiguous United States

Contiguous United States

The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....

.

Mount Charleston is a year-round getaway for Las Vegas' residents and visitors, with a number of hiking trails and a modest ski area.