Kick the Can
Up Stepladder and Scarlett, roll Shady Hollow and Tin Can, then Link and Stepladder back down to the car.
Your timesno timed runs yet
Ride mode times every run on its own: the clock starts when you roll out of the start and stops at the finish, with splits at each marked spot. Leave Ride mode on between laps and it re-arms when you're back at the start. Times stay on this phone.
Right now at the trailhead
Get the GPS file
Scan with a friend's phone, or tap below. Then open it in your ride app.
- iPhone: tap Download, open it from the Downloads bar, then Share → Trailforks, Strava or Garmin.
- Android: tap Download, then open the file and pick your app.
- Garmin: or drag it into Garmin Connect → Courses → Import on a computer.
https://bsqrd-designs.com/dirt/kick-the-can/
Getting there
Park at Cliff Rose Trailhead
NV-157 Kyle Canyon Rd, about 16 mi west of US-95; take the first exit at the roundabout across from the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway (2525 Kyle Canyon Rd)
- Free, day use 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., vault toilets, no water. Do not use the Visitor Gateway lot, which is open only 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Start and finish are the same spot. Follow the cue sheet and the arrows on the map.
Cue sheet
| 0.0 | Stepladder Trailsingletrack | 1.7 mi |
| 1.7 | Scarlett Trailsingletrack via Bottom of Scarlett | 1.1 mi |
| 2.8 | Shady Hollow Trailsingletrack via Tin Can meets Shady Hollow | 2.4 mi |
| 5.1 | Tin Can Trailsingletrack | 1.5 mi |
| 6.7 | Link Trailsingletrack via Stepladder / Scarlett / Link junction · Top of Link, turn onto Tin Can | 2.0 mi |
| 8.6 | Stepladder Trailsingletrack | 1.7 mi |
| 10.3 | Back at Cliff Rose Trailhead |
Know before you go
- As of Oct 8, 2026, Trailforks showed a significant issue reported on Stepladder. Check current conditions before you go.
- Three climbs, three descents: up Stepladder (about 670 ft), down Scarlett, then the big push up Shady Hollow and Tin Can (about 1,250 ft) to roughly 7,850 ft just below NV-158.
- The payoff is the end: Link drops about 640 ft (its usual downhill direction per Trailforks), then Stepladder takes you the last 600 ft back to the car. Stepladder is mostly ridden uphill, so take it slow and yield to climbers.
- All singletrack through pinyon and juniper at 6,500 to 7,850 ft. Expect loose, rocky pitches mixed with smoother tread. Robbers Roost, Pack Rat and Kunav Huveep nearby are hiking only, so stay on the route.
- Rideable roughly May through October, often into November. Snow covers it most winters and July and August bring afternoon thunderstorms. Carry all your water.
Ride smart
- Water: plan on about 1.5 L for this ride. There's none on the trail.
- Signal is spotty. Tell someone your route and your time back.
- Emergency: call 911 and say "Kick the Can ride, parked at Cliff Rose Trailhead, Mt Charleston Trails", plus the coordinates from Locate me.
- Wildlife: give horses, burros and anything with horns room, and never feed them.
- Stay on trail. Desert crust and mountain soil take decades to heal.
Report a problem or share a photo
Washout, closure, new fence or a missing sign? Got a great shot of a junction? Send it. It goes straight to Ryan; photos he approves show up on this page with your credit.
Trail photos
End ride?
Turn calls, the timer and your recording stop when the ride ends.