The first formal protection of the Spring Mountains was with the establishment of the Charleston Forest Reserve in 1906. This forest went through multiple name changes over the decades, including being place under the supervision of the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Desert Game Range (today's Desert National Wildlife Refuge) from 1936 to 1956. Designated in 1989 under the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of 1989, the Mount Charleston Wilderness Area not only provides relief from the desert environment, but relief from the hot summer heat. The Spring Mountains are the traditional home of the Western Shoshone, Southern Paiute, and Chemeheuvi who have been living on and with these lands for countless generations. The wilderness contains the highest elevations in the Spring Mountains, with the summit of Charleston Peak at 11,918 feet. This wilderness area is within a 45-minute drive of much of Las Vegas. The nearest other scenic forested environment of this caliber requires a minimum three-hour drive from Las Vegas.

The Wilderness extends completely across the crest of the Spring Mountains and contains 18,000 acres of bristlecone pine, the most extensive stand of these ancient trees to be found in the intermountain region. These trees are valued for their aesthetic and scientific purposes and are among the oldest living, non-clonal organisms in the world. There are approximately 40 miles of trails cross this area, traversing significant elevation from trailheads to ridge lines. Springs are limited, and there are few running creeks.