Carpenter Canyon, Canyon in Spring Mountains, Nevada

Carpenter Canyon is a canyon on the western side of the Spring Mountains, partly inside Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Clark County, Nevada. Carpenter Canyon Creek runs through it all year, flanked by Fremont cottonwoods. Creosote bush and golden bunchgrasses dominate the lower canyon; Utah juniper and single-leaf pinyon appear around 5,000 feet, and ponderosa pine and desert columbine grow near the creek's source.

Carpenter Canyon lies on the western side of the Spring Mountains, which divide the Pahrump, Mesquite and upper Amargosa basins from the Las Vegas Valley and mark part of the boundary between the Great Basin and Mojave Desert ecoregions. A spring in the recesses of the range feeds Carpenter Canyon Creek, which flows year-round and supports a small trout population, uncommon in the Spring Mountains and Mojave Desert. The canyon sits partly within Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Clark County, reached by State Route 160 and about 10 miles of minimally maintained dirt road.

Carpenter Canyon Creek flows year-round from a spring in the Red Rock Canyon area, feeding a small trout population. The name comes from the canyon itself, and the creek's water supports Fremont cottonwood along its banks. Visitors follow the creek through the canyon, where the vegetation changes with elevation.

Carpenter Canyon Road leaves State Route 160 near Pahrump and runs about 10 miles of minimally maintained dirt road into the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The road is rough and ungraded, so check conditions before setting out; the sources give no vehicle requirement.

A rare fish species thrives in this isolated mountain stream system, maintaining a stable population that is uncommon in this desert region. The year-round flowing water supports this population against the odds of the surrounding arid environment.