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Nevada State Route 158

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Nevada State Route 158 (Deer Creek Road) is 8.853-mile state highway corridor located in the Mount Charleston area in the Spring Mountains of Clark County.  Nevada State Route 158 begins at Nevada State Route 157 (Kyle Canyon Road) and ascends over an 8,437-foot-high summit near the Desert View Overlook.  From the overlook Nevada State Route 158 continues a short distance north and terminates at Nevada State Route 156 (Lee Canyon Road). 

Deer Creek Road was constructed during 1932-1934 by Nevada National Forest as part of wider efforts to improve roadway access to the Mount Charleston area.  The southern extent of Deer Creek Road was initially aligned through Telephone Canyon.  By 1952 the alignment had been relocated to a bypass of Telephone Canyon which was built along the flank of Fletcher Peak.  Deer Creek Road was later paved as part of Federal Aid Secondary 812 and became Nevada State Route 158 in 1976.  




Part 1; the history of Nevada State Route 158

The 1932-1934 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial announced that 17.62 miles of Kyle Canyon Road from Nevada State Route 5 west to the National Forest boundary was being graveled.  An additional 3.66 miles within the Forest Service boundary were also being graded to Charleston Park.  The project corridor was awarded by the Bureau of Public Roads via Federal Land and Forest Service funds.  


The 1934-1936 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial announced Kyle Canyon Road was surfaced and completed to State Highway standards.  The corridor was subsequently brought into the Nevada State Highway System as Nevada State Route 39.  Three Redwood timber bridges were constructed as part of the modernization of Kyle Canyon Road.  



Kyle Canyon Road first appears as Nevada State Route 39 on the 1935 Nevada Department of Highways map.  The same map displays Lee Canyon Road as being designated as Nevada State Route 52.  Deer Creek Road is shown to bridge Nevada State Routes 39 and 52.  This map edition shows Deer Creek Road connecting the two state highways via Telephone Canyon and Deer Creek. 


The 1937 Nevada Department of Highways map of Clark County displays the early Deer Creek Road in greater detail.  The Deer Creek Road is shown so branch north from Nevada State Route 39 in Kyle Canyon and follow Telephone Canyon towards Deer Creek.  From Deer Creek the road crested an unnamed summit and descended to Nevada State Route 52 in Lee Canyon. 


The 1952 Nevada Department of Highways map of Clark County displays a major change to Deer Creek Road.  Nevada National Forest is shown to have realigned Deer Creek Road onto a bypass west of Telephone Canyon which linked Nevada State Route 39 close to the junction of Kyle Canyon and Fletcher Canyon.  Several prominent Forest Service destinations on Deer Creek Road such as the Robbers Roost Cave are displayed.  The original Deer Creek Road corridor through Telegraph Canyon is shown. 


On October 1, 1957, Nevada National Forest was transferred fully to Toiyabe National Forest.  The 1968 Nevada Department of Highways map of Clark County displays the roadways around Mount Charleston in detail.  Deer Creek Road is shown to have been designated as part of Federal Aid Secondary 812 and having been fully paved.  The original routing of Deer Creek Road is shown to have been restored by the Forest Service as what is now modern Telephone Canyon Road. 


Deer Creek Road was added to the State Highway System as Nevada State Route 158 during the wider 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering.  The corridor first appears as Nevada State Route 158 on the 1985-1986 Nevada Department of Transportation map (produced during early 1985). 




Part 2; a drive on Nevada State Route 158

Northbound Nevada State Route 158 (Deer Creek Road) begins at Nevada State Route 157 (Kyle Canyon Road) near the junction of Kyle Canyon and Fletcher Canyon.  The starting elevation for Nevada State Route 158 is approximately at 6,800 feet above sea level. 




Northbound Nevada State Route 158 winds along the flank of Fletcher Peak to the Robbers Roost Trailhead and Valley View Vista.  The top of Telephone Canyon Road can be found a short distance south of the Robbers Roost Trailhead.  















Nevada State Route 158 continues north crosses over an unnamed summit at 8,437 feet above sea level and a culvert over Deer Creek. 












Nevada State Route 158 continues north to the Desert View Overlook.









The northern terminus of Nevada State Route 158 is located at Nevada State Route 156 (Lee Canyon Road). 











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