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Hiking
As one of the least-populated states, and one of the most mountainous, Nevada is also one of the most hikeable. About 85 percent of the state is public land, and there are well over 200 forested mountain ranges, most of them reaching above the timberline.
Some areas, like Mount Charleston and Lake Tahoe, attract significant numbers of hikers and are fairly well-developed. Others, like the Toiyabe and Schell Creek Ranges, are off the beaten path. With all mountain hiking, but with the remote areas in particular, it is important that you have proper hiking clothes, footwear and equipment.
There are several good hiking guides to the mountains of Nevada. The mountains of the Great Basin are ecologically unique, containing flora and fauna found nowhere else. Nature guides that tell you what you are seeing make the trip all the more satisfying. At the very least, pick up the detailed topographic maps available at the U.S. Forest Service Offices mentioned at the end of each of the following entries. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management also offers detailed maps of areas under its jurisdiction.
Mount Charleston
Forty-five miles northwest of Las Vegas are the cool, forested canyons of Mount Charleston. When summer temperatures reach 110 degrees in Las Vegas, Charleston is 20 to 30 degrees cooler. At 11,918 feet, it is the tallest peak in the Spring Mountains and southern Nevada. Most campgrounds and restaurants are between 5,000 and 7,500 feet.
Mount Charleston has three camping areas, stables, and a trail to the high, windswept slopes where bristlecone pines have lived for thousands of years. The chair lift sometimes runs in summer at Lee Canyon Ski Area. Kyle Canyon has the Mt. Charleston Hotel and the Mt. Charleston Lodge, both with restaurants, bars and lodging.
U.S. Forest Service Information: Spring Mountain Recreation Area, 2881 S. Valley View Blvd., No. 16, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Call 702-873-8800.
Great Basin National Park
Two landmarks are big summer attractions in Great Basin National Park, in the Snake Range 65 miles east of Ely. You can hike through forests of prehistoric Bristlecone Pines to the top of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, Nevada's second highest mountain, and look down on the most southerly glacier in the United States. Inside Lehman Caves, not only can you see sculpted mineral formations but also cool off the caves average about 50 degrees year-round. Highest campsites are at Wheeler Peak campground, near 10,000 feet. Other shady campgrounds border Lehman and Snake creeks. There is ample wildlife to watch.
National Park Service Information: Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV 89311. Call 702-234-7331.
Success Summit Loop
Beginning in Ely is a beautiful drive through the Schell Creek Range offering mountain scenery, campsites, fishing at Cave Lake, mountain creeks, wildflowers, and several meadows containing herds of wild elk. The 35-mile loop leads to several little-used trailheads, and numerous creekside areas suitable for base camps.
U.S.F.S. Information: Ely Ranger District, 350 Eighth St., Box 539, Ely, NV 89302. Call 702-289-3031. Cave Lake Information: Nevada State Parks, Box 176, Panaca, NV 89042. Call 702-728-4467.
Toiyabe Range
The Toiyabe Range stretches 90 miles between Austin and Tonopah on the west side of Big Smoky Valley. Like two neighboring ranges, the Toquimas and the Monitors, the Toiyabes are remote and peaceful. The 40-mile Toiyabe Crest Trail follows the spine of these spectacular steep-sided giants, but even if you aren't hiking, a drive through Big Smoky Valley provides a look at the quintessential Basin and Range country. There is good trout fishing at several uncrowded campsites such as Kingston and Peavine.
U.S.F.S. Information: Tonopah Ranger District, 1400 Erie Main St., Box 3940, Tonopah, NV 89049. Call 702-482-6286.
Ruby Mountains
Thirty miles southeast of Elko, Lamoille Canyon is a good staging area for exploring the Rubies. There, the Thomas Canyon Campground is set among the aspens. The Ruby Crest Trail, with its numerous tiny alpine lakes, can be reached by nearby trails. Early-summer campers can see waterfalls dropping from canyon walls. You'll find supplies and restaurants in the town of Lamoille.
U.S.F.S. Information: Humboldt National Forest, 2035 Last Chance Rd., Elko, NV 89801. Call 702-738-5171 or toll-free 800-7715-9379 in Nevada.
East Humboldt Range
Aspen-ringed Angel Lake stands at 8,500 feet in the East Humboldts, eight miles south of Wells and I-80. The campground offers 24 sites and trout fishing in the lake. It's best to attempt the drive up to Angel Lake after late spring because the snow usually stays till June.
U.S.F.S. Information: Ruby Mountain Ranger District, Wells, NV 89835. Call 702-752-3357 or toll-free 800-764-3359 in Nevada.
Jarbidge Wilderness Area
Encircling the 1910-era mining town of Jarbidge, this 65,000-acre wilderness area is 90 miles north of Elko and extends into Idaho. The mountains offer hiking and backcountry scenery, as in the tranquil Emerald Lake area. Packhorse trips are also offered by local buckaroos. Several campgrounds are near Jarbidge, which has two saloons and a rustic-log downtown. In summer, most vehicles can negotiate the rough roads into Jarbidge from the Nevada side, but snow often blocks the way in other seasons. The drive in from Idaho is usually much easier.
U.S.F.S. Information: Jarbidge Ranger District, 1008 Burley Ave., Buhl, ID 83316. Call 208-543-4129.
Santa Rosa Range
Three peaks in the Santa Rosas reach more than 10,000 feet. There is fishing in several creeks, and hikers can spot deer, bighorn sheep, and golden eagles. The dirt loop of State Route 290, off U.S. 95 north of Winnemucca, will lead campers into this part of the Humboldt National Forest. Lye Creek Campground is a good spot near Hinkey Summit. When the road turns to pavement, a bonus stop is Paradise Valley, a picturesque old ranching community.
U.S.F.S. Information: Santa Rosa Ranger District, 1200 Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445. Call 702-623-5025
Lake Tahoe
With hotel-casinos, fine restaurants, marinas, and one of the world's most beautiful lakes, this is Nevada's most urbanized mountain setting — wilderness with room service, if you want. Temperatures rarely climb above 80 degrees at Tahoe, where the lake level is about 6,220 feet. Campers can try the lakeside campground at Nevada Beach, two miles north of the Stateline casinos, or the enormous Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. There are private and park campsites on the California side, too.
Most of the real estate on the Nevada side of the lake belongs either to the U.S. Forest Service or to Nevada State Park. The Sierra Range in this area is honeycombed with hiking trails. One of the best is the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, which follows the ridge tops of Lake Tahoe, overlapping 50 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The views are awesome, the hiking difficulty moderate, with a 10 percent average grade, and a section of trail that is wheelchair accessible.
Information: Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, South Tahoe, 916-544-5050 or 800-AT-TAHOE in the U.S.; Tahoe-Douglas Chamber of Commerce, 702-588-4591; Incline Village/Crystal Bay Visitor and Convention Bureau, 702-832-1606 or 800-GO-TAHOE; and Tahoe North Visitors and Convention Bureau, 916-583-3494 or 800-824-6348; Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, P.O. Box 8867, Incline Village, NV 89452 (775) 831-0494; Tahoe Rim Trail Association, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451 (775) 298-0233, http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/.
Lake Mead/Hoover Dam Area
The U.S. Government Construction Railroad Trail meanders 2.6 miles through four tunnels (5.2 miles round trip). The trailhead is across from the Alan Bible Visitor Center, midway between Boulder City and Hoover Dam.
The River Mountain Trail winds up to three miles in the mountains northwest of Boulder City (six miles round trip). The altitude gain is up to 1,225 feet. The trailhead is about 1/10 of a mile north of Boulder City's stoplight.
Information: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005; phone 702-293-8907. Boulder City Parks and Recreation Dept., 900 Arizona, Boulder City, NV 89005; phone 702-293-9256 for information.
Hiking Tips
When hiking in any remote area, remember to tell a friend where you are going and when you plan to be back, take plenty of food and water, and dress appropriately.
The taking of artifacts like rocks and wildlife in any of the parks and recreation areas is prohibited. Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints!
For more information about campgrounds, wilderness areas, hiking and wildlife viewing in Nevada visit the Public Lands Information Center and the Bureau of Land Management.
Some areas, like Mount Charleston and Lake Tahoe, attract significant numbers of hikers and are fairly well-developed. Others, like the Toiyabe and Schell Creek Ranges, are off the beaten path. With all mountain hiking, but with the remote areas in particular, it is important that you have proper hiking clothes, footwear and equipment.
There are several good hiking guides to the mountains of Nevada. The mountains of the Great Basin are ecologically unique, containing flora and fauna found nowhere else. Nature guides that tell you what you are seeing make the trip all the more satisfying. At the very least, pick up the detailed topographic maps available at the U.S. Forest Service Offices mentioned at the end of each of the following entries. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management also offers detailed maps of areas under its jurisdiction.
Mount Charleston
Forty-five miles northwest of Las Vegas are the cool, forested canyons of Mount Charleston. When summer temperatures reach 110 degrees in Las Vegas, Charleston is 20 to 30 degrees cooler. At 11,918 feet, it is the tallest peak in the Spring Mountains and southern Nevada. Most campgrounds and restaurants are between 5,000 and 7,500 feet.
Mount Charleston has three camping areas, stables, and a trail to the high, windswept slopes where bristlecone pines have lived for thousands of years. The chair lift sometimes runs in summer at Lee Canyon Ski Area. Kyle Canyon has the Mt. Charleston Hotel and the Mt. Charleston Lodge, both with restaurants, bars and lodging.
U.S. Forest Service Information: Spring Mountain Recreation Area, 2881 S. Valley View Blvd., No. 16, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Call 702-873-8800.
Great Basin National Park
Two landmarks are big summer attractions in Great Basin National Park, in the Snake Range 65 miles east of Ely. You can hike through forests of prehistoric Bristlecone Pines to the top of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, Nevada's second highest mountain, and look down on the most southerly glacier in the United States. Inside Lehman Caves, not only can you see sculpted mineral formations but also cool off the caves average about 50 degrees year-round. Highest campsites are at Wheeler Peak campground, near 10,000 feet. Other shady campgrounds border Lehman and Snake creeks. There is ample wildlife to watch.
National Park Service Information: Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV 89311. Call 702-234-7331.
Success Summit Loop
Beginning in Ely is a beautiful drive through the Schell Creek Range offering mountain scenery, campsites, fishing at Cave Lake, mountain creeks, wildflowers, and several meadows containing herds of wild elk. The 35-mile loop leads to several little-used trailheads, and numerous creekside areas suitable for base camps.
U.S.F.S. Information: Ely Ranger District, 350 Eighth St., Box 539, Ely, NV 89302. Call 702-289-3031. Cave Lake Information: Nevada State Parks, Box 176, Panaca, NV 89042. Call 702-728-4467.
Toiyabe Range
The Toiyabe Range stretches 90 miles between Austin and Tonopah on the west side of Big Smoky Valley. Like two neighboring ranges, the Toquimas and the Monitors, the Toiyabes are remote and peaceful. The 40-mile Toiyabe Crest Trail follows the spine of these spectacular steep-sided giants, but even if you aren't hiking, a drive through Big Smoky Valley provides a look at the quintessential Basin and Range country. There is good trout fishing at several uncrowded campsites such as Kingston and Peavine.
U.S.F.S. Information: Tonopah Ranger District, 1400 Erie Main St., Box 3940, Tonopah, NV 89049. Call 702-482-6286.
Ruby Mountains
Thirty miles southeast of Elko, Lamoille Canyon is a good staging area for exploring the Rubies. There, the Thomas Canyon Campground is set among the aspens. The Ruby Crest Trail, with its numerous tiny alpine lakes, can be reached by nearby trails. Early-summer campers can see waterfalls dropping from canyon walls. You'll find supplies and restaurants in the town of Lamoille.
U.S.F.S. Information: Humboldt National Forest, 2035 Last Chance Rd., Elko, NV 89801. Call 702-738-5171 or toll-free 800-7715-9379 in Nevada.
East Humboldt Range
Aspen-ringed Angel Lake stands at 8,500 feet in the East Humboldts, eight miles south of Wells and I-80. The campground offers 24 sites and trout fishing in the lake. It's best to attempt the drive up to Angel Lake after late spring because the snow usually stays till June.
U.S.F.S. Information: Ruby Mountain Ranger District, Wells, NV 89835. Call 702-752-3357 or toll-free 800-764-3359 in Nevada.
Jarbidge Wilderness Area
Encircling the 1910-era mining town of Jarbidge, this 65,000-acre wilderness area is 90 miles north of Elko and extends into Idaho. The mountains offer hiking and backcountry scenery, as in the tranquil Emerald Lake area. Packhorse trips are also offered by local buckaroos. Several campgrounds are near Jarbidge, which has two saloons and a rustic-log downtown. In summer, most vehicles can negotiate the rough roads into Jarbidge from the Nevada side, but snow often blocks the way in other seasons. The drive in from Idaho is usually much easier.
U.S.F.S. Information: Jarbidge Ranger District, 1008 Burley Ave., Buhl, ID 83316. Call 208-543-4129.
Santa Rosa Range
Three peaks in the Santa Rosas reach more than 10,000 feet. There is fishing in several creeks, and hikers can spot deer, bighorn sheep, and golden eagles. The dirt loop of State Route 290, off U.S. 95 north of Winnemucca, will lead campers into this part of the Humboldt National Forest. Lye Creek Campground is a good spot near Hinkey Summit. When the road turns to pavement, a bonus stop is Paradise Valley, a picturesque old ranching community.
U.S.F.S. Information: Santa Rosa Ranger District, 1200 Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445. Call 702-623-5025
Lake Tahoe
With hotel-casinos, fine restaurants, marinas, and one of the world's most beautiful lakes, this is Nevada's most urbanized mountain setting — wilderness with room service, if you want. Temperatures rarely climb above 80 degrees at Tahoe, where the lake level is about 6,220 feet. Campers can try the lakeside campground at Nevada Beach, two miles north of the Stateline casinos, or the enormous Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. There are private and park campsites on the California side, too.
Most of the real estate on the Nevada side of the lake belongs either to the U.S. Forest Service or to Nevada State Park. The Sierra Range in this area is honeycombed with hiking trails. One of the best is the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail, which follows the ridge tops of Lake Tahoe, overlapping 50 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The views are awesome, the hiking difficulty moderate, with a 10 percent average grade, and a section of trail that is wheelchair accessible.
Information: Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, South Tahoe, 916-544-5050 or 800-AT-TAHOE in the U.S.; Tahoe-Douglas Chamber of Commerce, 702-588-4591; Incline Village/Crystal Bay Visitor and Convention Bureau, 702-832-1606 or 800-GO-TAHOE; and Tahoe North Visitors and Convention Bureau, 916-583-3494 or 800-824-6348; Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, P.O. Box 8867, Incline Village, NV 89452 (775) 831-0494; Tahoe Rim Trail Association, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451 (775) 298-0233, http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/.
Lake Mead/Hoover Dam Area
The U.S. Government Construction Railroad Trail meanders 2.6 miles through four tunnels (5.2 miles round trip). The trailhead is across from the Alan Bible Visitor Center, midway between Boulder City and Hoover Dam.
The River Mountain Trail winds up to three miles in the mountains northwest of Boulder City (six miles round trip). The altitude gain is up to 1,225 feet. The trailhead is about 1/10 of a mile north of Boulder City's stoplight.
Information: Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005; phone 702-293-8907. Boulder City Parks and Recreation Dept., 900 Arizona, Boulder City, NV 89005; phone 702-293-9256 for information.
Hiking Tips
When hiking in any remote area, remember to tell a friend where you are going and when you plan to be back, take plenty of food and water, and dress appropriately.
The taking of artifacts like rocks and wildlife in any of the parks and recreation areas is prohibited. Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints!
For more information about campgrounds, wilderness areas, hiking and wildlife viewing in Nevada visit the Public Lands Information Center and the Bureau of Land Management.
Adventure in Nevada: Hiking » Biking » Climbing » Skiing/Boarding » Snowshoeing » Off-Roading » Water Sports » Air Sports
