Black Rock Country is filled with nearly a dozen separate and distinct wilderness areas, each offering its own unique natural beauty and recreational opportunities.
Continue scrolling to learn more about these wild spaces.
Black Rock Desert
Walk in the footsteps of wooly mammoths and saber tooth tigers in the Black Rock Desert Wilderness, a landscape that still exists on a prehistoric scale. If you’re looking to do some hiking, or simply find some solitude, the Black Rock Desert Wilderness can offer you that and more.
About the Black Rock Desert Wilderness
The Black Rock Desert Wilderness extends over 314,829 acres, running about 40 miles long north to south and 20 miles wide east to west, making it the largest Wilderness Area managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The Wilderness encompasses the eastern arm of the Black Rock Desert playa, one of the flattest areas in the Black Rock region and is one of the largest, virtually undeveloped desert valley floors in the United States. If you’re seeking solitude, this is a remarkable place to truly get away from it all.
This area was once the site of the prehistoric Lake Lahontan, and the remains of several wooly mammoths and a saber tooth tiger, believed to have been trapped in the ancient lake’s muddy shoreline, have been discovered.
When it was designated a Wilderness, it added a rare ecosystem to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Here you will find a wide, dry alkali valley, scattered with vegetation of saltbrush, greasewood, and sagebrush that create an unusual mosaic pattern of cover.
Although the area is virtually flat, the western edge rises in elevation to 5,931 feet on top of Elephant Mountain, where you can get spectacular views of the wilderness. When it flows, the Quinn River meanders through the wilderness and eventually flows and disperses onto the west arm of the Black Rock Desert.
The rugged dirt routes that form the boundaries of the Wilderness make for excellent four-wheel driving and mountain biking.
How to Get to the Black Rock Desert
The Wilderness is located in western Humboldt County. Drive 53 miles west from Winnemucca on Jungo Road, Humboldt County Road 55, to the historic town site of Sulphur, and then drive north along the Sulphur /Jackson Road, BLM Road 2049, which forms the eastern boundary of the Wilderness.
The Black Rock Desert Wilderness can also be reached by taking the Leonard Creek Road, Humboldt County Road 214 and 216, south from Highway 140.
Calico Mountains
Wander through the Calico Mountains Wilderness and marvel at its unusually colorful rock formations, so unexpected in the greens and grays of the surrounding landscape. With views of the nearby Applegate-Lassen historic Emigrant Trail, this area allows you to experience the land much as the settlers of the 1850s did.
About the Calico Mountains Wilderness
The Calico Mountains Wilderness covers 64,984 acres, about 17 miles long and 7 miles wide. Distinguished by brightly colored, unusual twisted geology, this is an area sure to delight rock hounds, hikers, and solitude seekers alike. In the southern half of the range, the bare rocks take on many hues of the rainbow, especially after a rain. Petrified Canyon and Mormon Dan Canyon are two notable examples of the colorful rock formations that abound within the range.
Elevations in this Wilderness range from 3,950 feet to 8,491 feet at Donnelly Peak, which, along with South Donnelly Peak, provides sweeping vistas of the area. The eastern side of the range is also within view of the historic Applegate-Lassen Trail.
Sagebrush is the most common vegetation in the landscape, with saltbush and greasewood occurring at the lower elevations. Several canyons contain cottonwoods, willow and aspen stands. Hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, and chukar is popular in the area. Rugged dirt routes that form the boundaries of the Wilderness are excellent for four-wheel driving and mountain biking.
How to Get to the Calico Mountains
The Calico Mountains Wilderness is located in western Humboldt and northern Pershing Counties, approximately 30 miles north of the town of Gerlach.
The best access to the Wilderness is located along the Soldier Meadows Road (Humboldt County Road 200) that forms the eastern boundary of the Wilderness.
East Fork High Rock Canyon
With its colorful canyons lined with bright green meadows, the East Fork of High Rock Canyon has welcomed human beings for thousands of years. Today, you can enjoy the scenic vistas that are home to golden eagles, wild horses, and other vibrant life.
About the East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness
Covering a broad, volcanic upland in the northern Calico Mountains, the 52,617-acre East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness is crisscrossed by the deep drainages of High Rock and East Fork High Rock Canyons (also known as Pole Canyon).
The East Fork is a deep, rim-bound canyon that is surprisingly well watered. While the main vegetation in the area is sagebrush, you will find meadows, willows, chokecherry, a small stand of aspen, and other riparian vegetation on the canyon floor. To the west, the landscape is a palette of contrasting colors, with its bright green canyon floors and the yellows, reds, browns, grays, and oranges of the 200- to 500-foot deep canyon walls. Big cliffs, steep talus slopes, and short rimrocks, with elevations ranging from 4,900 to 6,600 feet, make this an area of scenic-quality vistas.
If you’re seeking solitude and quiet contemplation, the varied and intricate landscape of this Wilderness offers a remarkable refuge. Day hiking and backpacking opportunities abound. This Wilderness is also a living history book, with evidence of human use going back thousands of years. You can get outstanding views of the Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail from High Rock Canyon, which borders this Wilderness to the south and west. The remains of several Depression-era homesteads can also be seen in the canyon.
The many cliffs, canyons, and rock formations support a wide range of wildlife, from golden eagles and other raptors, to mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and wild horses. Hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn, and chukar is popular in the area.
To minimize human disturbance on nesting raptors and lambing bighorn sheep, the main road into this Wilderness through High Rock Canyon is closed each year from February 1st through the second weekend in May. Other times of year, a rough jeep trail through High Rock Canyon, which lies outside of the Wilderness, is open to vehicles. If you’re looking for four-wheel driving and mountain biking, you’ll find excellent terrain along the rugged dirt boundaries of the area.
How to Get to East Fork High Rock Canyon
This Wilderness is located east of High Rock Canyon about 40 miles southeast of Cedarville, CA.
The main access to the Wilderness is from High Rock Canyon Road, (high clearance 4 wheel drive recommended) which can be reached from Washoe County 8A and the Stevens Camp Road from the north, or from Washoe County Road 34 and the High Rock Lake Road (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended) from the south.
High Rock Canyon Road is closed each year between the 1st of February until the 2nd weekend in May to minimize human disturbance on nesting raptors and lambing bighorn sheep.
High Rock Canyon
Take in the same panoramic view that 19th-century explorer John C. Fremont did. Discover fish left over from prehistoric times in the cool depths of Mahogany Canyon. Look out over the windswept remnants of ancient lava flows that shaped this area. Here in the High Rock Canyon Wilderness, history exists on a whole other scale.
About High Rock Canyon Wilderness
The High Rock Canyon Wilderness extends over 46,464 acres, and is bordered on the northeast by High Rock Canyon, which lies just outside the Wilderness Area.
White, gray, orange, and brown rock formations combine with the bright green of the canyon floors in vivid contrast to the grey green of sagebrush. With a 360-degree panorama of valleys, terraces, and mountain ranges that opens up into 60-mile vistas, walking through this wilderness can feel like you’re walking in a painting.
One of the must-see features of this area is the Mahogany Creek side canyon that comes off High Rock Canyon. Here, you’ll find places where the sheer, dark basalt walls narrow into slot canyons where you can touch both sides. Beneath your feet is highly sculpted, water-eroded, smooth bedrock, punctuated by the occasional pool of water. Amazingly, these pools contain desert fish left over from the days when prehistoric Lake Lahontan filled the Great Basin. The walls of the Mahogany Creek side canyon are also alive with nesting birds. Swarming swallows are highlighted against the narrow slice of blue sky hundreds of feet above you. If you continue climbing above the headwaters of Mahogany Creek, you come out onto the windswept, rolling basalt plateaus, very different from much of the Great Basin landscape. These are the remnants of the massive black lava flows that shaped the area some 17 million years ago. From this plateau, you can also see deep gashes in the rock left by the tectonic forces that formed the northern Calico Mountains and North Black Rock range 9 million years ago.
“It was a singular place to travel through shut up in the earth, a sort of chasm, the little strip of grass under our feet, the rough walls of bare rock on either hand, and the narrow strip of sky above.” John C. Fremont’s description of High Rock Canyon, 1843
High Rock Canyon Wilderness remains unaltered from the days when John C. Fremont first mapped the adjacent High Rock Canyon, and thousands of emigrant wagon trains followed on the Applegate-Lassen Trail.
You can explore this historic trail via a rough jeep trail that is open to vehicles (see seasonal closure information below). Four-wheel driving and mountain biking enthusiasts will find many opportunities on the rugged dirt routes that form the boundaries of this Wilderness.
How to Get to High Rock Canyon
The High Rock Canyon Wilderness is located in western Humboldt and northern Washoe Counties about 40 miles southeast of Cedarville, CA.
High Rock Canyon Road (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended) can be accessed from Washoe County 8A and Stevens Camp Road from the north, or from Washoe County Road 34 and High R
ock Lake Road (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended) from the south.
High Rock Canyon Road is closed each year between the end of chukar hunting season (around February 1st) until the second weekend in May to minimize human disturbance on nesting raptors and lambing bighorn sheep.
High Rock Lake
Named for High Rock Lake located in its northwest corner, this Wilderness area has been shaped by swirling waters for millennia. Look out across the dramatic landscape from the historic Applegate-Lassen Trail to the north and let your imagination soar, as those of 19th century emigrants headed west must have.
About the High Rock Lake Wilderness Area
Much of the High Rock Lake Wilderness Area’s 59,094 acres consists of large mesa that slants to the east. The northern portion of the Calico Mountains also falls within its boundaries.
Elevation ranges from 4,000 feet to 7,000 feet across the area, with scattered vegetation of saltbrush and sagebrush supporting mule deer, pronghorn antelope, wild horses, and sage grouse.
High Rock Lake itself was created about 14,000 years ago after a large rockslide closed the original outlet to High Rock and Little High Rock canyons. Once the lake had filled, the overflowing waters cut a new path, creating Fly Canyon, a narrow, rim bound canyon that emptied into the prehistoric Lake Lahontan – what is today known as Soldier Meadows. Currently High Rock Lake is a dry lakebed.
Today the silence of Fly Canyon is broken only by the hushed whispers of trickling water or the occasional croak of a frog from deep within a stagnant pool.
Filled with surprising grottoes and unusual “potholes” formed by a swirling stream, Fly Canyon is a great choice for an unforgettable day hike, though you’ll need ropes and technical climbing skills if you want to traverse its entire length.
Other major canyons in the area also offer excellent day hiking and backpacking opportunities as well.
Along the northern boundary road of High Rock Lake, you can pick up the historic Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail. From there, you will see essentially the same landscape that 19th century settlers on their way to Oregon and California saw.
Hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn and chukar is popular in the area. As in other Wilderness Areas, the rugged dirt boundaries are excellent for four-wheel driving and mountain biking.
How to Get to High Rock Lake Wilderness
The High Rock Lake Wilderness is located in western Humboldt County.
The best access to this Wilderness is located from Soldier Meadows Road (Humboldt County Road 200), which forms the eastern boundary of the Wilderness.
The western part of the Wilderness can be accessed from Washoe County Road 34 and High Rock Lake Road (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended).
Little High Rock Canyon
Covered with grass and tule wetlands, Little High Rock Canyon is the heart of this Wilderness, offering a welcome retreat for wildlife and human visitors. Follow streams down shaded canyons, rest under the occasional willow, and simply take it all in.
About Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness
Nestled between High Rock Canyon Wilderness and High Rock Lake Wilderness, the 48,353 acres of the Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness Area share many of the same characteristics. The green grass of canyon floors creates a vivid landscape along with a variety of multi-colored rock formations, all of it graced with willow trees and small stands of choke cherry.
Here, the broad volcanic uplands are defined by the wide and level meadow that is Little High Rock Canyon, further dissected by deep drainages formed over millennia. Comparatively well-watered canyons, tule wetlands, and many cliffs provide attractive habitats or resting places for a wide range of wildlife, including nesting raptors and a small population of mule deer. As in the neighboring wildernesses, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, and wild horses roam the buttes and uplands dotted with sagebrush.
In the early 20th century, Little High Rock Canyon, like much of the area, saw conflicts between settlers and the indigenous peoples of the Great Basin, including the Bannock tribe of the Northern Paiute people. One of these conflicts resulted in the largest manhunt in Nevada history, bringing some notoriety to the area.
Elevations in the Wilderness range from 5,000 to 6,940 feet on top of Mahogany Mountain. Little High Rock Canyon and other major canyons in the area are great choices for your day hike or backpacking adventure. To access the grassy step of Little High Rock Canyon itself, use the side canyon.
As you would expect from an area that attracts much wildlife, hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn, and chukar are all popular pursuits here. If four-wheel driving or mountain biking are your thing, head for the rugged dirt routes that make up the Wilderness Area boundaries.
How to Get to Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness
The Little High Rock Canyon Wilderness Area is located in western Humboldt and northern Washoe Counties.
Access to the Wilderness is from Washoe County Road 34 and High Rock Lake Road (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended) about 50 miles north of Gerlach, NV and 60 miles southeast of Cedarville, CA.
North Black Rock Range
Remote and beautiful, the North Black Rock Range Wilderness will enchant you. Trout-filled creeks wind their way through deep canyons shaded by trees. Plan a hike to the scenic headwaters, and you may even spot a few waterfalls.
About the North Black Rock Range Wilderness
Among the many remarkable features of the 30,647-acre North Black Rock Range Wilderness are colorful cliffs of volcanic tuff. From their height, you can look out over Summit Lake to the west, which, along with the cliffs, were shaped by a massive landslide approximately twenty thousand years ago.
Elevations in this wilderness range from 4,800 to 8,400 feet. Deep valleys invite you down to the tree-lined banks of the Coleman, Soldier, and Battle Creeks, which support reintroduced populations of threatened Lahontan Cutthroat Trout.
Naturally, these plentiful riparian habitats attract wildlife and hunters to the area. Game species include deer, antelope, chukar, and valley quail.
Coleman Creek and other canyons in the area are excellent choices for your day hiking or backpacking adventures. A hike to the headwaters of Colman Creek is especially rewarding, with interesting rock formations and several small waterfalls waiting to be discovered.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are possible during the winter. And for some exciting four-wheel driving or mountain biking, head for the rugged dirt routes forming the Wilderness boundaries.
The Summit Lake Indian Reservation lies directly north of this Wilderness Area. Please be respectful of the reservation and stay on existing roads if you travel through the reservation to get to the North Black Rock Range Wilderness.
How to Get to the North Black Rock Range Wilderness
The North Black Rock Range Wilderness Area is located in western Humboldt County, about a 4-hour drive from Reno and 70 miles from Gerlach along Soldier Meadows Road, Humboldt County Road 200, which forms the western boundary of the Wilderness.
Accessing the northern and eastern boundaries requires driving on extremely steep and rough routes requiring high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles..
As mentioned above, if you do come through the Summit Lake Indian Reservation that lies to the north of this area, please be respectful and stay on existing roads.
North Jackson Range
Thought to have been an island when prehistoric Lake Lahonton covered much of the region, the North Jackson Range is still strongly defined by water. Tree-lined creeks wind through the area’s deep canyons, attracting wildlife and creating a lush haven that feels like it was made just for you.
About the North Jackson Range Wilderness
The North Jackson Mountains Wilderness includes 23,437 acres of rugged mountains, rocks, and cliffs covered with juniper and sagebrush. From its highest points – Parrot and Deer Creek Peaks – you’ll get incredible views of the wild, pristine landscape, including the Black Rock Desert Wilderness just to the west. Elevations range from 4,000 feet to 8,400 feet on the top of Parrot Peak.
In the deep canyons that crisscross the land, you’ll find creeks lined with aspen, willow, and cottonwood groves standing tall above snowberry, gooseberry, wild grape, and red osier dogwood. These rich riparian areas are common in this wilderness, providing food, water, and shelter for wildlife. Several streams even support small populations of rainbow trout. Mary Sloan, New Years, and Deer Creeks are three of the major riparian areas to check out on your day hike or backpacking adventure.
With abundant wildlife, this area is a popular choice for hunting deer, antelope, and chukar. The rugged dirt routes that form the boundaries of this Wilderness are excellent for four-wheel driving and mountain biking.
How to Get to the North Jackson Range
From Winnemucca, take the Jungo Road (Humboldt County Road 55) west 35 miles to Bottle Creek Road (Humboldt County Road 330, and then north along Bottle Creek Road to Trout Creek Road (Humboldt County Road 217).
You can also take Leonard Creek Road (Humboldt County Roads 214 & 216) or Bottle Creek Road south from Highway 140.
Jackson Creek Ranch Road (County Road 216), which runs north-south along the west side of the Wilderness, provides good access.
Pahute Peak
Climb to the top of 8,594-foot Pahute Peak – also known as Big Mountain – and experience being at the center of the world. From there, you can see all of the other nine Wilderness Areas, 1.2 million acres of land as beautiful, rugged, and wild as the herds of horses that gallop across it.
About Pahute Peak Wilderness
The 56,890-acre Pahute Peak Wilderness area is nestled within the arms of the Black Rock Desert in the heart of the Black Rock Mountain Range. Elevations range from 4,050 feet to 8,594 feet on the top of Pahute Peak, also known as Big Mountain on USGS maps.
Besides the sheer wonder of looking out across the entire NCA and Wilderness complex from the peak, you’ll also get a sense of just how extraordinary the settlers who travelled through this vast region along the Applegate-Lassen Historical Trail were.
This Wilderness offers many opportunities to quietly contemplate Nature’s beauty. If you’re looking for a memorable hike or backpacking adventure, head to the higher-elevation ridge near Pahute Peak, which has aspen, mountain mahogany, and white bark pine stands and magnificent scenery.
The peak itself drops off quickly to the south, but the west side of the range is a jumble of interesting and colorful badlands-like rock formations, including one named “Fremont’s Castle” after the early explorer John Fremont. Here you’ll find several excellent staging spots for exploration of this wilderness area, especially if you’re a hunter, hiker or rockhound.
A portion of the Desert Trail – not a developed trail but a point-to-point route – traverses this Wilderness. Hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn, and chukar is popular in the area. Head for the rugged dirt roads that form the Wilderness boundaries if you’re looking to do some four-wheel driving or mountain biking.
How to Get to Pahute Peak Wilderness
Pahute Peak Wilderness is located in western Humboldt County about 40 miles northeast of the town of Gerlach.
The easiest way to access this area is to take Soldier Meadows Road, Humboldt County Road 200, north from Gerlach about 50 miles to Mud Meadows Reservoir, cross the dam and turn right onto a 2 track road heading back south to the wilderness boundary. (high clearance 4-wheel drive recommended)
South Jackson Mountains
Love rock climbing and mountaineering? Then the South Jackson Mountains is the place for you. Boasting the nearly 9,000-foot King Lear Peak, this Wilderness offers incredible panoramic views that are yours to enjoy – shared with the occasional bighorn sheep, of course!
About the South Jackson Mountains Wilderness
The 54,535-acre South Jackson Mountain Wilderness area runs about 15 miles long and from two to 11 miles wide. Together with the neighboring North Jackson Mountains, it was thought to have been an island when prehistoric Lake Lahontan covered much of the region.
Steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges and deep, v-shaped rocky canyons characterize the landscape, which is spotted with juniper, willow, cottonwood, and sagebrush.
A short cherry-stem road that leads to the mouth of McGill Canyon provides a great place to launch a hike up King Lear Peak, considered one of the best places for rock climbing and mountaineering in northwest Nevada. You can also access the peak from the wilderness boundary on the east side.
Shady cottonwood trees and water running through the canyons make the area a popular choice for visitors. Common activities include hunting for deer, antelope, bighorn, and chukar, as well as four-wheel driving and mountain biking along the dirt routes that form the Wilderness boundaries.
How to Get to the South Jackson Mountains
The South Jackson Mountains Wilderness Area is located in western Humboldt County, 56 miles west of Winnemucca, Nevada.
Access to this Wilderness can be reached from Winnemucca by taking Jungo Road, Humboldt County Road 55, west 35 miles to Bottle Creek Road, County Road 330 and then north along Bottle Creek Road to Trout Creek Road, County Road 217.
The Wilderness can also be reached by taking Leonard Creek Road, County Road 214 or Bottle Creek Road south from Highway 140.