Mt. Rose Wilderness

Located in the Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada and the Tahoe Basin Management Unit in California.

Located entirely within the state of Nevada, the Mt. Rose Wilderness encompasses the majority of the high country of the Carson Mountain Range, which is an ecological transition zone between the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Great Basin to the east, with examples of plants common to each area. The Mt. Rose Wilderness is split into two portions; the 5,000-acre northern unit is composed of the Hunter Creek drainage and lies just southwest of Reno. The 23,000-acre southern unit is composed of the ridge tops and canyons of the Carson Range west of Highway 395 and north of Highway 431. The dominant feature of the wilderness is 10,776-foot Mt. Rose, named for an early pioneer of the Reno area. The Mt. Rose area is a backyard wilderness for the Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan area providing primitive recreation opportunities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountaineering, cross-country skiing and nature study for a city-weary population.

Access to the area is through 7 trailheads, most located off the Mount Rose Highway between Reno and Tahoe. Portable stoves are encouraged. Some areas, such as the trail to Mount Rose, receive heavy use, but most areas receive little to moderate use. The area generally is accessible June through October.

For more information contact: The Toiyabe National Forest or Tahoe Basin Management Unit