Boundary Peak Wilderness
Of the 2 million acres of the heavily-visited Inyo National Forest split between Nevada and California, only about 60,000 acres lie in Nevada. In that portion, you will find this one lonely Wilderness, the state's smallest. But this Wilderness makes up in height what it lacks in size, with Boundary Peak, at 13,140 feet, rating as the highest point in Nevada. The peak overlooks, as might be expected, the California border, and rises above the White Mountains, a high and dry range from which colorful canyons descend eastward into desertland. Hiking up these precipitous canyons will often lead you to an abrupt end, where waterfalls (now dry) once carved the rock.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 10,467 acres |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 37.85° N, 118.33° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 24) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
1 named Forest Service trail enters this wilderness, 2 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary Peak | 1.6 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Boundary Peak Wilderness?
10,467 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Boundary Peak Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Boundary Peak Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Boundary Peak Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1989.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Boundary Peak Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.852° N, 118.335° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.