Mt. Rose Wilderness
Nestled between Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada, the 32,000 acre Mt. Rose Wilderness encompasses most of the high country of the Carson Range. The Hunter Lake jeep road splits the area into two distinct sections: the 7,000-acre northern section and the 25,000-acre southern section, which contains 10,776-foot Mount Rose and most of the major canyons and ridges. Due to its proximity to urban centers (the area almost shares a border with Reno), Mount Rose is one of Nevada's most heavily used Wilderness areas. Still, portions of the interior hide small meadows and remote lakes seldom seen by humans.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 31,223 acres |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.38° N, 119.93° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
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
None of the 10 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 6 miMt. Rose Wilderness ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
14 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 227 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Tahoe Rim Trail ↗ | 115.4 | |
| Tahoe Rim Trail ↗ | 63 | |
| Rim to Reno ↗ | 12.3 | |
| Jones/Whites Creek Loop ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Thomas Creek ↗ | 8.7 | |
| Gray Creek ↗ | 5.4 | |
| Mt. Rose Peak | 3.2 | |
| Hunter Creek ↗ | 3 | |
| Relay Peak | 3 | |
| Gray Lake Trail Mt. Rose) | 1.5 |
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.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 12.5 miFourth Ward School ↗National Historic Landmark
- 13.4 miMcKeen Motor Car #70 ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.9 miWithers Log House ↗Crystal Bay, NV
- 2.5 miCal-Vada Lodge Hotel ↗Crystal Bay, NV
- 3 miGalena Creek Schoolhouse ↗Reno, NV
- 3.8 miOld Winters Ranch/Winters Mansion ↗Carson City, NV
- 3.9 mi
- 4.2 miCalifornia Building ↗Reno, NV
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Nevada
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mt. Rose Wilderness?
31,223 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mt. Rose Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mt. Rose Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mt. Rose Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1989.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mt. Rose Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Mt. Rose Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.377° N, 119.933° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Are there historic places near Mt. Rose Wilderness?
The National Register has 128 listings within 15 miles, including Fourth Ward School and McKeen Motor Car #70.
Source: Register Atlas
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.