BLM · Nevada

South Jackson Mountains Wilderness

The Wilderness contains the southern portion of the Jackson Mountains. Elevations in the Wilderness range from 3,900 to 8,923 feet on top of King Lear Peak. The area has numerous rock outcrops and deep rugged canyons also dissect the area. Sagebrush is the dominant vegetation type, with saltbrush and greasewood occurring at the lower elevations. Several canyons also contain willows, cottonwoods, aspens and other riparian species. Junipers occur in the higher elevations. Wildlife in the area includes California bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, coyotes, and sage grouse.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
South Jackson Mountains Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateNevada
Size54,536 acres
Designated2000, by Congress
Center point41.21° N, 118.54° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 23)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near South Jackson Mountains Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.33 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.91 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.00 inches of precipitationApril: 0.82 inches of precipitationMay: 0.96 inches of precipitationJune: 0.60 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.29 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.15 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.30 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.67 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.67 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.34 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.5°F averageFebruary: 36.1°F averageMarch: 43.1°F averageApril: 48.6°F averageMay: 57.5°F averageJune: 65.4°F averageJuly: 74.2°F averageAugust: 72.1°F averageSeptember: 64.0°F averageOctober: 51.2°F averageNovember: 39.3°F averageDecember: 30.8°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Leonard Creek Rch - Denio 33S, 23 miles from the center point at 4,239 feet, station USC00264527 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 9 inches a year. The station sits about 3,300 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Campsite Atlas →

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.

Explore

Guidebooks for Nevada

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is South Jackson Mountains Wilderness?

54,536 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages South Jackson Mountains Wilderness?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is South Jackson Mountains Wilderness in?

Nevada.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was South Jackson Mountains Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2000.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How do I get to South Jackson Mountains Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 41.206° N, 118.543° 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.
  • 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.