Jarbidge Wilderness
According to legend, a hardy band of Shoshone braves walled in the original jarbidge (their word for "a weird beastly creature") in a cave in Jarbidge Canyon. Now this northern Nevada Wilderness merits...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 110,471 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 41.7664, -115.3462 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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 sits inside the boundary. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
29 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 172 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| East Fork Jarbidge River ↗ | 26.3 | |
| Cottonwood Creek ↗ | 15.2 | |
| Pine Creek ↗ | 11.4 | |
| Gods Pocket Peak ↗ | 11.1 | |
| Jarbidge River Trail ↗ | 10.7 | |
| Willow Creek 1 ↗ | 8.1 | |
| Robinson Hole to 3 Day Creek ↗ | 7.8 | |
| West Marys River to Camp Draw ↗ | 7.6 | |
| North Fork Camp Creek ↗ | 6.8 | |
| 76 Creek ↗ | 6.2 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 11.4 miGold Creek Ranger Station ↗Mountain City, NV
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Jarbidge Wilderness?
110,471 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Jarbidge Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Jarbidge Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Jarbidge Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Jarbidge Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Big Cottonwood Campground, 7.7 miles out. 3 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Jarbidge Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.766, -115.346. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Jarbidge Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 19 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Jarbidge Wilderness?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Gold Creek Ranger Station.
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.