BLM · USFS · Nevada

La Madre Mountain Wilderness

Dominating the dramatic backdrop of the Scenic Loop at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area are the steep canyons and spectacular cliffs of La Madre Mountain Wilderness, located approximately 12...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Wilderness46,943 acresBLM · USFSNVDesignated 20029 campgrounds within 10 mi4 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
La Madre Mountain Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
1fire
active
Amr Pile Rx Fy26 (prescribed burn) · 44 mi from the center
Interagency incident data as of 2026-09-18
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service
StateNevada
Size46,943 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2002, by Congress
Center point36.2008, -115.5206
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22)

Boundary map

1 outline

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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near La Madre Mountain Wilderness30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.70 inches of precipitation, 20.5 inches of snowFebruary: 5.12 inches of precipitation, 29.3 inches of snowMarch: 2.91 inches of precipitation, 17.2 inches of snowApril: 1.01 inches of precipitation, 6.2 inches of snowMay: 0.82 inches of precipitation, 1.6 inches of snowJune: 0.31 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowJuly: 2.21 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.34 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.71 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.79 inches of precipitation, 1.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.32 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowDecember: 3.16 inches of precipitation, 16.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 32.9°F averageFebruary: 33.2°F averageMarch: 37.4°F averageApril: 42.2°F averageMay: 50.2°F averageJune: 59.7°F averageJuly: 65.6°F averageAugust: 65.0°F averageSeptember: 57.9°F averageOctober: 48.2°F averageNovember: 39.0°F averageDecember: 32.5°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mt Charleston Fire Stn, 8 miles from the center point at 7,460 feet, station USC00265400 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 26 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 100 inches a year on the same inches scale.

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 sits inside the boundary. 9 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

BLM · 2.7 mi
Red Rock Canyon Campground
Reservable80 sites
FS · 2.7 mi
Cathedral Rock Picnic Area
Reservable82 sites
FS · 2.9 mi
Kyle Canyon Picnic Area Day Use
Reservable25 sites
FS · 3 mi
Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Group Picnic Sites
Reservable6 sites
FS · 3.1 mi
Fletcher View
Reservable12 sites
FS · 6 mi
Hilltop
Reservable38 sites
FS · 6.2 mi
Foxtail Grp Picnic Area
Reservable7 sites
FS · 6.2 mi
Mahogany Grove
Reservable8 sites
Show 1 more

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

4 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 11 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Griffith Shadow Trail4.3
Lovell Canyon Loop2.4
Lovell Canyon Trail2.2
Schaefer Springs Loop1.6

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.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-18
  • Prescribed
    Amr Pile Rx Fy26

    44 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Monument · 7 mi
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 9 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

46,943 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is La Madre Mountain Wilderness in?

Nevada.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was La Madre Mountain Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2002.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Red Rock Canyon Campground, 2.7 miles out. 9 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 La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.201, -115.521. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is 7 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near La Madre Mountain Wilderness right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Amr Pile Rx Fy26 at 44 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 22 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (7 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near La Madre Mountain Wilderness?

9 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Little Church of the West and "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" Sign, The.

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.