Mt. Charleston Wilderness
The Mt. Charleston Wilderness is an inspiring place with invigorating mountain air, ice-cold springs, and acres of noble evergreen forests. The rugged mountain scenery extends across the crest of the Spring...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 56,819 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 36.2779, -115.7032 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
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. 8 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
8 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 53 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Mud Springs ↗ | 14.3 | |
| Bonanza ↗ | 13.6 | |
| North Loop ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Trail Canyon ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Griffith Peak ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Fletcher Canyon | 1.6 | |
| Mummy Springs | 0.3 | |
| Willow Peak Trail | 0.3 |
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
- PrescribedAmr Pile Rx Fy26
32 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
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mt. Charleston Wilderness?
56,819 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mt. Charleston 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 Mt. Charleston Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mt. Charleston Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1989.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mt. Charleston Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Foxtail Grp Picnic Area, 0.2 miles out. 8 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 Mt. Charleston Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 36.278, -115.703. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is 17 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mt. Charleston Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Amr Pile Rx Fy26 at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Mt. Charleston Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 18 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near Mt. Charleston Wilderness?
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (17 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
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.