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:...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 31,223 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 39.3769, -119.9326 |
| 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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 12 are within ten miles of it. 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, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireFloriston
5 mi from the center point · 640 acres · 8% contained
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
- 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.
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?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Galena Creek Visitor Center, 1.2 miles out. 12 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
Where are the trailheads in Mt. Rose Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 backpacking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Mt. Rose Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 39.377, -119.933. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mt. Rose Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Floriston at 5 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Mt. Rose Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 17 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 Mt. Rose Wilderness?
125 National Register 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.