BLM · NPS · Nevada

Muddy Mountains Wilderness

Just an hour north of Las Vegas, Nevada lies the Muddy Mountains Wilderness, a place of wonder and mystery, an area of outrageous geology and colorful Mojave Desert habitat. This region of shadowy slot...

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

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Muddy Mountains Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byBureau of Land Management and National Park Service
StateNevada
Size48,154 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2002, by Congress
Center point36.2877, -114.7151
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 28)

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 Muddy Mountains Wilderness50°60°70°80°90°100°January: 0.66 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.83 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.48 inches of precipitationApril: 0.34 inches of precipitationMay: 0.09 inches of precipitationJune: 0.12 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.46 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.59 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.23 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.44 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.38 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.66 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 51.0°F averageFebruary: 54.6°F averageMarch: 61.6°F averageApril: 69.4°F averageMay: 78.8°F averageJune: 88.3°F averageJuly: 94.6°F averageAugust: 93.2°F averageSeptember: 85.7°F averageOctober: 72.8°F averageNovember: 60.1°F averageDecember: 50.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Callville Bay, 10 miles from the center point at 1,270 feet, station USC00261371 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 5 inches a year. The station sits about 2,700 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 sits inside the boundary. 5 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

48,154 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service share management. The Bureau of Land Management portion is the largest in the wilderness record.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Muddy Mountains Wilderness in?

Nevada.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Muddy Mountains Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2002.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Callville Bay Rv Park, 4.5 miles out. 5 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 Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.288, -114.715. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is 24 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 28 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 Muddy Mountains Wilderness?

Lake Mead National Recreation Area (24 mi) and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (29 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.
  • 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.