Quinn Canyon Wilderness
Extreme isolation defines Quinn Canyon, a remote central Nevada wilderness. From the main ridgeline of the area, cresting at more than 10,000 feet, many smaller ridges and narrow canyons extend out east...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 26,310 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 38.1736, -115.6868 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 19) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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 is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Trails
6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 21 miles in all.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Creek Canyon ↗ | 5 | |
| North Fork Cottonwood ↗ | 4.7 | |
| Little Cherry Creek | 4.2 | |
| Big Creek Canyon | 4.1 | |
| Hooper Canyon | 2.4 | |
| Hooper Canyon Spring Spur | 0.4 |
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.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Quinn Canyon Wilderness?
26,310 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Quinn Canyon Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Quinn Canyon Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Quinn Canyon Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1989.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Quinn Canyon Wilderness?
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Quinn Canyon Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 38.174, -115.687. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Quinn Canyon 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
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.