Ruby Mountains Wilderness
Glaciers scoured the northern end of the Ruby Mountains during the last ice age, creating the U-shaped Lamoille Canyon, also known as Nevada's Yosemite. Hanging valleys, towering summits, and year-round...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Nevada |
| Size | 92,652 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1989, by Congress |
| Center point | 40.5808, -115.4043 |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 22) |
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. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
43 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 212 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby Crest National Recreation ↗ | 28.2 | |
| Lamoille-Gardner Creek TH ↗ | 27.4 | |
| Conrad Creek ↗ | 11.8 | |
| Joe Billy Basin ↗ | 9.7 | |
| Long Canyon ↗ | 8.6 | |
| North Furlong ↗ | 7.4 | |
| Kleckner Creek ↗ | 7.2 | |
| North Fork Cold Creek ↗ | 7.1 | |
| Box Canyon ↗ | 6.7 | |
| Griswold-Soldier ↗ | 6.3 |
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.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Ruby Mountains Wilderness?
92,652 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Ruby Mountains Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Ruby Mountains Wilderness in?
Nevada.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Ruby Mountains Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1989.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Ruby Mountains Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Thomas Canyon, 0.3 miles out. 3 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 Ruby Mountains Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 40.581, -115.404. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How dark is the night sky at Ruby Mountains 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
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.