Services, Getting There

Supplies: Battle Mountain about 60 miles to the northeast; Winnemucca, 60 miles to the northwest; Fallon about 100 miles to the southwest.

Hikes & Trails

Related Areas

Map Information

Benchmark Gazetteer, page 49.

Wilderness Area Status

Wilderness Study Area

Proposed - Take Action NOW to protect the Augusta Mountains

Year Designated:
Act or Law:
Acres: 89372
State Region: Northwest Nevada
County Regions: Churchill  Pershing  Lander

Management

Managing Agency: Bureau of Land Management
Local District: Winnemucca Field Office
Contact Info: (775) 623-1500
5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard Winnemucca, NV 89445
Visit the website (will open a new window)

Area Description

The Augusta Mountain WSA straddles a ridge of the Augusta Mountain Range. The WSA measures 17 miles long and 13 miles wide. The altitude ranges from 3,400 to 8,400 feet. The northern part is a landscape of silicic ashflow tuff canyons and drainages. Isolated patches of pinyon-juniper are scattered throughout. The central section encompasses Cain Mountain, a limestone peak which is the highest point of the WSA. The mountain is scored in all directions by rugged, deep drainages lined with willow and cottonwood. Favret Canyon is the largest of these. The canyons have fossils and are blocked by intermittent waterfalls, with dense pinyon-juniper stands in the upper reaches. The southern portion is hilly with shallow washes and gullies and gently sloping foothills covered with low sagebrush and rabbitbrush.

This Wilderness Study Area is a component of the Bureau of Land Management's National Conservation Lands.

Recreation and Solitude
Recreation in the Augusta Mountains is only limited by lack of curiosity and willingness to explore. Cain Mountain is a challenging hike but is worth the view of Mount Tobin, Mount Moses, and the Toiyabe Crest. Cain Mountain is ranked #57 on Peakbagger.com and there are many trips listed from recreationists climbing the peak.

There is unlimited opportunity for hiking and horseback riding in wide meadows, water filled drainages, steep slopes, and tree-covered hill sides. Unique geologic formations offer many exploration options for rock-climbers, rock-hounds, and fossil hunters. Local fauna offer opportunity for big game hunters. The Augusta Mountains also offer fantastic night-sky viewing as one of the darkest places in the United States.

Special Features
The Middle Triassic deposits in the Augusta Mountains have yielded one of the North America’s richest and most diverse faunas of marine reptiles. These beds feature an excellent state of preservation of the fossil material. Wilderness designation will help protect these valuable resources and allow for continued scientific research, study, and excavation of these unique marine reptile skeletons. Of historical significance is a stage coach stop marked by a lonely stone cabin and corral. This area now functions as a popular camp site.

Take Action: The proposed Augusta Mountain Wilderness is part of the seven proposed wilderness areas outlined in the Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act. Sign the petition to gain permanent protection for the Augusta Mountains!

Learn more about the campaign and proposed bill here.