Inventoried Land with Wilderness Character (LWC) in the Battle Mountain BLM District 
Current LWC Status: Proposed
Acres: 51,100
State Region: West Central
County: Esmeralda
Managing Agency:
Bureau of Land Management
Battle Mountain District Office
50 Bastian Rd. Battle Mountain, NV 89820
(775) 635-4000
Battle Mountain District BLM Website
Area Description:
Clayton Ridge is a 51,100-acre proposed Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (LWC) unit located in Esmeralda County in Nevada. The unit is comprised entirely of BLM lands, all of which are managed by the Tonopah Field Office in the Battle Mountain District. The Clayton Ridge unit is located just southwest of Silver Peak, Nevada between the Montezuma Range and Clayton Valley. The unit ranges in elevation from 6600’ at its upper reaches along the western slopes of the Montezuma Range, to 4300’ in the Clayton Valley. The bulk of the unit is made up of a rugged collection of peaks and hills along Clayton Ridge, including dozens of unique peaks over 6000’ in elevation, including the two highest peaks Split Mountain and the Clayton Ridge Highpoint.
At over 51,000 acres, much of which is hilly and steep terrain split by numerous hidden draws and valleys. The Clayton Ridge unit offers outstanding opportunities for solitude. Any visitor that makes the effort to get off of the surrounding boundary routes and into the actual unit will undoubtedly find themselves “alone or remote from others”. From either the eastern or western boundary roads, one must cross long alluvial fan slopes to reach the peaks and valleys of the central portion of the unit. This area is not easy to explore, however, nearly every inch of this unit is accessible to the visitor with the determination and skills to traverse trackless wilderness. Birds and wildlife are present as well, providing opportunities for viewing and excellent hunting for skilled backcountry hunters. Bighorn sheep and chukar are two of the animals available for game hunting. The area offers outstanding desert hiking and exploration opportunities, including excellent rock scrambling, route finding, and peak bagging. The colorful formations throughout the unit combined with the rugged terrain and steep vertical relief, and cactus plains of the lower elevations create outstanding opportunities for photography, painting and sketching. This area presents spectacular outstanding vistas at every turn.
