Summary
Current Protection
Designated Wilderness
Management Agency
U.S. Forest Service
Year Protected
1989
Total Area
36,651 Acres
Designated as wilderness in 1989 with the passage of the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act, the East Humboldt Wilderness comprises 36,651 acres and protects the spectacular highlands of the East Humboldt Range. Friends of Nevada Wilderness was formally organized in 1984 to campaign for this first Wilderness Protection Act for the state of Nevada. (Learn more about the Legislative History of Wilderness in Nevada in the Additional Resources Tab.) The East Humboldt Range is the traditional home of the Western Shoshone who have been living on and with these lands for countless generations.
Towering 5,000 feet above the sagebrush desert of eastern Nevada, the East Humboldt Wilderness is truly a mountain island alive with alpine scenery, lake basins, streams, wildflowers, meadows, stands of aspen and conifer, and abundant wildlife. The highest point is Hole-in-the-Mountain Peak at 11,306 ft. which includes a large opening on the skyline. The area is characterized by heavily glacier-carved peaks, cliffs, talus slopes and U-shaped canyons with groves of limber pines and aspens and high meadows carpeted with wildflowers. The region’s wetter-than-Nevada-average climate, produces heavy winter snow falls and offers summer storms, which can last several days. So be prepared to get wet.
The Friends of Nevada Wilderness continuing commitment to support stewardship in the East Humboldt Wilderness includes Wilderness mapping and monitoring projects and working with partner organizations to maintain and repair trails.
Agency Information
Managing Agency: U.S. Forest Service
Local District: Ruby Mountains Ranger District
Address: PO Box 246 Wells, NV 89835
Phone: (775) 752-3357