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Services, Getting There Supplies: Winnemucca is about 80 miles to the southeast. Getting there: The area is accessible from the south via Soldier Meadows Road, from the northeast (from Cedarville and Vya) via 8A and the Badger Mountain Road, and from the northeast (Hwy 140 north of Winnemucca) via Knott Creek Road and Little Idaho Canyon. Hikes & Trails Related Areas Map Information Benchmark Gazetteer, page 31. |
Wilderness Area Status Wilderness Study Area Management Managing Agency: Bureau of Land Management Area Description The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Natural Area Instant Study Area was established in 1973 to ensure the preservation of this threatened species of fish, in its natural habitat and to maximize spawning areas. Interestingly, this is the purest strain of Lahontan Cutthroat that remains (wildlife officials used fish from this population to restock the struggling population at Pyramid Lake and in the Truckee River). Situated on the northern slopes of the Black Rock Range, the open sage and grass slopes of this area are cut with aspen-filled drainages, with perennial streams, willow and mahogany trees, lush meadows, colorful rock formations and a strong wildlife presence. It is one of Nevada's great scenic jewels. Enjoy hiking and riding, hunting, photography and cross-country skiing. Although the creeks contain trout, it is not legal to fish for them. The clear, shallow streams make the fish easy to see. So look but don't touch. Still, the cool flowing water is a lovely thing in which to dangle one's toes. The aspen provide cool and shady exploring, and the open slopes above provide sweeping views over the High Rock Canyon country to the west, toward the Sheldon Antelope Refuge to the north, and to the Pine Forest Range to the northeast. To protect the water quality, over 2,000 acres (20 percent of the study area) were fenced to exclude livestock from the stream headwaters. The original sage and bunch-grass plant community has made a comeback, providing wildlife habitat. This is one of the rare places in Nevada where people can see a thriving native plant community unaffected by the presence of cattle. This Wilderness Study Area is a component of the Bureau of Land Management's National Conservation Lands. Wildlife: |
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