Mount Moriah was initially designated with the passage of the Nevada Wilderness Protection Act of 1989 (82,000 acres). The White Pine County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2006 added lands from the adjacent National Forest and BLM managed lands to increase the Wilderness to 89,790 acres. Friends of Nevada Wilderness was formally established in 1984 to advocate for protection of Wilderness in Nevada, including Mount Moriah, and continues to advocate for protecting qualified Wilderness through supporting legislation like the 2006 White Pine Bill. Mount Moriah is the traditional homeland of the Newe (Western Shoshone) and Goshute peoples.

Mount Moriah, with an elevation of 12,070 feet, is the high point of the Wilderness. This Wilderness lies just north Great Basin National Park in the North Snake Range. The Table, about 1,000 feet below the peak, is a unique high elevation plateau covered with subalpine vegetation with small clusters bristlecone pine, Douglas fir, and limber pine stands along its edge. The area features well-developed trails, unlimited opportunities for off-trail exploration, Wilderness camping, and numerous caves.