Summary
Current Protection
Designated Wilderness
Management Agency
Bureau of Land Management
Year Protected
2014
Total Area
25,866 Acres
Just north of the Black Rock Range and just south of the Oregon Border lies a hidden gem, the Pine Forest Range, 25,866 acres of which is protected as a Wilderness Area in Humboldt County, Nevada. The rugged and stunningly beautiful mountain range elevation varies from 4,200 to 9,000 feet interlaced by springs, seeps and snow melt-fed streams which maintain several upper-elevation lakes. Otherworldly lithic outcrops and formations and dense vegetation, sage-dominant ecosystems, and a multitude of flowering forbs that, in the spring and early summer appear as an artists’ well-used pallet.
The spectacular scenery and vistas, combined with outstanding recreational opportunities, draw thousands of visitors annually. Despite being one of the most highly visited recreational areas in the region. The area, through the diligence of its visitors adhering to Leave No Trace guidance, remains pristine and wild, and as an ecological sanctuary for endemic plants and wildlife. Solitude is easy to find in the rugged terrain where one may encounter pika, a Goshawk, bighorn sheep, or the vestiges of earlier indigenous peoples who called this area home for thousands of years. Indigenous inhabitants of Northern Nevada, California and southern Oregon traveled hundreds of miles to the foothills on the western flanks of this wilderness for tool stone, primarily obsidian from which they fashioned atlatl dart and arrow projectile points, knives and other tools relied upon for fleshing hides, working wood, and other bushcraft tasks. Therefore, the region around and within the wilderness boundary was and today is still sacred to the Numu (Northern Paiute) people.
Agency Information
Managing Agency: Bureau of Land Management
Local District: Winnemucca District Office
Address: 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445
Phone: (775) 623-1500