Summary
Current Protection
Proposed Wilderness
Management Agency
U.S. Forest Service
Year Protected
Pending
Total Area
100,397 Acres
Stretching for 90 miles between Austin and Tonopah, and with a ridgeline that rarely drops below 10,000 feet, the Toiyabe Range is one of Nevada's crown jewels. The core of this range is home to the Toiyabe Crest Proposed Wilderness. This area surrounds the 65-mile Toiyabe Crest Trail that was nominated as a National Recreation Trail in 1978. This premier trail stretches from Kingston Canyon to the Heart of the Arc Dome Wilderness and provides an outstanding primitive recreation destination for hikers and horse packers (see Additional Resources Tab for the complete history of the Toiyabe Crest Trail).
Toiyabe Range Peak (10,960 feet) in the north and French Peak (10,790) in the south are the highest prominences of the towering ridge that forms the core of this area. Vistas from this Wilderness and the Toiyabe Crest Trail are some of the best in Nevada. On clear days an adventurer can see across the entire State of Nevada from the Sierra Crest in the west to Wheeler Peak in the east.
The Toiyabe Crest has traditional ties with Newe and Numu people who have been living on and with these lands for countless generations. The name Toiyabe originates from the Newe word for mountain (toyap; dodabi; toyapi), with an ethnographic reference to the range as Biatoyavi, roughly translating as "Big Mountains."
Founders and members of Friends of Nevada Wilderness have been taking an active roll in advocating for wilderness protection for the Toiyabe Crest since long before our organization was formalized (see Additional Resources tab for more information on the conservation history of the Toiyabe Crest). Friends of Nevada Wilderness continues to work to protect the Toiyabe Crest through advocacy and stewardship, including environmental restoration, resource protection, trail maintenance, and mapping projects.
Agency Information
Managing Agency: U.S. Forest Service
Local District: Austin-Tonopah Ranger District
Address: 100 Midas Canyon Road Austin, NV 89130
Phone: (775) 964-2671