off the beaten path

Isolated adventure abounds in Nevada Silver Trails.

By CHARLIE JOHNSTON | September/October 2011

For almost 200 years, intrepid explorers have crisscrossed the vast south-central region of Nevada in search of riches and opportunity. From the first American to explore the area, Jedediah Smith in 1827, to the Manly Party, whose ill-fated 1849 journey gave Death Valley its intimidating moniker, and countless gold and silver miners through the turn of the 20th century, Nevada Silver Trails has long been an arena for inspiring travels. Though staking a mining claim of your own might be a little difficult these days, many treasures await prepared modern adventurers in Nevada’s largest and most geographically diverse territory.

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ARC DOME WILDERNESS

If towering snow-clad ridges, precipitous canyons, rushing rivers, and lush fields of vibrant wildflowers sound like attributes of a place you’d like to visit, central Nevada’s Arc Dome Wilderness belongs on your next travel itinerary. Anchored by 11,773-foot Arc Dome—Nye County’s highest peak—the 180-square-mile wilderness area, Nevada’s largest, occupies the southern section of one of Nevada’s biggest mountain chains, the Toiyabe Range.

Arc Dome Wilderness can be accessed via myriad trails and from all directions, including from the north along the 72-mile Toiyabe Crest National Recreation Trail; on the steep, craggy eastern aspect of the range at North Twin River, South Twin River, and Jett Canyon Trails; from the south along Peavine and Tom’s Canyon Trails near Peavine Campground; and from the gentle western slope of the range at Columbine Campground along the Stewart Creek Trail or via Cow Canyon Trail.

Three rivers—the Reese River on the west and North and South Twin Rivers on the east—and numerous streams drain the mountainous wilderness area and support angler-attracting populations of trout. The rivers can vary from trickles to torrents depending on the time of year and snowpack, so visitors should be prepared for anything from dry conditions to thigh-deep crossings in fast-moving water. In addition to the brook, German, Lahontan Cutthroat, and rainbow trout in the rivers and streams, the wilderness area supports many species of wildlife from sage grouse and chukar to mountain lions and beavers.

Columbine Campground sits amid dense aspen forests along Stewart Creek and offers a handful of sites and pit toilets. Peavine Campground, outside the wilderness area’s southern boundary, also offers creekside camping with pit toilets. Backcountry camping is permitted throughout the wilderness area. Tonopah, about 55 miles to the south, is the closest and most convenient town with services.

CONTACTS
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Austin Ranger District
100 Midas Canyon Rd.,
PO Box 130, Austin, NV 89310
fs.fed.us
775-964-2671

Friends of Nevada Wilderness
nevadawilderness.org
775-745-7667

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BOUNDARY PEAK & BRISTLECONE PINES

If not for its status as the highest point in Nevada and corresponding place on to-do lists of peak baggers intent on reaching the pinnacles of all 50 states, Boundary Peak would probably vie for the title of least-visited spot in the Silver State. As it is, only a hardy few venture to the mountain’s flanks and lofty summit. The 13,141-foot peak straddles the Nevada-California line south of U.S. Highway 6 in Esmeralda County and is a stone’s throw from its higher cousin, California’s 13,441-foot Montgomery Peak.

At about 8,000 feet above the surrounding valleys, Boundary affords those sure-footed enough to reach its peak with unparalleled views of the Great Basin to the east and the snow-clad Sierra Nevada to the west. Two routes reach the summit—they actually converge about two thirds of the way up—one from the east at Trail Canyon via State Route 264, the other from the north at Queen Canyon via U.S. Highway 6. Most people opt for Trail Canyon because Queen Canyon Road requires four-wheel drive. Photo: Carol Grenier

Water is scarce along the routes, so bring plenty if you plan to climb Boundary Peak in summer or fall. If you choose to climb in winter, crampons, an ice axe, and plenty of warm clothing are musts. Hawthorne and Tonopah, each about 75 miles away, are the closest places to find gas and other services.

South of Boundary Peak, in California’s portion of the White Mountains, Schulman and Patriarch Groves are home to the oldest living things on earth, bristlecone pines. The groves can be accessed via Nevada State Route 266, California State Route 168, and a dirt road, and the Schulman Grove Visitors Center is being rebuilt following the 2008 fire that destroyed it. The world’s largest bristlecone, the Patriarch Tree, resides in the grove of the same name along with the world’s oldest bristlecone, the almost 4,800-year-old Methuselah. Bristlecones can also be found in central Nevada’s higher ranges such as Hot Creek and Monitor.

CONTACT
Inyo National Forest
White Mountain Ranger District
798 N. Main St., Bishop, CA 93514
fs.fed.us
760-873-2500

REFLECTIONS

Upon reaching the pinnacle, I laid down for a few minutes to catch my breath, and get some reprieve from the furious winds that were blowing on this winter day, January 17. It’s the highest elevation I’ve been, which is appropriate seen as how Boundary Peak is Nevada’s highest point (13,141 feet).

“Boundary Peak”
Nevada Magazine, March/April 2009

 

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CAVING—LEVIATHAN & WHIPPLE CAVES

It doesn’t get much more off the beaten path than rappelling into dark, mysterious caves in remote Nevada mountain ranges. Such adventures aren’t for novice explorers, but for those with the right tools and experience, caverns such as Lincoln County’s Leviathan and Whipple Caves provide chances to discover unique subterranean worlds. Both caves require substantial off-road driving and route-finding and are hours from the nearest services.

In addition to all of the standard desert-driving and exploring necessities (extra water, spare tire, fuel, etc.), visitors to the caves should also carry ropes, climbing gear, helmets, and flashlights or headlamps and possess a good knowledge of rappelling and climbing techniques. Photo: Tom Till

Visitors should also be conscious of the fragile environment of caves and be careful not to disturb any formations or wildlife within.

Leviathan Cave (right), in the Worthington Mountains northeast of Alamo, is reached via a strenuous hike of about two miles and can be descended one of two ways: an exposed 20-foot down-climb or a 100-foot free rappel from the hillside above the cave’s entrance. Once inside, visitors will find numerous formations and ponds and passages to other chambers of the cave. Exiting the cave requires a climb of about 20 feet.

A 70-foot rappel is required to enter Whipple Cave in the South Egan Range east of State Route 318. Once inside, Whipple offers cavers impressive formations in large limestone caverns. Among the cave’s highlights are a 40-foot column and numerous cascading pools. Exiting Whipple Cave requires climbing back up the 70-foot cliff guarding the entrance.

WORTH A CLICK
desertislands.org

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HARD LUCK MINE & CASTLE

The Hard Luck Mine operated from 1897 to about World War II. After the war, the mine could not be reopened because thieves had trespassed and taken all of the equipment during the years it was closed. The 40 acres that comprise the Hard Luck Mine and its neighboring Emerson claim were purchased by current owner Randy Johnston in 1998, and in 2000, Johnston started building his castle.

The four-story, 8,000-square-foot fortress has 16-inch-thick walls and was built with 22,000 bricks, 65 yards of concrete, and more than six tons of rebar. The mostly circular citadel uses wind and solar power and has a theater, auto and wood shops, game room, four bedrooms, two kitchens, and a great room with two pipe organs. Johnston offers guided tours of the castle, 35 miles south of Goldfield near State Route 276 and Scottys Junction.

CONTACT
Hard Luck Mine & Castle
HC 35 Box 37, Goldfield, NV 89013
775-772-2413

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KEY PITTMAN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, near the tiny town of Hiko just north of the intersection of U.S. Highway 93 and State Routes 318 and 375, is a favorite nesting area for many species of waterfowl, and it attracts a correspondingly enthusiastic number of bird hunters.

In November 2010, the Las Vegas Review-Journal quoted several hunters who called the hunting at Key Pittman some of the best they had ever experienced. Fishing on the wildlife management area’s portion of the White River and two lakes, Frenchy and Nesbitt, is only permitted outside of hunting season (and vice versa). Visit the wildlife management area’s website for dates and more information about its various fishing and hunting seasons. Camping is not permitted within Key Pittman.

CONTACT
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Southern Region
4747 Vegas Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89108
ndow.org
702-486-5127

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KIRCH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The Wayne E. Kirch Wildlife Management Area, in the White River Valley about midway between Alamo and Ely on State Route 318, is home to picturesque and bountiful grasslands, meadows, reservoirs, and wetlands. The 23-square-mile wildlife reservation owes its array of oases to the White River, which flows through it and provides water for plants and abundant wildlife from waterfowl and fish to pronghorn antelope and sage grouse.

Fishing is permitted on Kirch’s five reservoirs—Adams McGill, Cold Springs, Dacey, Haymeadow, and Tule—with boats restricted to five miles per hour or less. All motorized vessels are prohibited on Dacey Reservoir from February 15 to August 15. Like its neighbor to the south, Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area, fishing is prohibited during bird-hunting season and vice versa. Visit the wildlife management area’s website for dates and more information about its various fishing and hunting seasons.

Shade, picnic tables, toilets, fire pits, and an RV dump station are available at Hot Creek Campground (also called Dave Deacon Campground), and the nearby 90-degree hot spring for which the camp is named is a major attraction to campers and passersby. Access to the campground is at the Sunnyside Rest Area.

CONTACT
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Southern Region
4747 Vegas Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89108
ndow.org
702-486-5127

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LUNAR CRATER

The term “other worldly” is thrown around a lot in describing unique landscapes, but with a name like Lunar Crater, central Nevada’s eons-old volcanic field certainly qualifies for such a distinction. About midway between Tonopah and Ely off U.S. Highway 6, the crater and the dozens of cinder cones, ancient lava flows, and other craters around it are the most significant evidence of past volcanic activity in the state. In the early 1970s, the crater was used to train astronauts for the Apollo moon missions.

The Lunar Crater National Back Country Byway leads to the 400-foot-deep bowl and other significant formations in the area such as Easy Chair Crater, Black Rock Lava Flow, and Lunar Lake, a typically dry alkali lake bed reminiscent of northwestern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. In addition to the byway, off-road trails of every description from novice to technical crisscross the region and provide access to other interesting features of the volcanic field.

CONTACT
Bureau of Land Management
Tonopah Field Office
1553 S. Main St., Tonopah, NV 89049
blm.gov/nv
775-482-7800

REFLECTIONS

The crater as well as the lava beds and cinder cones surrounding it have long been regarded with curiosity by Nye County ranchers and miners, but it was not until 1939 that park officials saw promise in the area and set up a sign on the main highway pointing out the dirt road to the crater. Although it still has not been developed as a park, this volcanic area has much of interest besides the pit. From the crater’s rim, one can see more than 20 extinct volcanoes in the nearby hills, some hardly more than unobtrusive dark mounds.

“Volcanoes!”
Nevada Highways and Parks, No. 1 1960

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MASON VALLEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The 21-square-mile Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area sits north of Yerington amid marshes along the lower Walker River. Its more than 30 ponds are regionally revered fishing, bird-hunting, and even swimming destinations, and its alkali desert scrubland supports many mammals such as mule deer. Hunting and fishing are permitted during alternate seasons. Visit the wildlife management area’s website for dates and more information about its various fishing and hunting seasons. The Sandridge Campground includes picnic tables, toilets, and fire pits.

Mason Valley Fish Hatchery within the management area allows self-guided tours of the facility. One of three hatcheries in Nevada, the Mason Valley hatchery plays a vital role in stocking many of Nevada’s waterways with trout.

CONTACTS
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Western Region
1100 Valley Rd., Reno, NV 89512
ndow.org
775-688-1500

Mason Valley Fish Hatchery
50 Hatchery Wy., Yerington, NV 89447
ndow.org
775-463-4488

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RAILROAD VALLEY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The four-part Railroad Valley Wildlife Management Area is home to 147 species of birds, including waterfowl, shorebirds, migratory birds, and osprey, making it one of Nevada Silver Trails’ premier birding destinations. Fishing at Chimney Springs and Big Well, Blue Eagle, and Locke’s Ponds is also a popular activity at Railroad Valley. Camping is not permitted.

CONTACT
Bureau of Land Management
Battle Mountain District Office
50 Bastian Rd., Battle Mountain, NV 89820
blm.gov/nv
775-635-4000

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ROCK ART

Nevada’s rock art is among the most abundant and significant in the entire United States, and Lincoln County is home to some of Nevada’s most impressive examples. Following are some of the county’s best places to find Native American petroglyphs. For more information, Rock Art Guides are available from the Greater Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce and can be downloaded at lincolncountynevada.com.

The boulders at Ash Springs Rock Art Site are believed to have sheltered ancient Great Basin natives from winter’s chill as far back as 1,500 years and today bear the marks of their prehistoric visits in the form of numerous petroglyphs. Ash Springs is a short distance on a dirt road that departs U.S. Highway 93 about midway between Alamo and the intersection of U.S. 93 and State Route 318.

Crystal Wash Rock Art Site, a short distance off U.S. 93 near mile markers 54 and 55 between Alamo and Caliente, is believed to have been an ancient winter habitation site and travel route. Its petroglyphs and a few pictographs represent a large array of rock art types, and many were possibly intended to provide information to passersby.

Mount Irish Rock Art and Archeological District (right) can be reached via a nine-mile dirt road accessed just past Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area on S.R. 318. The site is comprised of three areas with petroglyphs that date back as far as 3,000 years. The mostly representational rock art includes depictions of bighorn sheep, deer, and other wildlife.

Four sites along S.R. 317 south of Caliente comprise the Rainbow Canyon Archeological Sites. The most accessible of Lincoln County’s rock art sites (if you can navigate the flood-damaged road), Rainbow Canyon’s petroglyphs have been dated back as much as 10,000 years. Etna Cave, within the canyon, shows signs of sporadic occupation as far back as 5,000 years, has produced hundreds of artifacts, and is home to numerous pictographs.

The Shooting Gallery Game Drive District in Curtis Canyon west of Alamo via dirt roads is among the more remote rock art sites in Lincoln County. The district gets its name because of evidence that prehistoric American Indians used the area to build hunting blinds and rock features that channeled herds of large game for hunting. The abstract and representational petroglyphs at the site have been dated as far back as 2,000 years.

White River Narrows Archeological District, along S.R. 318, is 23 miles north of the intersection with U.S. 93. The distinct canyon, which also makes for a pleasant scenic drive, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for its abundance of petroglyphs.

When visiting these or any of Nevada’s petroglyphs and pictographs, it is important to remember that they are at constant risk of being lost to vandalism. Visitors should do their part to protect these important, fragile pieces of history by respecting the sites and reporting any damage they encounter.

CONTACTS
Bureau of Land Management
Ely District Office
HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301
blm.gov/nv
775-289-1800

Bureau of Land Management
Caliente Field Office
1400 S. Front St., PO Box 237, Caliente, NV 89008
blm.gov/nv
775-726-8100