23.260.419.01/01

Humboldt-Toiyabe

National Forest

Scattered pieces of a national treasure

where adventures come together

USDA Department of Agriculture • Forest Service

Intermountain Region • Ogden, Utah

Eastern Sierra

Eastern Sierra

Bridgeport Ranger District’s Hoover Wilderness in eastern California

H U M B O L D T - T O I Y A B E N A T I O N A L F O R E S T
 

WHERE

ADVENTURES COME 

TOGETHER

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

T

he Humboldt-Toiyabe’s spectacular 

6.3 million acres make up the largest 

national forest in the lower 48 states. 

Ten distinctive ranger districts are scattered like an intriguing puzzle across 

Nevada and a small portion of eastern 

California. Each piece contains its own 

unusual features, which offer unlimited recreation. The ranger districts vary from 

hardy “desert scapes” to snow-capped 

mountains with lush alpine meadows and 

timbered canyons. A world of discovery 

awaits those who explore the Forest’s rich 

historic past. The following page displays 

the districts and lists numbers and websites. Bridgeport Ranger District’s East Lake in the Hoover Wilderness

Santa Rosa Ranger District’s Santa Rosa Peak

Spring Mountains National Recreation Area’s Mummy Mountain

Ruby Mountains Ranger District’s Echo Canyon

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Indian Paintbrush

Bristlecone pine: one of the oldest known living tree species.

Hoover Wilderness
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, 

disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 

20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Scattered pieces of a national treasure:

bringing it all together . . .

Contacts . . .

Humboldt Toiyabe Headquarters (Sparks) ................................ 775-355-5301

www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/

 Carson Ranger District (Carson City) .................................. 775-882-2766

 Bridgeport Ranger District (Bridgeport, CA) ...................... 760-932-7070

 Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (Las Vegas) ... 702-873-8800

 Austin Ranger District (Austin) ............................................... 775-964-2671

 Tonopah Ranger District (Tonopah) ....................................... 775-842-6286

 Ely Ranger District (Ely) ............................................................ 775-289-3031

 Mountain City Ranger District (Mountain City) ................. 775-738-5171

 Ruby Mountains Ranger District (Wells) .............................. 775-752-3357

 Santa Rosa Ranger District (Winnemucca) .......................... 775-623-5025

 Northeast Nevada (Elko) .......................................................... 775-738-5171

Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

 (South Lake Tahoe, CA) ........................................................ 530-573-2600

www.r5.fs.fed.us/

Bureau of Land Management ........................................................ 775-861-6505

www.nv.blm.gov

National Park Service Yosemite

 National Park (CA) .................................................................... 209-372-0200

www.nps.gov/yose

 Great Basin National Park (NV) ............................................. 775-234-7331

www.nps.gov/grba

 Lake Mead National Recreation Area .................................... 702-293-8907

www.nps.gov/lame

US Fish & Wildlife Service ............................................................. 775-861-6300

www.r1.fs.gov

California State Parks ..................................................................... 916-653-6995

http://cal-parks.ca.gov/travel/regions/

Nevada State Parks ......................................................................... 775-687-4384 

www.state.nv.us/stparks/

Nevada Commission on Tourism ................................................(800) nevada-8

www.travelnevada.com

Nevada State Chamber of Commerce ....................................... 775-686-3030

www. state.nv.us

Before heading out . . .

• Check the weather forecast and plan for changing conditions.

• Tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be 

back.

• Hike with a partner.

• Wear proper clothing and foot gear.

• Carry drinking water, food, a fi rst-aid kit, a signal device, 

and matches.

• Respect wildlife and give them plenty of space.

• Confi ne, attend, and fully snuff-out campfi res.

• Use a vehicle designed for the driving conditions, 

routes, and trails.

• Find protection and stay put if you are lost.

• Plan ahead and prepare 

properly.

• Camp and travel on durable 

surfaces.

• Pack out what you bring into the 

forests.

• Properly dispose of what you 

can’t pack out.

• Leave natural things where and 

how you found them.

• Minimize the use and impact of 

campfi res.

What’s in Our Name?

Explorer John C. Fremont named the East Humboldt 

Mountain Range and the Humboldt River after 

German naturalist Baron Alexander von Humboldt. 

Toiyabe means “mountain” in Shoshone.

5 • Travel only where permitted 

and obey travel regulations.

• Respect the rights of others.

• Educate yourself about public 

and private land boundaries.

• Avoid non-durable surfaces, 

stream sides, and waterways.

• Operate your ATV safely and 

responsibly.

Plan ahead and prepare 

Winnemucca Elko

Wells

Reno

Carson City

Austin

Ely

Tonopah

Las Vegas

395 50

80

6

6

95

93

15

93

93

80

95

Pyramid

Lake

Lake Tahoe

Bridgeport

Sheldon National

Wildlife Refuge

Stillwater National

Wildlife Refuge

Ruby Lake National

Wildlife Refuge

Desert National

Wildlife Range

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Truckee

Markleeville

ALT

95

95

89

88

395

395
NORTHEAST Weaving the 

threads of a 

natural 

tapestry . . .

Hiking among the 

rugged glaciated 

peaks of Jarbidge Wilderness and East Humboldt 

Wilderness; zipping via snowmobile or skiing over windswept crystal snow on Sunfl ower Flat and Pole Creek 

bench; angling for a cutthroat 

trout on a pristine mountain 

stream; fi nding clues left by 

miners who searched for 

riches in the rugged Independence Mountains; chancing 

upon the unexpected sight of 

bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, 

or a mountain lion; hearing 

the thunder of wild horses 

pounding across the Ruby 

Mountains; camping among 

gnarled bristlecone pine, next 

to elegant fi r and spruce, 

or within lush groves of quaking aspen; threading through 

hidden canyons and across 

rugged peaks . . . a portrait 

of adventure in Northeast 

Nevada on the 

Humboldt-Toiyabe National 

Forest.

Santa Rosa, Mountain City, Jarbidge,

and Ruby Mountains Ranger Districts

Santa Rosa, Mountain City, Jarbidge,

and Ruby Mountains Ranger Districts

Ruby Mountains Ranger District’s East Humboldt Range

Ruby Mountains Ranger District’s Liberty Pass

Bighorn sheep

Spring wildfl owers

Lexington Arch near Wheeler Peak Scenic Area
Wildfl owers on the Austin Ranger District

Tonopah Ranger District’s Table Mountain Wilderness

Discovering

what’s around

the bend . . .

Share a primitive site 

with a bighorn sheep 

in rugged places that 

once lured the silver miners; 

watch a thunderstorm roll 

down craggy limestone 

thrusts and puddle up on 

the wide terraces invisible 

from the valley fl oor below; 

explore the Great Basin’s 

high cold desert adjacent 

to the heat of the Mojave; 

photograph rough, steep, 

mysterious ecosystems rich 

in diverse plant and animal 

life; amble through the Grant 

Range Wilderness with its 

forests of limber and bristlecone pine, white fi r, and 

aspen; catch your breath at the sight

of a rare Nevada primrose; witness the volcanic history captured in the 

canyons and cold mountain springs of Quinn Canyon Wilderness; marvel at 

the pristine white limestone cliffs of Current Mountain Wilderness . . . while 

to the west, the Arc Dome, Alta Toquima, and Table Mountain wildernesses’ 

lure you to visit; drop into the caves at Great Basin National Park that is 

surrounded by the Snake Mountain Range . . . a satisfying feast for outdoor 

hunger in east central Nevada on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

CENTRAL

Ely, Austin, and Tonopah Ranger Districts Ely, Austin, and Tonopah Ranger Districts

Cool mountain stream

Ely Ranger District’s Treasure Hill - a 

miner’s cabin

Austin Ranger District’s Toquima Cave 

petroglyphs

An 

unobstructed 

view from the 

top of Toquima 

Wilderness

Ely Ranger District’s Troy Peak’s aspen

Red primrose

Wild horses near Ely, Nevada
Snow-fed Sierra Nevada river

Lake Tahoe’s crystal clear waters and breath-taking

mountains promise lifetime memories.

Erasing invisible borders . . .

F

inding the heart of a national forest amid the azure waters 

of Lake Tahoe straddling the border of Nevada and California; 

smelling the moist rich soil beneath the stately pines, regal fi r, 

and the ghostly quaking aspen; dipping a fi nger into the icy waters 

of an alpine lake high in the Sierras; fi shing, hunting, skiing, canoeing, 

horseback riding, camping, hiking, and catching a breath of clear 

mountain air; retracing the steps of Native Americans from long ago; 

fl ying down a ski slope on a snow board; cracking pinyon pine nuts 

and savoring their fl avorful white meat; catching elusive photos of a 

black bear cub, bobcat, or coyotes; discovering geological wonders 

like historic volcanos and ancient seas; realizing what wilderness really 

means; an experience beyond boundaries on the eastern slopes of the 

Sierra Nevada Mountains on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts

SIERRA

Carson and Bridgeport Ranger Districts

Pileated woodpecker

Photographers’ paradise

Hoover Wilderness

P-o-w-d-e-r. Sunshine. Gotcha! Each change of season offers a wide range of outdoor adventures. The choices are all yours.
Beavertail cactus

Palmer’s chipmunk

Exploring high 

above the neon 

glare . . . Hiking up the challenging 

11,918-foot summit of 

Charleston Peak, home 

to 25 species found no where 

else in the world; fi nding relief 

from the hot southern Nevada 

sun in a cool, forested canyon; 

gazing at the awesome pinnacle 

of Spring Mountains; camping 

and skiing where Native Americans spent their time eons 

ago; watching wild burros and 

horses amble across the valley; 

discovering a lush, green riparian area tucked into a windswept canyon; knowing these 

natural treasures will be here 

for future generations of visitors in the Spring Mountains 

National Recreation Area . . . 

an unexpected reward at the 

southern tip of the 

Humboldt-Toiyabe National 

Forest.

SPRING

MOUNTAINS

NATIONAL

RECREATION

AREA

Upper Kyle Canyon’s MaryJane Falls Monarch butterfl y

Joshua trees and sagebrush surround Mt. Stirling

Wild horses grazing

Unexpected winter fun at the top of Kyle Canyon
Angel Lake

Lamoille Canyon

Pyramid Lake Road

Mt. Rose

Lake Tahoe

Great Basin

Valley of Fire

Mt. Charleston

Red Rock Canyon

SCENIC BYWAYS

Astring of Scenic Byways and Highways wind their way across Nevada and 

eastern California, in and out of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Visitors are treated to unparalleled views along these routes. Overlooks provide 

photo opportunities for fabulous scenery, trees, wildfl owers, and wildlife. Enjoy 

Forest Service campgrounds, special sites, and hiking trails. Always check weather 

forecasts and plan accordingly for changing conditions before hitting the road. SCENIC BYWAYS

Regularly traveled major 

roads that offer unique 

combinations of recreational adventures and 

scenic attractions. 

Linking together the pieces

Lamoille Canyon overlook (2)

Biking on Mt. Rose Highway (4)

5

Ruby Mountains Ranger District’s Lamoille Canyon

Mt. Charleston (8)

Angel Lake (1)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Carson Pass

Ebbetts Pass

Eastern Sierra

10

11

12

95

395 50

89

88

395

395 6

6

95

93

15

93

93

80

95

80 ALT

95

1

2

3

12

10

11

4

5

8

9

7

6

Winnemucca Elko

Wells

Reno

Carson City

Austin Ely

Tonopah

Las Vegas

Pyramid

Lake

Lake Tahoe

Bridgeport

Humboldt-Toiyabe

National Forest

Truckee

Markleeville