Hiking and Backpacking in Nevada

Hiking & Backpacking

With more than 300 named mountain ranges, millions of acres of rugged, untamed wilderness, and thousands of miles of trails, it’s safe to say the Silver State offers hikers and backpackers a lifetime of exploration. From celebrated Nevada state parks and national park wonders to crowd-free conservation areas and the 36-mile long, peak-hopping Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail, learn where to get some Nevada dirt on those boots.

Highlights

  • Hiking in Reno and Backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail
  • Quick Hiking Trips from the Strip
  • The Ruby Crest Trail and Jarbidge Wilderness Area
See All Nevada Trails

From easy ambles to alpine scrambles, all alluring to casual out-and-back day trippers and hardcore, toothbrush-chopping wilderness thru-hikers, and everyone in between, Nevada is a hiker’s paradise.

Travel Nevada Pro Tip

View and download up-to-date maps for, descriptions of, and directions to thousands of miles of Nevada trails β€” for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, OHV riders, cross-country skiers, kayakers, and more atΒ NVTrailFinder.com.

Hiking in Reno & Backpacking Lake Tahoe: Northern Nevada

nv hiking map

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State of Nevada

Looking to get after some hiking in Reno? While the Biggest Little City is surrounded by amazing hikes, some great places to start are local faves like the Hunter Creek Trail and Galena Creek Trail. If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, head for the Mount Rose Wilderness Area, located between Reno and North Lake Tahoe.

Named after the Carson Range’s highest peak, the Mount Rose Wilderness Area frames Lake Tahoe’s northeast rim. The 10,766-foot Mount Rose summit peaks every Tahoe hiker’s interest, thanks to en-route waterfalls, blazing midsummer wildflowers, and views of Lake Tahoe and Nevada’s sweeping desertscapes. You could spend up to two weeks backpacking Lake Tahoe Rim Trail’s 165-mile, lake-studded, peak-bagging alpine circuit, or simply enjoy a morning meadow stroll on any stretch of this iconic Sierra Nevada trail, where dozens of spur trails lead to mind-bending views surrounding Lake Tahoeβ€”the largest and clearest alpine lake in the U.S.

Tahoe Rim Trail hiking
Tahoe Rim Trail, Lake Tahoe

Beckoning hikers across the border, just beyond South Lake Tahoe, are Mt. Tallac, Jobs Peak, and Freel Peak (three of Lake Tahoe’s tallest and most famous mountains), along with the jagged summits and countless backcountry lakes of the heavenly Desolation Wildernessβ€”home to a fabled stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, every thru-hiker’s fantasy.

hike mt rose
Mount Rose Summit

Travel Nevada Pro Tip

Ready for some wilderness where you can count on having the trail to yourself? Head for the Toiyabe Crest Trailβ€”75 miles of trail, mostly above the timberline, traversing the towering Toiyabe Range, with 100-mile views and access to 11,477’ Bunker Hill, and 11,781’ Arc Dome.
Recreate Responsibly

In love with the Silver State as much as we are? Learn what you can do to help us keep the places we cherish specialβ€”and openβ€”for us and future generations.

Hiking Near Las Vegas: Southern Nevada Tips, Tricks & Trails

There is no shortage of hiking near Las Vegas, either. Just 45 minutes northwest of Vegas, Charleston Peak rises from the Spring Mountains Wilderness Area, scraping the Mojave Desert skies at nearly 12,000 feet, with mountainsides cloaked in one of the largest groves of ancient bristlecone pines in the West. The full round-trip trek to the top of southern Nevada’s most prominent peak is not for the faint of feet, but intrepid hikers are rewarded with big-sky views stretching into California and Arizona, along with vistas down to vibrant rock formations at Red Rock Canyon and the glimmering Las Vegas Strip.

Beyond hiking in Vegas, other gotta-experience-it trails await at Valley of Fire, barely an hour from Downtown. Beeline it for the White Domes Trail, Rainbow Vista, Petroglyph Canyon Trail to Mouse’s Tank, and Balancing Rock to get a full spectrum of the spectacular vibrancy found within Nevada’s first state park. Planning to visit Las Vegas during our hotter months? Escape the southern Nevada heat by navigating Cathedral Gorge’s otherworldly slot canyonsβ€”which always run a good 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding landscape.

Death Valley Hiking
Death Valley National Park
nevada backpacking
Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail

Nevada Backpacking & Hiking in the Places in Between

One of America’s most underrated national parks, Great Basin National Park offers gobsmacking views from its pleasantly uncrowded hiking trails. The 4.3-mile Bristlecone-Glacier Trail ascends past the gnarled bristlecone pines to a stark, rock-rimmed cirque cradling Nevada’s last active glacier. The Wheeler Peak Trail climbs to 13,064 feet and a vista stretching into Utah. For a gentler stroll, take the 2.7-mile Alpine Lakes Loop, which serves stunning vistas of ruggedly beautiful alpine lakes set against some of Nevada’s tallest peaks.

The Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail (RCT) follows the spine of one of Nevada’s most pristine, barely-touched locales: Elko County’s Ruby Mountains. Its sole paved access pointβ€”the drastic and picturesque Lamoille Canyon Roadβ€”sees its fair share of day-trippers and overnight visitors. But rugged terrain and lingering snow (many high lakes and the pass above Overland Lake remain frozen well into June or July) keep the furthest reaches of the range reserved for the hardy few who venture out on foot or horseback. Beginning at Harrison Pass, the RCT is often navigated from south to north, winding through 36 miles of alpine lakes, lush mountain meadows, and pristine wilderness.

Ready for the triple triple crown of northeastern Nevada adventure? Hike into the Jarbidge Wilderness Area, not only for some of the best hiking in Nevada, but also incredible fishing and stargazing, too. Just shy of the Idaho border, plan for 10,000-foot-peaks dressed in wildflowers and glacier-carved river canyons. More than 126 miles of hiking trails. Big-game hunting. Native trout-packed streams. Basque sheepherder-etched aspen arborglyphs. Cinematic campfire scenes. And even a dose of Wild West history at the site of the last stagecoach robbery in the American West. Sold? Yeah, we are too.

Get Some Dirt on Those Boots

Tapping into outdoor adventure in Nevada is true guilty pleasure. With all our crowdless surprises, it feels like you’re getting away with something you shouldn’t. Whether you’re summiting one of our 300+ mountain ranges or navigating a people-free trail through an ancient bristlecone pine forest, Nevada hiking beckons your boots. All you gotta do is get out here, go for it, and never look back.

#NVAdventure

Wanna let more Nevada-lovers hike vicariously through you? Use #TravelNevada and share your fave Nevada trails. If we love your photo, look for it here!

Blessings to the Ruby Mountains for being such a great & unpredictable host this past month. Gonna miss this place. Truly one of Nevada’s gems.
😜πŸ₯ΎπŸ’›πŸ”
#QuerenciaSummer #HomeMeansNevada
#AdventureLife #HikingLife
Edward Abbey thought that we should ban cars from National Parks. He said that the only way we could truly experience something is get out and walk, better yet crawl on your hands and knees, until your blood is mingled with the thornbrush and cactus and then you might just see something, but probably not. I must say climbing up a 13000 ft peak is pretty easy when the trailhead is at 10,000 ft.
It is pretty nice up here.
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#hikenevada #peakbagging #dps #sierraclub #hiking #mountainclimbing
Find someone who holds your hand as you walk through the woods together. ❀
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#wanderlust  #hikenevada #photooftheday #picoftheday #instago  #keepitwild #optoutside #getoutside #wildernessculture #lifeofadventure #liveoutdoors #makemoments #exploremore #stayandwander #happypeoplehike #lovelifeoutsidenevada #vegaslife #womenwhohike #wishyouwerewest #westisbest  #travelgram #liveunscripted  #incrediblewest #hikingculture #choosemountains #findyourpark
Another Wildflower view. These things are popping all over the place on the north facing slopes at elevation.

#nevada #nevadaphile #exploreNevada #nevadasky #getoutside #Wilderness #travelnevada #howtonevada #nvmag #northernnevada #backpacking #outdoors #basinandrange #valleys #mountainranges #dfmi #homemeansnevada #nevadaoutdoors #optoutside #hiking #camping #wildflowers #flowers #nevadawildflowers #elevation #nature
Happy 4th from Las Vegas β˜€οΈ πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ 🎰 PC πŸ“Έ: nicklesnau #hikenevada #maryjanefalls
Who would've thunk there's more to Nevada than gambling my monies away at the roulette table πŸ™ƒπŸ˜ #nevada #travelnevada #basin #glaciers #glacierpoint #hikenevada #findyourpark #natureisamazing #instahike #snowphotography #snowmountain #itscold #inthemountains #explorenevada #traillove #glacierhiking #travelusa #bucketlistadventures #hikingadventures
πŸ“π™ƒπ™žπ™¨π™©π™€π™§π™žπ™˜ π™π™–π™žπ™‘π™§π™€π™–π™™ π™ƒπ™žπ™ π™žπ™£π™œ π™π™§π™–π™žπ™‘ | 
π—•π—Όπ˜‚π—Ήπ—±π—²π—Ώ π—–π—Άπ˜π˜†, 𝗑𝗩
The rail-trail offers panoramic views of the Lake Mead. The trail leads to five railroad tunnels on its way toward Hoover Dam. 
After the dam was completed in 1935, the railroad ceased operation, and in 1962 the tracks were removed; the trail opened in 1995.
Do you enjoy learning about your state’s history? 
#travellocal #travelnevada #historicrailroadtrail
We went on a beautiful hike up to a waterfall today. It’s so surprising how many beautiful places there are to see in our area in Nevada.
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We are having a blast exploring this area and we are really appreciating our time here. I wish more things were open for us to explore but it’s nice to find little jewels like this place.
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Our transition into fulltime RVing hasn’t been difficult to our surprise. The boys are really enjoying all of the outdoor time and we’re exploring everyday! We are excited to see where our path takes us next!
You gotta have the lows to feel the highs... This is the highest point in Nevada at ~13,140 feet! πŸ”πŸ˜„πŸ‘πŸ»
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#nevada #sierranevada #hikenevada #reno #travelnevada #visitnevada #getoutside #explorenevada #getoutstayout #nikond3500 #optoutside #outdoortones #nikon #seeingthesierra #outdoorproject #exploremore #seeingthesierra #hikingadventures #trekkingtoes #mountainstotravel #roadstotravel #mountainadventures #findmeoutside #seekthetrails #hiking #naturalnevada #homemeansnevada #nationalforest #inyonationalforest #eastern_sierra_outdoors #easternsierra
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