Backpacking Nevada, the ultimate guide to backpacking trips in Nevada's basin and range, has 23 trips ranging from two days to two weeks. From the East Humboldt Wilderness to the Ruby Mountains and the Toiyabe Range, this guide describes the finest backpacking adventures in Nevada. Few people are aware of the vast expanse of natural beauty that lies outside the dizzying atmosphere of Nevada's Las Vegas and Reno metro areas. Venture outside the strip however, and discover untrammeled wilderness in the most mountainous state in the continental US. Explore the forests of the Carson Range, traverse the granite peaks and cascading creeks of the Santa Rosa-Paradise Peak Wilderness, or watch elk and antelope in the remote Jarbridge Mountains. Mike was raised in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon in the shadow of Mt. Hood (whenever the Pacific Northwest skies cleared enough to allow such things as shadows). His mother didn’t drive, so walking was a way of life for her, as it was for her young son in tow. When Mike reached driving age, he began to explore further afield, hiking, backpacking, and climbing in the Cascades of Oregon and Washington. He further honed his outdoor skills while attending Seattle Pacific University. After college, Mike relocated to the high desert of Reno, Nevada, where he was drawn to the beautiful and sunny Sierra. This opened the door to many fine adventures, which included hiking forays into the four corners of his adopted state of Nevada. In the early 1990s, Mike left his last “real” job (with an engineering firm), and began writing full time about the outdoors. His first project for Wilderness Press was an update and expansion of Luther Linkhart’s classic guide, The Trinity Alps. He then authored Nevada Wilderness Areas and Great Basin National Park, followed by the Snowshoe Trails series and Top Trails Lake Tahoe. Mike was also a contributor to Backpacking California, and has written articles for Sunset and Backpacker magazines, and the Reno Gazette-Journal. Mike passes on his accrued outdoor wisdom to students in hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing classes at Truckee Meadows Community College. He continues to live in Reno with his wife, Robin, and their two boys, David and Stephen, along with their yellow lab, Barkley. Summit Trail RATINGS: Scenery 9, Solitude 10, Difficulty 9 - MILES: 30 - ELEVATION GAINS: 7125' - DAYS: 3-4 - SHUTTLE MILEAGE: 12 - AREA: Santa Rosa Range - MAPS: USGS- Santa Rosa Peak, Five Fingers, Adorno Ranch; USFS- Santa Rosa-Paradise Peak Wilderness USUALLY OPENS: Late June to November - BEST: Late June-Early July, October - PERMITS: None - CONTACTS: Winnemucca Ranger District (775) 623-5025 - SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS: Views, wildflowers, autumn color - PROBLEMS: Poor campsites, route finding HOW TO GET THERE START: To reach the north trailhead, follow U.S. 95 north from Winnemucca for 46.5 miles to FS Road 553, signed N. REBEL CREEK ROAD. Head up the well-graded gravel road across grassy fields to an intersection, 0.8 mile from the highway. Follow the less traveled, two-tracked road toward the mountains, following a fence line to a closed gate at 1.4 miles. Continue past the gate into the drainage of Rebel Creek, crossing the stream four times before reaching the end of the road near a grove of cottonwoods, where primitive but shady campsites are nearby. END: To reach the south trailhead, follow U.S. 95 north from Winnemucca for 36.25 miles to FS Road 552, signed BUFFALO CANYON ROAD. Past a corral, follow the gravel road on a diagonal approach to the mountains and the narrow cleft of Buffalo Canyon. Cross the creek at 2.2 miles and continue for another 0.1 mile to the end of the road, where limited parking is available for just a few vehicles. INTRODUCTION The Santa Rosa-Paradise Peak Wilderness could be a backpacker’s worst nightmare for those unaccustomed to primitive conditions: access roads are rough, the lowelevation approach is blisteringly hot and shadeless in summer, trails are generally unmarked and some sections are indistinct, badly overgrown, or gone altogether. Developed campsites are virtually nonexistent, and the range boasts not a single lake. So why would anyone in their right mind consider a backpack into the Santa Rosa Mountains? For starters, how about unparalleled vistas, spectacular wildflower displays, and nearly guaranteed solitude? In addition, the Santa Rosas boast some of the most luxuriant vegetation of any range in the state, thanks to a number of tumbling streams and sweeping basins blessed with ample groundwater. Several of those streams and basins are carpeted with extensive aspen groves, creating a colorful swath of green in summer and a brilliant display of gold in autumn. Early- to midsummer wildflower displays are as fine as any in the state. With such verdant slopes rimmed by rugged granite peaks, the area is more reminiscent of the Rockies than of a typical Great Basin range. Although many of the short trails leading into t