Toiyabe Range Area Hikes

Toiyabe Dome

          

                                                  Bunker Hill

• BUNKER HILL el 11450 has to be the biggest hill in the world. Drive to the Kingston road at mp LA  2.5 on Nv 376. Go up the Kingston Canyon road past the TCT TH and on to the pass el 8700. 4wd will be needed for the last mile. At the pass,go east up a steep track to a parking area at 9300. Superb traction is needed for this steep track. THIS TRACK IS NOT FOR AMATEURS. From the parking area, head straight up the slope to the 9900 ft level. Then contour right on grassy slopes for a mile to the big saddle at N39 16175, W117 06920 el 10050. Then go up the scree slope to the top at 15174, 07565. 4 hours, 2300 gain. Some light brush. Take a stout stick. Not a tough hike. After all, it's only a hill. How hard can it be? The crude track going west from the pass can be used to get to BIG CREEK PEAK at 18212, 08728 el 10000. A road from the west can be used to get to the pass from US 50. Turn at the sign for Big Creek campground just west of Austin.
• For SHEEPMAN PEAK, go past Kingston Campground and on to Groves Lake. Go past the lake a half mile to the Toiyabe Crest Trail TH. The trail goes across the creek then back to the lake then up steeply to 9000 ft. There it eases up. Go on to the 10400 ft level then saunter over to the peak at N39 11821, W117 10828. 5 hours, 3100 gain. It would save a mile to park at the lake and walk across the inlet.There was a homemade bridge there in 2011. I met a friendly Peruvian sheepherder who spoke very little English. Too bad, because I'm sure we could have gone on for an hour talking about the debt crisis.
• NORTH TOIYABE PEAK el 10793 - the main NE ridge is a pleasant route and 4wds can get to el 8000. A decent road goes up Birch Creek and another one comes in from Austin Summit into Birch Creek. At N39 23731, W117 02906 el 7336 along the Birch Creek road is where a grassy road starts up the ridge. A half mile to the west is another road starting up. They both merge and it's hard to judge which is better. They're steep but not eroded much. Skilled drivers get to el 8000 and maybe the end at el 8200. Then it's a matter of hiking up the ridge to the main ridge and on to the reg at 21571, 04514. The last third mile has minor crags that are easily passed on the left. It's a 4 or 5 hour hike with at nearly 3000 gain, no brush. M&L placed the reg in 1992. The Birch Creek canyon has a good stream and shady camps below el 7000. Posted 2020.
• FRENCH PEAK el 10779 - the north rim of Timblin Creek is one way to do this. Take highway 376 to mp NY 69.6 and turn on easy 4wd. Stay left at forks for 2 and a half miles to a big shade tree. I parked there and went up the ridge at N39 00059, W117 13481 el 6500. At el 7600 I hit a mine road and stayed left at forks to keep me on the high road. At 00547, 14796 el 8550 I left the road and went straight up the ridge to the summit at 00760, 15819. That took 5 hours, 45 minutes with 4500 gain. I wore shorts the whole way. Park Canyon has an OHV trail to 8000 but I couldn't see enough of that route from the valley floor. I could see from the summit that there would be a tedious class 2 traverse for a mile on the crest. Posted 2020.
• The OPHIR PASS ROAD leaves 376 at mp NY 64.3. It is for OHVs and jeeps. It's 2 miles up the canyon to the ghost town. Jeeps can make it that far but will lose some paint. Then the road gets smoother on up to the pass. It has been bladed since my last visit a decade ago. At el 9500 there is a 4-way. Right goes to cabins, left is an OHV trail down into Last Chance Creek. It's a good trail for anyone who can get past a big rock near the start. The road from the west up to the pass is much better. An OHV track starts at the mouth and goes up the north wall then drops back down just below the ghost town. It can be seen from 376. At the pass el 10100, the TCT can be used to climb SOUTH TOIYABE PEAK. Hike the trail a mile and a half south from the pass to the base of the peak. It's about 900 ft to the top. Aim for a game trail at N38 55371, W117 18686 that angles up to the right. Then go for the trail up the summit knob at 55250, 18392. A 2 hour hike. Updated 2020.
• SUMMIT CREEK and WISCONSIN CREEK are just north of Ophir Creek. Each has a brushy but fairly smooth 4wd road that goes to about 8500. Summit Creek has a mine with cable and ore car in place. PARK CANYON is a little further north at mp NY 69.6. Go up the 4wd road to a mega ruin. After that the road gets brushy and ultra steep. I lost traction at 7900.
• The TWIN RIVERS LOOP is one of the best hikes in the state. Use the good South Twin River road at mp NY 59.7 on 376. Go about 3 miles to the first TH with a restroom and sunny camps. This is where you come out. North Twin River is a mile further up the road which is where you start hiking. Go up the trail about 3 air miles to a fork at a crossing at N38 53128, W117 18638. Go left up to a pass at 51690, 19268 el 9250. I passed springs along this section at 53074, 18654 and 52533, 18943 but only the second one had a decent flow in 2020. The trail angles down to the right from the pass into a canyon bottom. The trail goes down the canyon and meets the South Twin River trail. Go left to get back. An intact water wheel is along the trail at 51584, 16240 el 7300. Near the end, the trail goes up over a little ridge then there is a fork. The high trail is high and dry, the low trail has more wading. I waded the creeks dozens of times by the time I got to this fork.  7 hours, 3000+ gain. Nice gorges. This hike gets overlooked because people just want to do peaks. Another good trip is to go about 2.5 air miles up North Twin and set up camp in a big aspen flat. Then go up to the pass and turn left to climb the 10894 ft peak between the rivers. A river in Nevada is a creek in any other state. A trail crew told me that as of 2012 the Twin Rivers loop trail has been cleared as well as the trail up S. Twin to Arc Dome. In 2020, I walked the whole loop in shorts but had a lot of itchy plants. All wades were shin deep except one spot in North Twin where a beaver made it knee deep. Updated 2020.
• For TOIYABE DOME el 11400, use the 4wd Cove Canyon road north of Carvers at mp NY 55.5 on 376. Go a mile and a third and park next to the creek el 6400. Tents would work here. Start up the slope to the right of the creek at N38 49100, W117 12826. At 8300, move right to avoid thick trees. Watch out for little bumps at 9100 and 9500. Keep right of them. Follow the ridge up to where it tops out at 10400. Then contour left around a bump to get to a saddle behind it at 49142, 15240 el 10400. Then just go on up the easy broad ridge to the top at 47936, 15105. 9 hours, one mile of gain. The first 4000 feet of gain occurs in one and 3/4 miles. The first 1500 feet is the most tedious. Brush was not a factor. Surveyor junk on top was the only sign of humanity. I saw a herd of 6 deer and another herd of 13 sheep near the top. This area is a chunk of real wilderness and is the hardest hike on this page. Don't try this at home. UPDATE 2020 - Brad Boester reported that Jett Canyon is passable. I did a traverse that I detailed on a 2020 page.
• MIDDLE TOIYABE PEAK el 11085 is climbed from the west. Go to mp LA 35 on 722 and go south on the Ione road for nearly 20 miles and turn at the sign for Washington Creek. Drive to just inside the forest boundary and go left on 116. It's 4 more miles to the TH at N39 09304, W117 13921 el 7650. A crossing about 2 miles before the TH might stop 2wds. Hike the old road along the creek crossing an occasional bog. At a big bog,the trail goes up and around at 09237, 11555. Then comes a fork where you keep left and continue up the creek. At around 9000 the trail switches left out of the creek. At 9400 a game trail goes to the right up a grassy gully and up to the crest. The correct trail goes left and fades in a gully but resumes on the other side and goes to the crest at 10045, 10716 el 9850. Once on the crest, go right up the ridge to the peak at 09185, 10433. I came directly down an obvious ridge and got in a brush free gully at 09395, 11150 then dropped to the trail. 6 hours, 3500 gain. Long pants recommended. I barely avoided wading a couple of crossings.
• TOIYABE RANGE PEAK el 10960 has routes from San Juan Creek. Go to mp LA 35 on highway 722 and go south on the Ione road for nearly 20 miles and turn at the sign for San Juan Creek.  Drive to just inside the forest boundary and stay right on the main road up canyon to a main fork at el 7300. Go left there on FR110 then in a third mile there is another fork. Left is for OHVs and mtn bikes only. It goes high on the left bank then back down to the creek. 4wds might take the right fork a short way then walk over to the left bank and hit the OHV trail. It goes smooth to el 8400 then the party's over. I parked there and walked up canyon and took the first road forking right reading N39 06140, W117 13957 el 8600. The road switches up to the crest trail. I stepped up onto the crest trail at 05902, 13894 el 9100 and followed it to a drainage where it faded in brush. I picked it up again a few feet away at 06176, 13330 el 9100+ then it was easy to follow to the saddle el 9494 on the SW ridge of the peak. I went up the bald ridge and drifted left into a saddle el 10100 where I could see the rest. It saves effort in the last tenth mile to aim for 06890, 12458 and level off to skirt left of a talus pile. No reg on the summit. I retraced back down the ridge to el 9600 and took a direct route back down. That took 4 and a half hours with 2600 gain and rarely steep. It's prudent to have long pants as far as the saddle el 9494. With a 4wd, I would walk up the same way then down the north rim of the canyon. The topo is accurate on roads and trails except for the detour on the OHV trail at el 7400. I saw a mtn bike parked at el 8400, but I wouldn't ride one any further than a crossing at el 8200. This canyon has a mostly smooth road and great campsites. I could have drove a car to the first water crossing. Posted 2020.
• MAHOGANY MOUNTAIN is south of Arc Dome. Turn west off Nv 376 at mp NY 34. Follow the graded road for 9 miles to the Peavine campground, staying right at main forks. The graded road ends there then it's 6 miles of decent road to the end in Toms Canyon el 6900, but creek crossings might stop 2wds. Hike up Toms Canyon for an air mile and a half, then the trail goes up a left fork. I filled up at the last spring in this fork at N38 43484, W117 20083 el 7900. The trail climbs to the divide at 44939, 20335 el 9300. Now go right up along a fence. The fence tops out and the ridge climbs to the left. Go on up the ridge and soon you hit a trail that goes along the right side of bumps to a minor saddle then zigzags up the ridge. I lost the trail once at 45448, 19659 el 10200. Here it goes right around a talus pile. The trail keeps going to the 10500 level where it fades but it's easy open ridge from there to the top at 45521, 18856 el 10970. 7 hours, 4000 gain. This is the most pleasant of all the high peaks in the range. A barrel full of sport drinks was stashed near the summit, so maybe there's trail work going on.There is an 11000 footer to the east with one 500 foot deep saddle to cross to get at it.
• ARC DOME el 11700 is the highest peak in the Toiyabe Range. The good news is there is a trail all the way. The bad news? There is a 700 foot deep saddle right in the way. Take Nv 844 from Gabbs to Ione then keep going over the pass on a wide graded road. Keep left at a main fork then you'll come to a paved road in a village. Go left 100 feet then go right on Aatakii Rd. Go nearly a mile to Columbine Rd at N38 59188, W117 27551. Take Columbine, which is also FR 119, for 8 miles to the Columbine camp. There is one little creek crossing but most 2wds could make it in 2012. There are 21 miles of dirt road on this approach. The trail starts near the crapper. Hike a quarter mile to a fork.Keep right then stay left at forks thereafter until you top out on the crest at a T at 11000+. Go right to the deep saddle then on to the summit. 7 hours, 4500 gain. This was an easy hike until God reached down and scooped out that deep saddle.
• MOUNT CALLAGHAN el 10180 has a 4wd road to the top from the west. Drive to Silver Creek Rd at mp LA 47 on Nv 305. Go east on graded road for 4 and a half miles to a major road forking to the left. Take that for 3 and a half miles to a main fork reading N39 43890, W117 03170. The left road goes to a locked gate, so go right to N39 45134, W116 58072 el 7500 where a 4wd road goes right. Take the 4wd road up to a major saddle el 9000. It's easy 4wd to here, but steep in places. Now go left on a narrower road with some rocky sections up to the summit and BM at N39 42564, W116 57050. The BM spells the name without the G. Nice cycle ride, no major obstacles. SKULL PEAK el 9396 is what I call the pointy peak that can be seen to the north from Callaghan. A jeep road runs along the crest toward it. Drive the same as Callaghan as far as the fork at el 7500. Keep going straight less than a mile to another fork at N39 45392, W116 57376. Go right to another fork at N39 44891, W116 56836 near a corral. Go right again on a less traveled road that goes up on the crest. As of 2014, jeeps could easily get as far as N39 45221, W116 55055 el 8300. I made it another third mile on a 125 to the base of a steep hill el 8500. Start hiking on a trail at N39 45418, W116 54808 that goes left around the steep hill and drops slightly to a saddle el 8400 behind the hill. Then you can use road segments to get to the top of the next hill which is 800 feet high. Once on top of that, get on a trail at N39 46172, W116 54329 el 9130 that goes along the west side of the crest and drops 300 feet to a saddle. That's the only deep saddle on the route. After that the trail gets fainter but goes on up to a minor saddle just south of the summit. Surveyor junk is on the summit at N39 47204, W116 53624. I lost track of time but it took an hour and a half to return. One small creekside camp spot I saw on the way in is at N39 45094, W116 58699 el 7000. There are aspen trees there. A pipe spring is along the road not far past the Callaghan turnoff. Posted 2014.
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                                                Wildcat Peak                                                                                                               
• WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN el 10150 and MASKET PEAK el 10500 are in the northern part of the Toquima Range. Both have roads most of the way and make for a good jeep tour. Use the main graded road on the east side to get to the Ikes Canyon road at N39 04160,W116 40811. Go up the canyon on 4wd to the divide at 9400. A steep track goes south from the divide to a saddle on Sawlog Ridge at 10200. Masket Peak is a short hike to the east. From the divide, go west down into Stoneberger Basin to 02929, 48745. Turn right and go thru a gate then take the left fork up a steep ridge. The road levels out at 9700. Keep right at forks to get to 03776, 48470 where you go left around a rise then get on the ridgetop and go around to the east side of White Rock Mtn and park at 10000+. It's a short hike to the top at 04053, 47661. No reg in 2012. Go back down to the basin and go west in the canyon. The first left goes to Mill Canyon and the Wildcat Peak hike. Staying in the canyon, the road soon goes onto the crest then north to a fork at 07913, 51181. The right fork is the main road and it goes out via Corral Canyon. I took the left fork and stayed on the crest then it finally dropped to the graded road in Petes Canyon. The whole affair took half a day on a 125. I'd camp out if in a jeep. White Rock Mtn has table to camp on with gorgeous vistas. The road up Ikes Canyon then north to Corral Canyon is shown on the Delorme atlas. Ranchers still drive this route in trucks, but not the side trips to the peaks. Jeeps with lockers are advised for the side trips. Both peaks would be easy hikes from the divide at the head of Ikes Canyon. Any 4wd could make it there in 2012 but only rigs with lockers should go any further. The roads aren't very rough, just steep as hell. The smooth Corral Canyon road would make a good mtn bike ride.
• WILDCAT PEAK el 10500+ is the highest peak in the north Toquima Range and has a classic look. Use the east side graded road to get to the Mill Canyon Road at N38 59617,W116 42053. Go up this crude road to a main fork in the canyon. Drive up the right fork to where it ends at N39 01962, W116 49289 el 9600+. Angle down 200 feet to a saddle on the crest then go up to N39 01531, W116 49657 where you contour right around a bump. Aim for a faint trail at N39 01451,W116 49799 that takes you to the final saddle el 9850. Now the party's over. The least steep route for the final push is to go left of the first crags into a chute that goes up to a notch. Don't go up from the notch, but go thru then down a little then walk the west base of the crags up to the reg. 3 hours, 1300 gain. All roads easy 4wd, sometimes narrow, not steep. Mtn bikes could go a long way. A fork just before the parking area goes steep down into Stoneberger Basin but every road out of there is steep. Masket Peak can be climbed from the apex of the Mill Canyon Road.
• MOUNT JEFFERSON el 11941 is the highest peak for over a hundred mile radius. Go north from Belmont for 5 miles from the end of pavement to N38 37816, W116 48763. Turn west into Meadow Canyon on a road that starts out good but becomes easy 4wd. Keep going west until the road tops out on the crest. Turn north and follow parallel roads until they fizzle out at 9400. The right side road is the better one. Hike the trail up the crest. Soon the crest goes parabolic and the trail fades to the left then switches back at 44027, 55722. After that the trail stays close to center. At the top,the trail goes around the right side of the summit then starts going down. At that point head for a short trail at 45097, 55534 that leads to the reg. Under 4 hours, 2500 gain. Meadow Canyon would be a good mtn bike ride. This peak would be swarming with tourist hikers but they can't get their cars up there. Belmont has no gas or groceries but a free shady campground south of town makes a good base camp for peaks. There is a Verizon signal and plenty of smooth roads to ride on.
• SHOSHONE MOUNTAIN el 10900 and SPANISH PEAK el 10700 are twin peaks south of Mt Jefferson. Drive the same route as Jefferson but turn south in Meadow Canyon on FR 440 at N38 40474, W116 53851. It's easy but brushy 4wd to where it tops out at 9200. Then go right on FR 440c and park where it fades at 9700. Hike north across a draw then go up to the main saddle el 10200 between the peaks. Shoshone is north at 40198, 57793. 3 hours, 1700 gain for both peaks. Not steep.
• LITTLE TABLE MOUNTAIN el 9700 is SE of Mt Jefferson. Drive the same route as Jefferson but turn north in Meadow Canyon at N38 41398, W116 55161. Go up a canyon on easy 4wd then turn right at 42580, 53771 and drive to the end el 8650. Pick a slope to go up to the reg at 42281, 52353. Only one party had signed in since its placement 25 years earlier. Under 2 hours, 1000 gain. 100 barrels welded together were on the summit and must have been flown in. These can be seen on google earth. If you can break one loose, you can roll back down in it and save a lot of time. Maybe that's what they're for.
• TRAIL CREEK DOME is at the eastern foot of Jefferson. Go north of Belmont and turn at N38 40034, W116 46920. Drive up into Corcoran Canyon on easy 4wd. At a main fork, go right then drive to the end el 8200. The last part is brushy. Hike up the canyon to a gully on the right at 43089, 51684. Go up the gully or its left side to a saddle at the top. Go down the other side on a game trail to another trail at 43332, 51273. Go left on this to get to a ridge at 43627, 51081 el 8600. Now follow this ridge down to a saddle at 43729, 50581 el 8400. Go across then turn left to follow the ridge to the summit at 43935, 49645 el 9400. 3 hours, 1600 gain. I could see from the peak that the north ridge from the mouth of Trail Canyon would work, but over 2000 feet gain and steep all the way.
• BALD MOUNTAIN is the southernmost 9000 footer in the Toquima Range. Turn west off Nv 82 at N38 31226, W116 55878. The graded road goes a mile and a half the to the foot of the mountain then makes a hard left to the south. After going 500 feet to the south the road dips into Bald Mountain Wash. Go right up the wash. Now it's easy but narrow 4wd. It would make a nice smooth mtn bike ride. Head up the canyon toward the mountain and park at the last spot at N38 35334, W117 01542 el 7900. Hike up the canyon on a faint trail for half a mile to a spring. I took a gamble and filled up here. Go on past the spring to where the canyon turns left and steepens. Cross to the right and go up the north ridge to the Toquima BM and reg at N38 34632, W117 02728 el 9270. The Bald Brother is the next peak to the east across a 300 foot deep saddle. The Bald Sister is the third peak across a similar saddle. Then it's an easy ridge down to the spring and out. Under 3 hours, 2000 gain. Some light brush in the canyon. Good looking peaks. This whole family is bald. Bald is beautiful.
• HAT PEAK is south of Belmont. Turn east off Nv 82 onto a graded road at N38 29640, W116 56834. Go 1.8 miles then go right on easy 4wd. In a quarter mile is the first fork on this road. Stay right for 4 and a quarter miles then go right for a third mile to a short spur road on the right. Park here and get on the low ridge at 26149, 53479 el 7350. There is a faint track here that can be followed toward the saddle south of the peak. When the track goes left, get off and go up to the saddle then go right up to the reg el 8650. It needs a jar. 2 hours, 1400 gain. Another peak in the area has a road up it. Go back to that first fork a quarter mile in from the graded road. Go right into Big White Sage Canyon.Follow that 4wd road for miles to a fork near a cabin at 23057, 51384 el 8400. Go straight and take the next right to get on the mountain top el 9000. Going left at the fork near the cabin takes you to meadows in upper Hunts Canyon. I'm told there is a way out to the south. Lower Hunts Canyon has a road. Get back on the graded road and go east to ranch houses. Go another mile then turn right. The road goes 4 miles to a guard station then fades in a swamp. These roads are shown in the Delorme atlas. The roads in the canyons would make good mtn bike rides.