Arc Dome Wilderness Area

Water wheel at South Twin River

Peavine CG

Rock ring at Cottonwood Creek

Pot farm at Handcuff Canyon

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• Hadley is the main supply point. Turn off highway 376 at mp NY 44.9 to get to a good grocery store and a gas station with propane and a laundromat. Carvers has gas too. There is a Verizon signal in the valley. Some hikes like French Peak and Toiyabe Range Peak are posted on the 2011 page. Posted 2020.
• TOIYABE DOME TRAVERSE - Brad Boester reported on peakbagger.com that Jett Canyon is still passable. A traverse can be done by going up the Jett Canyon route then down the north rim of Cove Canyon. It's no picnic but it's easier than going up and down the Cove rim. But what isn't? The joker in the deck is that the Jett road is a paint killer. This is a hike to invite your worst enemy then drive his rig up Jett. Drive to the Cove Canyon road at mp NY 55.5 on highway 376 then leave a 4wd at the end of it el 6400. Then take 376 to mp 47 and turn on the Jett Canyon road. It goes 5 miles to the mouth with a shady camp el 6200. A car might make it. I could have drove a jeep on up canyon to a  small camp at N38 43815, W117 13606 el 6700. It's only a paint issue to there but beyond there you start cutting into the base metal. OHVs can go to the wilderness boundary el 6950. Be sure to stay left at a fork el 6800 which is 1.7 air miles in from the mouth. By starting the hike at the mouth, there are 7 ankle deep crossings to get to the wilderness boundary. The remaining 9 crossings were barely jumpable. Outlaw riders go beyond the wilderness boundary (shocking, huh?) but not very far. Then there's a faint trail following the road bed. It's easy to follow until 45179, 15909 el 7750. There it crosses to the right bank. I followed it another quarter mile to where it goes back to the left bank and turns brushy. I stayed on the right bank and took an easy angle up to a game trail at 45493, 16051 el 8100. That led me into a side canyon then I went up the other side which is the standard ascent ridge. It goes up to the main ridge el 10050 and is not too steep. I could see how to walk low along the main ridge and skirt under bumps because it forms an arc and I was walking inside it. I stayed lower than other hikers do and arrived at a saddle reading 47630, 15878 el 10850. From there I could skirt entirely under the big bump east of peak 11144 ( Full House Peak would be a name for that one) then on to the reg at 47929, 15094. Next, I walked the north ridge to 49324, 14759 el 10400 where I could see down the rim of Cove Canyon. I went down staying left of bumps at el 9500. Then on to point 8230 at 49232, 13575. From there, the general rule is to stay right of obstacles on the ridge. I went to 49124, 13185 el 7700 along the right side of crags then kept going down along those for 200 feet to where I could cut left to resume going down the ridge. Below there are numerous class 2 routes down to the mouth of the canyon but don't aim for the creek. I posted a GPS track on peakbagger.com. From the mouth of Jett, it took 6 hours, 10 minutes to get to the summit, then 4 hours down for a total of a bit over 10 hours. I cut it to 9 hours by riding my cycle up Jett to el 6950 but I had to walk an hour the next day to retrieve it. Backpackers have good campsites at el 7000 but few beyond there. They should count on 4000 gain to the peak. There are itchy plants and a few fallen trees on the trail above 7000. Shorts work on the ascent ridge and all the way to the end of the hike. This is the most dramatic hike in the whole range but is strictly for mad dogs. I had snow near the summit on July 8, 2020.
• JETT PEAK el 9098 is what I call the one towering over the mouth of Jett Canyon. Take highway 376 to mp 47 and turn on the Jett Canyon road. It goes 5 miles to the mouth with a shady camp el 6200. A car might make it. Poor people have to walk up canyon but those with OHVs can ride up and stay left at every fork to the end in a side canyon el 7200. Then walk a low angle to the right to get on the ascent ridge reading N38 43707, W117 14315. Go up to 43275, 14561 el 8400 then level off along the left side of peak 8550 then the reg is at 43060, 13875 in an ammo can. Placed by local Dan Kurtak in 2014, he came again in 2015 and that's it. 3 and a half hours with nearly 2000 gain. Nice forest the whole way. Poor people will have nearly 2 hours more with some wading. Posted 2020.
• 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.  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. SHORT VERSION - it takes 75 minutes to walk up North Twin to the upper end of the gorge. Updated 2020.
• TWIN RIVERS PEAK el 10894 is what I call the one between the rivers. The trail up North Twin can be used to get to the SW saddle el 9300 then it's a smooth ridge to the summit. North ridges can be used for the descent. Take highway 376 to mp NY 62.3 and follow a high clearance road to North Twin River TH el 6500. The trail goes thru a spectacular gorge with some wading then the north ridges of the peak come into view. I left my wading shoes at N38 53333, W117 18135 el 7950. I followed the trail on up to the main saddle el 9300 then up the ridge to the summit at 52260, 17917. Then I went down the main north ridge to 52623, 17955 el 10250 then to 52745, 18063 el 9800 then at 52913, 18191 el 9250 I could see the remaining ridge down to my shoes and I retraced back out. That took 8 hours with about 4500 gain. I wore shorts the whole way. There is a good small campsite el 7100 about 40 minutes up the trail. A big one is at 53370, 18026 el 7900. The last water on the way up is a stream at 51863, 19378 el 9150. I filled at a spring 350 feet past where I left my shoes then another spring at 52533, 18943. This is the most appealing peak hike in the range. Posted 2020.
• WALL CANYON has a decent road but no water. A main graded road runs along the valley floor just west of Hadley. The turnoff along that road is at N38 40537, W117 10815 el 5836. It goes up into the canyon and runs for 5 miles to el 8000. The upper half of the canyon has burned, but there are peaks on the south rim with good forest. 4wd might not be needed. It's mtn bikeable. Posted 2020.
• 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. Posted 2012.
• Peavine Campground el 6250 is at the south end of the wilderness in a cottonwood grove with a stream. It has no fee and Seniors get half off. I spent 2 weeks hiking obscure areas in and outside the wilderness. Grazing stopped years ago and now there are no gates. Take highway 376 to mp NY 34 and go 8 and a half miles on graded road (stay right at a main fork)  to FR 21 which is the south entrance. The north entrance is better and is a mile on up the main road. I could have drove a small class C motorhome in at that time, but big rigs would have to settle for a huge pullout or a gravel pit 1.7 miles in from the highway. Posted 2020.
• MAHOGANY MOUNTAIN NE SUMMIT el 11194 has a trail out of Toms Canyon to el 10400. Go north from Peavine CG for a bit over 5 miles to a main fork then go right for nearly a mile to the TH el 6950. Shady camps are there. 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 but it might be dry in late summer. The trail climbs to the divide el 9300. Now go right up along a fence.The fence tops out and soon you hit a trail at 45074, 20089 el 9500 that goes along the right side of bumps to a minor saddle then zigzags up the ridge. At el 10200 it goes right around a talus pile. The trail keeps going to the 10300 level where it fades so just aim for the west shoulder of Mahogany Mtn at 45549, 18909 el 10900. Skirting lower means more rubble. Then it's obvious how to cross a saddle el 10500 to get to the summit at 45989, 17462. Stay right around a white hill along the way. I retraced back on the trail to el 8900 where it drops into the canyon, but stayed high on the west rim and walked it down to a saddle next to peak 8078 reading 43236, 20047 then dropped to the trail. I did that because the upper canyon is overgrowing and I had only shorts. That took 8 and a half hours with a mile of gain but hardly any steep. Long pants will be needed to the divide el 9300 if the trail isn't cleared. I saw no reg on either peak. Posted 2020.
• PEAVINE MOUNTAIN el 10040+ - a loop can be done using the trail out of Toms Canyon then down the west rim of Deer Canyon. Go north from Peavine CG for a bit over 5 miles to a main fork el 6761 where Peavine Canyon meets Toms Canyon. Walk up the right fork for 15 minutes to the TH at the end of the road. 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 but it might be dry in late summer. The trail climbs out of the canyon then leave it at N38 44429, W117 20285 el 9200 and follow a spotty trail up an easy ridge to the summit at 45270, 21780. For the descent, I dropped down to 45024, 21609 el 9600 to get thru mahogany and walked nearly level on a faint trail under the edge of the mahogany and soon hit a good trail that took me to another mahogany patch. I went thru that at 44545, 21594 el 9300 then followed the ridge down over peak 9188 then down the rim of Deer Canyon at 44315, 21833 el 9000. I didn't like the look of the little peaks I was going to have to deal with on the rim, so I took a chance and dropped to a ridge at 44018, 22046 el 8200 that took me to the trail in Peavine Canyon. That turned out to be passable and I strolled down to that TH at Poplar Canyon where a bike stashed would have saved me 1.7 miles of road back to the start and even another .7 mile to the Toms TH if I had set that up the day before. That took 7 hours with about 3500 gain, only the last 200 is steep. I wore shorts upon leaving Toms Canyon el 9000 and stayed with them to the end. Toms is getty brushy and the part from el 7900 to 8400 will be gone soon. Peavine is better. Posted 2020.
• SEYLER PEAK el 7904 has a class 2 route up the north side. Drive south out of Peavine CG for 4 miles or so to the Wood Canyon road at N38 34300, W117 16114. It's about a tenth mile outside the forest boundary. Turn on easy 4wd and go 2 miles up canyon to a main fork el 6641. Routes to the north saddle are obvious and then upon arriving it's obvious how to keep going up and merge with a gully. The class 2 route goes straight ahead along the left side of the gully and the rest is obvious to the ammo can at 35184, 14495. The book was placed by Andy Zdon in 1989. If it didn't already have a name I'd call it Obvious Peak. 2 hours, 1250 gain. Easy. BOYD PEAK el 8685 is the name Zdon came up with for the high peak on the east rim of Wood Canyon. 4wds can go a mile on up canyon then the last 2 miles to the main saddle el 7700 is a decent OHV trail. Walk out of the saddle to the right of center to get around a hill then up to the north summit at 37817, 14688. The reg is a few feet south. Placed by Zdon in 1989, one more local hiker signed in a month later then nothing  for  31 years. Good pj forest there. No brush on either peak. Posted 2020.
• KEOUGH PEAK el 8582 is what I call the one 2 miles NW of Keough Spring. Drive south from Peavine CG for a mile or more to the first road going west which is FR451. Take that for 2 miles to a fork and go right on FR451A. It goes up a sandy wash for 3 and half miles to a fork at N38 38146, W117 20497. Go left for half a mile to the spring el 6950. Walk west up a main wash and it bends north to a fork at 38701, 21615 el 7250. Go left to  the main saddle el 7400 on the east ridge of the peak. Take an easy angle to a good rock ring at 38808, 21900 el 7500. Keep going at the same angle to the saddle next to peak 7764 then up the ridge to the SE summit at 38945, 22740. The NW summit is a fifth mile away. I saw nothing on either one. For the return, drop south off the SE summit to a saddle el 8400 then east down the canyon. A good ring is on the left bank at the bottom reading 38467, 22066 el 7400. Another is 100 feet down the bank. Head back to the start by way of another ring at 38391,21789 el 7300. 4 and a half hours, nearly 2000 gain, good forest. Posted 2020.
• POPLAR PEAK el 9238 is what I call the one at the head of Poplar Canyon. A loop can be done using the rims.  Go north from Peavine CG for a bit over 5 miles then go left at a main fork for 1.7 miles to the end of the road el 7000 in Peavine Canyon where Poplar Canyon comes in. I started up the north rim there reading N38 42082, W117 21400. At a saddle reading 41987, 22355 el 8100 I skirted along the left side of peak 8268 to the saddle el 8150 behind it. I kept going up to 41672, 23406 el 8800 and leveled off along the right side of peak 8923. I went down to the saddle behind it and used a trail at 41251, 23770 el 8600 to get thru a brushy patch then up the smooth ridge to the summit at 40709, 24195. I then walked SW on the main ridge to 40484, 22923 el 8850 where I skirted left of peak 9054 and dropped slightly to a ridge at 40665, 22562 el 8700 where I could see the south rim of Poplar Canyon below me. I went down and cut thru a notch at 40733, 22335 el 8250 to get on the rim then walked it down to a saddle at 41489, 21675 el 7750 where I dropped left into the canyon. But maybe I should have stayed on the rim to the end because I had to skirt brush for the last half mile in the canyon. 6 and a half hours with about 2500 gain. Rocky terrain but I wore shorts the whole way. Posted 2020.
• PEAK 8902 is one of the bald peaks on the east rim of Peavine Canyon. A loop can be done up the Toms trail then down the west ridge. Go north from Peavine CG for a bit over 5 miles to a main fork then go right for nearly a mile to the TH el 6950. I went up the trail to a smooth ridge at N38 42717, W117 19650 el 7350. I went up that to el 8600 where it levels off and I could see the peak. I strolled to the summit at 41627, 18192. Then I walked down the west ridge to a saddle el 8350 and dropped down to the right and hit a game trail at 41638, 18752 el 8200. I followed that down thru an easy forest and found a rock ring on the high ground at 41668, 19347 el 7500. A double ring is not far at 41638, 19457. A small pit with a ring around it is at 41481, 19618 and a ring is 130 feet south of that. I went on down to the TH from there. That took 4 hours with 2000 gain. I wore shorts. Easy terrain, good forest. Posted 2020.
• BARNEY PEAK el 9396 is what I call the one west of Barney Meadows. I took a long route to check out Handcuff Canyon and Cottonwood Creek. Drive south from Peavine CG for a mile or more to the first road going west which is FR451. Take that for 2 miles to a fork and go right on FR451A. It goes up a sandy wash for 3 and half miles to a fork. Stay right and keep going north for nearly a mile to a saddle el 7100 on the rim of Handcuff. The last fifth mile has trees crowding the road. Walk north a half mile into the canyon and go up shortly to a pot farm. The main camp is next to a tiny stream at N38 39285, W117 21345 el 7100. Go up canyon to 2 good rock rings on the north bank at 39428, 22420. I stayed on the north bank to the divide saddle at 39480, 23179 el 7850. I walked nearly level out of the saddle to a ring at 39524, 23606 with two more in the next 300 feet. I went on to another good ring at 39628, 24040 then one in a saddle at 39724, 24431 el 7700. I continued west a half mile to the main arm of Cottonwood then up the west rim to a ring at 39695, 25037. I walked on up the rim to peak 8075 and saw 8 more rings. I kept going up the rim and hit light brush at 40558, 25329 el 8050. That lasted until el 8600 then I went on up to el 9000 and cut to the left under talus for an easy angle to the summit cairn at 41106, 26136. I descended the next ridge west of the ascent ridge and it has almost no brush. I hit the canyon and easily walked down the main arm of Cottonwood Creek (which was dry) on game trails to 38741, 24754 el 7200 where I climbed over the east rim into the next fork and strolled up that to the divide saddle el 7850 and retraced back to the start. That took 10 hours with nearly 4000 gain. The 1300 gain to the peak was the only strenous part. I was in shorts except for that section on the ascent ridge. My route didn't pass by any of the springs in Cottonwood on the map but a minor drainage at 39687, 24234 had a trace of water. This is the longest hike in a good pj forest I can remember doing. If I just wanted to do the peak again I would try the south rim of Farrington Canyon. Backpackers could come in from the mouth of Handcuff like the potheads did. And they would already have a stove and sleeping bags waiting for them at the pot farm. There must be an upper pot farm because I crossed a water line at 39359, 22419 el 7400. Posted July, 2020.
• HORSE CANYON has an easy 4wd road.  Drive south from Peavine CG for a short way to the first road going east which goes up the canyon for a bit over 3 miles into a thicket with little room to turn around. Nice looking canyon but I didn't see any hiking potential unless the thicket gets cleared. Posted 2020.
• PEAK 7531 is the high point in an area near the southern forest boundary. Drive south from Peavine CG for a mile or more to the first road going west which is FR451. Take that for 5 miles to a north canyon at N38 35397, W117 22503 el 6700. I went up canyon from there for a fifth mile then could see a saddle up to the right on the north ridge. I went to it then up the ridge to the summit at 34683, 22170. I descended the next canyon to the west. 100 minutes, 900 gain. I saw four rock rings. Another route is the canyon at 35359, 21224. I saw a ring at the mouth of that one.  FR451 goes on another mile to the rim of Cottonwood Canyon and turns nasty. There was a small stream but I saw no way thru the brush to go upstream. Posted 2020.