In the northeast corner of Nevada lies a retreat so remote it requires at least three hours of driving over gravel roads to get there. This remote Nevada retreat is called Jarbidge Wilderness, a beautiful area covering 113,000 acres of high mountains and deep canyons, tucked away in northern Elko County.
Jarbidge Wilderness was established as the first ever protected wilderness area in Nevada in 1964. Jarbidge and Emerald lakes, the headwaters of the Marys and Jarbidge rivers, and Salmon Falls Creek are all within its footprint. It is comprised of a combination of timbered areas, open desert ranges, rock formation and volcanic cut valleys.
It's hard to imagine by looking at the photo above, but Jarbidge derives its name from a Shoshone legend about chasing a creature into a cave of Jarbidge Canyon and trapping it inside with boulders. The name translates to "monster that lurks in the canyon" or "weird beastly creature."
Don’t worry, you won’t encounter any monsters here. You might come across wildlife like deer, elk, mountain lions and eagles or possibly many of the 60 varieties of wildflowers that grow in the wilderness area. Tree carvings left by Basque sheepherders provide a reminder of the area’s history.
Hiking, fishing and hunting are popular activities in this gorgeous wilderness region. The area boasts more than 100 miles of hiking trails with trailheads located at Snowslide Gulch, Slide Creek and Three Day Creek. Fishing in the Jarbidge or Little Salmon rivers may land you a bull trout while hunters will discover a record number of deer and elk. Bird hunters will find plenty of game too.
Jarbidge Wilderness is nowhere near as arid as the rest of Nevada and even experiences white winters.
At the bottom of the Jarbidge River's canyon near the north end of the Jarbidge Mountains sits the picturesque town of Jarbidge. Whether you stay the night here or camp in the wilderness, you will truly be refreshed and revitalized on your remote Nevada retreat.
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