Nevada

Nevada Map

General Overview of Trail
Nevada is a state of extremes. It has the least rainfall of any state, one of the smallest populations, and its diverse landscape includes vast deserts and forested mountains. In total Nevada has over 300 named mountain ranges, making it one of the most mountainous states in the nation. More than 85% of Nevada is public land, the highest percentage in the contiguous U.S. Its mines have produced vast amounts of silver, gold, and copper. Most of its rivers drain into “sinks” without outlets where the water evaporates, leaving alkali mud flats and dry lakes. Yet, it is one of the most visited of the fifty states, thanks to Reno and Las Vegas.

The name Nevada comes from a Spanish word meaning “snow-clad,” and it is appropriate since some of the state’s highest peaks can receive up to 225 inches of snow annually. Commonly known as the Silver State, Nevada is also nicknamed the Sagebrush State. It is the fourteen mountain ranges and the wide sagebrush-covered valleys in between them that the traveler along the American Discovery Trail will come to know and remember best.

TRAIL UPDATE

In 2020 the ADT was rerouted in several areas in Nevada to be more accessible. This page does not yet reflect those changes, nor do the turn by turn directions or gpx files. Please contact the state coordinator for up-to-date info on Nevada.

Detailed Trail Description
The trail in Nevada is composed of nine segments totaling 496 miles, largely on isolated, relatively unused dirt roads.

Utah State Line (Baker) to Preston — 87.4 miles
Preston to Duckwater — 45 miles
Duckwater to Moores Station — 55.5 miles
Moores Station to Pine Creek Campground — 43.9 miles
Pine Creek Campground to South Twin Campground — 36.2 miles
South Twin Campground to Ione — 43.7 miles
Ione to Middlegate — 40.7 miles
Middlegate to Virginia City — 98.9 miles
Virginia City to California Line — 44.6 miles

Vehicle support in some areas may be mandatory. Exercise extreme caution. There are long distances between water and re-supply points.


Detailed trail directions are published in the ADT Data Books.

Affiliated Trails

  • Tahoe Rim Trail
  • Pony Express National Historic Trail
  • Mount Jefferson Trail
  • Toiyabe National Recreation Trail

Forests

  • Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Parks

  • Great Basin National Park
  • Cave Lake State Park
  • Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park
  • Currant Mountain Wilderness Area
  • Alta Toquima Wilderness Area
  • Arc Dome Wilderness Area
  • Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
  • Sand Mountain Recreation Area
  • Fort Churchill Historical State Park
  • Washoe Lake State Park
  • Mt. Rose Wilderness Area
  • Lake Tahoe State Park
  • Table Mountain Wilderness Area

Points of Interest

  • Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park
  • Preston & Lund
  • Big Smoky Valley
  • Reese River Valley
  • Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
  • Virginia City
  • Sand Mountain Recreation Site
  • Lake Tahoe
  • Pony Express Stations
  • Ghost Towns
  • Hot Springs
  •  Ely, Nevada Mountain Biking
  • Trans Nevada Trail

Samantha Szesciorka

Nevada Coordinator

samantha@discoverytrail.org
(775) 762-3444

    Adjoining Trail States:  California – Utah