Government Peak Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Government Peak Wilderness is a 6313 acres (2,554.8 ha) wilderness area in the northern part of the Snake Range
of White Pine County
, in the U.S.
state of Nevada
. Located approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) north of the town of Baker
, the Wilderness was designated in 2006 and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
and juniper
stands on the slopes of Government Peak and surrounding hills. Bare rock cliffs characterize the eastern side of the Wilderness.
Snake Range
The Snake Range is a line of high mountains in eastern White Pine County, in east-central Nevada in the western United States. Typical of other ranges in the Basin and Range Province, it runs in a north-south direction, in this case for approximately...
of White Pine County
White Pine County, Nevada
White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park...
, in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Located approximately 55 miles (88.5 km) north of the town of Baker
Baker, Nevada
Baker, Nevada is a small community and census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada. It is located from Great Basin National Park on State Route 487. The town is named after an early settler, George W. Baker...
, the Wilderness was designated in 2006 and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Vegetation
Vegetation in the Wilderness is mostly desert brush and grass at the lower elevations, and a scattering of pinyonPinyon pine
The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...
and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
stands on the slopes of Government Peak and surrounding hills. Bare rock cliffs characterize the eastern side of the Wilderness.
Recreation
Popular recreational activities in Government Peak Wilderness include camping, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and hunting. The area provides opportunities for solitude in George Wash, south of Government Peak, and in the higher juniper covered areas.See also
- List of wilderness areas in Nevada
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
External links
- Government Peak Wilderness fact sheet and map - Nevada BLM
- Government Peak Wilderness - Friends of Nevada Wilderness