Black Rock Desert Wilderness

The Black Rock Desert Wilderness contains the eastern arm of the Black Rock Desert and is the largest Wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The desert is the dry lakebed of ancient Lake Lahontan and holds important paleontological resources along the old lakeshore; several mammoths and a saber-toothed cat have been excavated from the area. The Wilderness is essentially flat, with the only topography occurring at Elephant and Pinto Mountains on the western edge. Elevations range from 3,900 feet to 5,931 feet on top of Elephant Mountain. During years of heavy snowpack the Quinn River flows through the area. Vegetation consists mainly of saltbush and greasewood, and large portions of the area are unvegetated. Wildlife includes mule deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, coyotes, and sage grouse.