Nevada · Hiking

Altitude Trail

Altitude TrailPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
3.5 mi
round trip
982 ft
climb
7,849 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is marginal · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 23 h ago

Is Altitude Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Altitude Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Altitude Trail is a 3.5-mile out-and-back hike in Nevada's Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, within the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District. The route climbs about 980 feet from a low point near 7,450 feet to a high point of about 7,850 feet, with the steepest stretch at roughly 0.87 miles in, where the grade reaches 18%. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surface, allowing bikes. It's a moderate hike that takes about 1.5 hours. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 85°F and lows near 41°F, while winter brings frequent snow days. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Several other routes start within a couple of miles, including Three Day Creek, Jenny Creek and Jenny. Sawmill Campground is about 3 miles away, and the East Fork Jarbidge River offers canoeing at a similar distance.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Altitude Trail

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      33° / 5°

      11 wet · 9 snow

    2. Feb

      36° / 8°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      44° / 17°

      10 wet · 7 snow

    4. Apr

      52° / 25°

      10 wet · 5 snow

    5. May

      62° / 30°

      10 wet · 2 snow

    6. Jun

      73° / 36°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 41°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 39°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      74° / 31°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 23°

      6 wet · 2 snow

    11. Nov

      45° / 16°

      8 wet · 5 snow

    12. Dec

      34° / 7°

      11 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wild Horse Rsvr, NV, 28.1 mi away at 6,239 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

JennyPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jenny

~3 min drive

Jenny is a 1.93-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 1,103 ft of elevation gain.

Jenny CreekPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jenny Creek

~5 min drive

A 3.85-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada that links to the Rollins Pass East trail system.

Slide CreekPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Slide Creek

~12 min drive

11.74-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,234 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Mill

~4 min drive

1.45-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 11 ft gain.

Jack CreekPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jack Creek

~3 min drive

4.15-mile out-and-back trail on Jack Creek in Nevada with 1,338 ft gain.

Clover TrailPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Clover Trail

~5 min drive

4.46-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,259 ft elevation gain.

Jenny CreekPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Jenny Creek

~3 min drive

8.06-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,862 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Jack 5

~5 min drive

1.57-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 345 ft elevation gain.

East Fork Jarbidge RiverPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Fork Jarbidge River

~6 min drive

32.72-mile out-and-back trail on East Fork Jarbidge River in Nevada

HIKE

ROBINSON HOLE CUTOFF

~6 min drive

3.6-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 2,257 ft elevation gain and loss.