The Mt. Moriah Wilderness is a wilderness area in the northern part of the Snake Range of White Pine County, in the eastern section of the state of Nevada in the western United States.

The Mt. Moriah Wilderness was designated in 1989 and is administered by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, as some in the northern portion of the Wilderness lies on BLM land.

Mount Moriah Wilderness

Topography

Mount Moriah, the namesake of the Wilderness, rises above the Snake Valley on its east flank and the Spring Valley on the west. At and stretching north and west of the peak is a unique plateau called the Table. Much of the area is composed of limestone and shallow caves are common in the Wilderness.

Mount Moriah Wilderness

Archeology

Archaeological sites including caves utilized by Native Americans, pictographs, and lithic scatters are found in the Wilderness.

Mount Moriah Wilderness

Vegetation

See: :Category:Flora of the Great Basin

The Mount Moriah Wilderness lies within the Intermountain sagebrush/ponderosa pine ecosystem and vegetation varies with the elevation. Pinyon pine and juniper dominate the lower slopes, while aspen, mountain mahogany, white and Douglas fir, limber pine, and bristlecone pine are found in the upper elevations.

Wildlife

A variety of wildlife and fish species inhabit the Mt. Moriah Wilderness. The majority of the area is summer range for mule deer, although some of the lower elevation benches and riparian areas are used year-round. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep can be found throughout the year in the area, as well as blue grouse, sage grouse, and chukar. Rainbow trout, brook trout, and the unique Bonneville cutthroat trout are found in the area's perennial streams, including Hampton Creek, Hendry's Creek, and Smith Creek.

See also

Nevada Wilderness Areas

List of wilderness areas in Nevada

List of U.S. Wilderness Areas

Wilderness Act

References

External links

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest: official Mount Moriah Wilderness website

Friends of Nevada Wilderness: Mt. Moriah Wilderness

Mt. Moriah Wilderness - Wilderness Connect

GORP: Mt. Moriah Wilderness

Trails.com: Nevada Hikes - Mount Moriah

official Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest website

National Atlas: Map of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Moriah Wilderness

Moriah Wilderness

Moriah Wilderness

Moriah Wilderness

Moriah Wilderness