Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
No, a permit is not required to visit Rainbow Mountain Wilderness. Rainbow Mountain Wilderness is a 24,783-acre wilderness area in Clark County, Nevada. It rises from about 3,852 to 7,458 ft. The nearest town is Blue Diamond, 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
Rainbow Mountain Wilderness map
Rainbow Mountain Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
5 fire restriction orders are recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Each links the signed order.
- USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Spring Mountains National Reaction Area Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Effective May 29, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit. Stage 1. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Southern Nevada District Fire Prevention Order Effective May 26, 2026. Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Red Rock/Sloan Field Office (BLM Southern Nevada District). Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Southern Nevada Year-Round Fire Restrictions Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Red Rock/Sloan Field Office (BLM Southern Nevada District). Year-round order. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest - Spring Mountain Recreation Area- Year Round fire restrictions order Applies to the part of this wilderness managed by the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit. Year-round order. Listed under Southern Nevada on Nevada Fire Info. The signed order states the exact area, what it prohibits, and exemptions.
- BLM Nevada Prevention Order: BLM statewide restrictions Effective May 1, 2026. Applies to all BLM and Forest Service land in Nevada. Prohibited: Possessing, discharging, using or allowing the use of fireworks, pyrotechnic or incendiary devices; possessing, discharging, igniting or causing to burn; explosives or explosive material, including binary explosive targets; discharging a firearm using tracer, incendiary, or steel-component ammunition. [Use of tracer or incendiary ammunition is always prohibited on public lands]; operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.
Nevada Fire Info, BLM Nevada's interagency fire site, keeps the Nevada fire restrictions map and signed orders for every fire zone, and a Nevada fire map of active fires.
Common questions
- No, a permit is not required to visit Rainbow Mountain Wilderness.
- Camping in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness is limited to 14 days.
- BLM portion: groups of up to 12. Forest Service portion: groups of up to 15.
- Campfires are prohibited.
- Blue Diamond, NV is the nearest town, 2.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness is about 7,458 ft, and its lowest about 3,852 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Mount Wilson, about 7,025 ft.
Who manages Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLM | 20,184 | Not on record | 12 | 14 days | Red Rock/Sloan Field Office, 702-515-5000 |
| Forest Service | 4,599 | Not on record | 15 | 14 days | Spring Mountains National Recreation Area EcoUnit, 702-515-5400 |
Getting to Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
- Blue Diamond, NV is the nearest town, 2.4 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-25)
- Access roads named on the area's wilderness.net page: State Route 160, Rocky Gap Road.
Position, roads and vehicle notes: wilderness.net page for Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, accessed 2026-09-25. Roads and conditions change; check with the managing office before driving in.
Trailheads at Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
- North Peak (inside the boundary, 7,180 ft), at 36.1330, -115.5204
- Bridge Mountain (0.02 mi outside the boundary, 6,466 ft), at 36.1310, -115.5334
- Lost Creek Childrens Discovery (0.06 mi outside the boundary, 4,528 ft), at 36.1575, -115.4974
- Pine Creek Loop (0.12 mi outside the boundary, 4,063 ft), at 36.1230, -115.4857
- Escarpment Base (0.13 mi outside the boundary, 4,133 ft), at 36.1194, -115.4825
- Arnight (0.16 mi outside the boundary, 4,130 ft), at 36.1185, -115.4819
- Smyc (0.18 mi outside the boundary, 4,464 ft), at 36.1572, -115.4946
- Knoll (0.19 mi outside the boundary, 4,040 ft), at 36.1238, -115.4844
Trailhead locations: BLM recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-25. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
- Mount Wilson summit
- Rainbow Mountain summit
- Bridge Mountain summit
- Rainbow Spring spring
- First Creek Spring spring
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-25. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Public lands next to Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
- BLM unit Most of Rainbow Mountain Wilderness lies inside Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
- National forestRainbow Mountain Wilderness borders Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
- Wilderness areaRainbow Mountain Wilderness borders La Madre Mountain Wilderness.
- State parkRainbow Mountain Wilderness borders Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Nevada
- https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=481 (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/humboldt-toiyabe/wilderness (accessed 2026-09-24)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n36w116/USGS_1_n36w116.tif (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Elevation/1/TIFF/current/n37w116/USGS_1_n37w116.tif (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/GeographicNames/DomesticNames/DomesticNames_NV_Text.zip (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/2025_gaz_place_32.txt (accessed 2026-09-25)
- https://gis.blm.gov/arcgis/rest/services/recreation/BLM_Natl_Recs_pts/MapServer/14 (accessed 2026-09-25)