Shellback Wilderness
No, a permit is not required to visit Shellback Wilderness. Shellback Wilderness is a 36,151-acre wilderness area in White Pine County, Nevada. It rises from about 6,526 to 9,353 ft. The nearest town is Ruth, 17.1 miles away in a straight line.
Shellback Wilderness map
Shellback Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
One fire restriction order is recorded for this unit as of Sept. 30, 2026. Each links the signed order.
- 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 Shellback Wilderness.
- Ruth, NV is the nearest town, 17.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Shellback Wilderness is about 9,353 ft, and its lowest about 6,526 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Shellback Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 36,151 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Ely Ranger District, 775-289-3031 |
Getting to Shellback Wilderness
- Ruth, NV is the nearest town, 17.1 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-25)
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Shellback Wilderness
- Aspen Springs spring
- Chicken Spring spring
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-25.
Campgrounds in and around Shellback Wilderness
Illipah Reservoir Recreation Area camping (0.3 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
Fishing and water
Illipah Reservoir fishing (0.2 miles outside the boundary): its fishing and stocking record on fishypedia.com.
Public lands next to Shellback Wilderness
- National forestShellback Wilderness lies inside Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
- Wilderness areaBald Mountain Wilderness is 1.8 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
- Wilderness areaWhite Pine Range Wilderness is 1.8 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
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=700 (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/n40w116/USGS_1_n40w116.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)