Unit 162, Nevada

The Monitor Range is a long north-south linear horst characteristic of Great Basin basin-and-range geology. Valley floors in Monitor Valley and the adjacent Antelope and Little Fish Lake valleys range from approximately 5,500 to 7,000 feet elevation. The range rises steeply to peaks up to 10,649 feet, with Table Mountain (the confirmed highest point at 10,649 ft) at the center. Terrain is highly varied: gradual foothills and ridges at lower elevations transition to steep slopes, high flattened ridges, rock outcroppings, deep canyons, and high basins above 8,000 feet. The Table Mountain plateau covers roughly 12 square miles of high tableland at the center of the range.

Unit 162 is approximately 99% public land. The vast majority is managed by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (Austin-Tonopah Ranger District — more than 2.1 million acres, the largest Ranger District in the lower 48) with a smaller portion managed by the BLM. Private land has minimal impact on access. Primary highway access: US Highway 50 ("The Loneliest Road in America") borders the unit to the north, and US Highway 6 borders it to the south. Nevada State Route 376 runs through the Big Smoky Valley west of the Toquima Range and provides indirect access to the Monitor Range from the west. Monitor Valley Road (an unpaved county/BLM road) runs north-south along the east side of the Monitor Range through Monitor Valley, providing the primary eastern access corridor. A 4WD vehicle is essential for most backcountry access; many side roads require high clearance. Table Mountain Wilderness (92,600 acres): Motorized vehicles, mechanized transport (including wheeled game carriers), bicycles, chainsaws, and logging are prohibited inside the wilderness boundary. Access is via multiple named trailheads on both the east and west sides: Barley Creek (most popular, 6-mile approach), Mosquito Creek, Clear Creek, and Green Monster Canyon. Over 100 miles of trails traverse the wilderness; horses are well-suited to this terrain. Dobbin Summit and the Butler Basin/Willow Creek area provide more accessible non-wilderness access to elk and deer habitat. Nearest full-service towns: Austin (northwest, US-50), Eureka (northeast, US-50), Tonopah (southwest, US-6/US-95). Primitive camping is the norm. Developed campgrounds in the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District include Barley Creek, Belmont, Big Creek, Columbine, and Kingston.

Vegetation follows a distinct elevational pattern. Valley floors and lower foothills are dominated by sagebrush scrub (approximately 24.8% of the Monitor Range by coverage). The foothill belt (roughly 6,000–8,000 ft) is heavily pinyon-juniper woodland (approximately 39.3% of range coverage). Above 7,500 feet, mountain mahogany lines ridgelines and transitions to montane shrub (approximately 19.9%). Higher elevations above 8,000 feet feature open sagebrush basins, meadows, and pockets of ponderosa pine. Particularly notable are large aspen groves on Table Mountain and surrounding high country, which are unusual in central Nevada and provide critical summer and early-fall wildlife habitat. Riparian corridors (Barley Creek, Mosquito Creek, Clear Creek, and other drainages) support cottonwood, willow, and water-dependent species. Five streams on Table Mountain support multiple trout species.

Mule deer are the dominant big game species in unit 162 and the broader Management Area 16. The unit group 161-164 supports one of Nevada's largest mule deer herds, with a post-season population estimated at approximately 1,900 animals (2024-2025). Deer occupy all elevations from foothill sagebrush to upper peaks. During hunting season, highest densities are found above the dense pinyon-juniper belt, from 8,000 to 10,000+ feet, in open mountain brush, meadows, aspen pockets, and mountain mahogany. As measurable snow accumulates, deer undertake a significant migration into adjacent unit 163 to the east. Elk are a well-established and growing population centered primarily in the Monitor Range, with highest densities in the Table Mountain area. Elk were reintroduced in 1979. The estimated population for unit group 161-164 was approximately 800 animals (2024-2025), with a management objective of 850. The Table Mountain herd winters primarily on the southeast side of the Monitor Range in Haystack Canyon to Sheep Mountain. The Butler Basin herd winters in the Butler/Willow Creek and Blackrock areas. Mature bulls typically winter in difficult-to-reach terrain away from cow-calf groups. Pronghorn antelope inhabit the low country valleys (Monitor Valley and adjacent basins). Desert bighorn sheep occur in small numbers in the roughest terrain. Mountain lion and black bear are present throughout the range. Chukar partridge and sage grouse are present in appropriate foothill and sagebrush habitats. Mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep movement is strongly influenced by snow depth, with late-season storms pushing animals to lower winter ranges.