Jarbidge River Backcountry Access Road

The Jarbidge River cuts the deepest canyon in Nevada, and this backcountry road drops you into country so remote it doesn’t show up on most GPS units. From the tiny mountain town of Jarbidge, the rutted 18-mile track follows the East Jarbidge River upstream through stands of ancient aspen and mountain mahogany that miners somehow missed during the 1910 gold rush. The road deteriorates to little more than a mining pack trail beyond Cougar Creek, where you’ll find the remains of the Pavlak Mine clinging to impossible slopes.

Stock high-clearance vehicles can make the first 10 miles, but the upper reaches demand true 4WD with serious ground clearance for boulder-strewn creek crossings and loose scree slopes. Summer’s the only realistic season unless you’re packing snowshoes. No permits needed, but this is grizzly country historically – black bears definitely. The payoff includes Nevada’s best high-mountain fishing, camping spots that haven’t seen visitors for months, and the kind of silence that makes city folks nervous. Pack everything you need; the nearest services are 100 miles away.