Today the majority of the range is divided into two federally protected wilderness area, the North Jackson Mountains Wilderness and the South Jackson Mountains Wilderness. The South Jackson Wilderness offers a panoramic view including the Black Rock Desert, from the top of King Lear Peak at 8,442 feet. Topography of the wilderness is characterized by steep-sided and sharp-crested ridges spotted with juniper and are considered to be the most rugged of the Bureau of Land Management's Winnemucca District. Remnants of the historic Red Butte copper mining district can still be found nearby. The North Jackson Mountains Wilderness' topography is characterized by steep-sided, sharp-crested ridges spotted with juniper, and V-shaped rocky valleys. Elevations in the Wilderness range from 4,000 feet to the high point of Parrot Peak at 8,400 feet. Deep rugged canyons are laden with aspen, willow, and cottonwood groves. Several riparian streams support small populations of introduced rainbow trout.[citation needed]
Access and recreational opportunities
The Jackson Mountains are located in Humboldt County, 56 miles west of Winnemucca, Nevada. Access can be reached from Winnemucca by taking the Jungo Road west for 35 miles to Bottle Creek Road. The Jackson Mountain Range can also be reached by taking the Leonard Creek or Bottle Creek Roads south from State Route 140. The two wildernesses are divided by Trout Creek Road.
The South Jackson area has canyons on the west side of the mountains which provide access for dayhiking and backpacking. McGill, Bliss, and Alaska Canyons are scenic. The eastern slopes of the South Jackson are gentler in terrain and more suitable for horse travel. Photography, wildlife and wild horse viewing opportunities exists throughout the wilderness area. Hunting for mule deer, California bighorn sheep, antelope and game birds is popular in the area.[citation needed]
The North Jackson area provides for camping, dayhiking, photography, wildlife and wild horse viewing opportunities. Deer Creek, Mary Sloan, Happy Creek, and Jackson Creek are scenic streams in the North Jackson Mountains Wilderness. Due to the ruggedness of the area; base camping and dayhiking is recommended.[citation needed]
^ abNevada, DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer, 8th ed. 2012, pp. 19-20, 27-28 ISBN978-0-89933-334-2
^Quinn, M.J., Wright, J.E., and Wyld, S.J., 1997, Happy Creek igneous complex and tectonic evolution of the early Mesozoic arc in the Jackson Mountains, northwest Nevada: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 109, no. 4 p. 461-482