Austin-Tonopah Ranger District

The Austin-Tonopah Ranger District is comprised of two districts, which were merged in 2015. There are two offices, one located in Austin, Nevada (pop. 167), and the other in Tonopah, Nevada (pop. 2,179). The District also lies in three Nevada counties: Eureka, Lander, and Nye.

Located in central Nevada, the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District is over 2.1 million acres, which is the largest district on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, as well as in the lower 48 states. The portion of U.S. Route 50 that was named “The Loneliest Road in America” provides travelers an opportunity to experience the District’s scenic vistas, including views of the Toiyabe Range near Austin and the northern Toquima and Monitor Mountain Ranges between Austin and Eureka, Nevada.

Linear chains of mountains, separated by long valleys, stretch north-to-south across central Nevada forming the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District’s rocky-mountainous terrain. In the lower elevations, the valleys vary from lush fertile fields to barren playas created from evaporated minerals such as salt. Elevations on the District range from approximately 5,000 feet on the valley floor to 11,941 feet at Mount Jefferson’s South Summit, the highest peak located in the Alta Toquima Wilderness area.