Nevada trails · Mount Jefferson
Mount Jefferson
A 15.3-mile out-and-back in Nevada, with 4,290 ft of climbing. Reaches Jefferson Summit and other pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 71% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 5.1. It gives back about 4,371 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Jefferson Summit (pass)
- Middle Summit Mount Jefferson (summit)
Getting there
Jefferson access. 38.69386, -116.94326 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:48 a.m., the sun rises at 6:15 a.m. and sets at 7:19 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:46 p.m. (PDT) — 13 h 04 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 30.7-mile round trip works out to roughly 15 h 40 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Bucks Canyon + Pasco Canyon + Mount Jefferson — 14.6 mi loop, 5,511 ft gain
- Pine Creek + Middle Summit Mt Jefferson + Mount Jefferson — 15.1 mi loop, 4,460 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Table Mountain Skyline — 19.7 mi
- Toiyabe Crest Natl Rec Trail — 20.9 mi
- Danville Canyon — 22.6 mi
- Little Cottonwood Canyon — 28.7 mi