Nevada trails · Wheeler Peak Summit Trail

Wheeler Peak Summit Trail

A 4.3-mile out-and-back in Nevada, with 2,885 ft of climbing. Reaches Wheeler Peak and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.

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Length

4.3 mi

Elevation gain

2,885 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

37%

Steepest mile

+1,189 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

2.0 mi

Shape

out-and-back

Managed by

National Park Service

Elevation profile

Most of the climbing sits in the final third — 57% of the ascent, between mile 2.9 and mile 4.3. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Wheeler Peak (summit)
Stella Lake (lake)

Getting there

Summit Trailhead — parking nearby. 39.01717, -114.30336 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:18 a.m., the sun rises at 6:45 a.m. and sets at 6:00 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:27 p.m. (PDT) — 11 h 15 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.6-mile round trip takes roughly 6 h 05 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 12:50 p.m. — 5 h 10 min before sunset.