Hike Hinkey Summit, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada

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The Santa Rosa Ranger District is a local favorite for extensive displays of wildflowers. The District provides excellent opportunities for solitude since few travelers venture off the highway into the heart of the district. The small campground at Lye Creek can fill up on holiday weekends but it’s possible to spend days in the area and meet only a handful of people. The main road through the district provides a diversity of environments to view wildflowers. As the road follows Indian Creek up toward Hinkey Summit you will pass lush stands of cottonwoods and aspens. Along the canyon walls and rocks outcrops bloom penstemons, buckwheats, and globemallows. In wetter areas ranger’s buttons and larkspurs abound. As you reach the slope just below the summit you will be surrounded by a field of yellow mule’s ears. At the top of the road you can hike up the jeep trail to the southeast to view subalpine species nestled in the large rock outcrops, including the petite but eye-catching Davidson’s penstemon. If you like to watch wildlife, bring the binoculars; bighorn sheep can often be seen grazing in the rocks and cliffs. Along the dry slopes in mid-summer are abundant sego lilies. Two miles north of the summit is the turn-off for Lye Creek Campground. This is the only developed campground on the district and offers drinking water and toilets. The Martin Basin area (between Hinkey Summit and Windy Gap) boasts a multitude of flowers throughout the summer and spectacular golden aspens in the fall. Several wet meadows in the lower areas of the Basin hold irises, checkermallow, and the unusual elk thistle. The road to Windy Gap is lined with fragrant lupines and paintbushes. Flowers are at their peak in June and July.

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