Hike Little Cedar Mountain and Wood Hills Wood Hills BLM, NV

Jun 11, 2025 — Little Cedar Mountain, also known as Independence Benchmark, is the high point of the Wood Hills, a lumpy, typical Great Basin landscape just south of I‑80. I hadn’t thought much of this range, and from below it’s certainly not very inspiring. However, the spring wildflowers and sweeping views really surprised me. Plus, I added a bit of an adventure into the mix, contributing to making this a nice outing after all.

To reach the trailhead, I headed east from the highway (41.00802, ‑114.96386), passing through a gate next to some mailboxes. I was a bit concerned about trespassing, but there was no negative signage, and my map showed the familiar BLM/private checkerboard parcels found throughout the West. You can legally hike on BLM land in checkerboard areas only if you can access it via a public road, trail, or with landowner permission. Corner crossing (moving between public parcels at a shared corner) is legally disputed and risky, so it’s best to avoid unless clearly permitted, but I decided to go for it. Decent clearance is needed here, as the center hump not worn down by tires was significantly overgrown.

Although the road continues east from where I parked at a junction, I stopped because it became narrower and more harrowing. Now on foot, I followed the road as it climbed gradually through alternating meadows and forest through a wide drainage. As I gained elevation, views toward Hole in the Mountain Peak and the East Humboldt Range became a constant backdrop. I reached a shoulder on the west side of Peak 8262, a minor summit slightly lower than the high point. I continued along the steepening road to just north of this unnamed peak, then went cross‑country up a lovely slope dotted with bright white rocks contrasting against the green grass, quickly reaching the high point. The rolling Wood Hills stretched out around me, and I found myself unexpectedly really enjoying this hike.

I continued south toward Little Cedar Mountain along another old road, but it arced downhill, losing unnecessary elevation, so I opted to contour across the wildflower-filled terrain to the peak’s base instead. Once there, I first just started up the slope without much thought, but I stumbled onto a surprisingly good social/animal trail that led most of the way to the summit. A short Class 2 section was needed to get past some large boulders and through a weakness in a small cliff just below the high point, and a bit more rock‑hopping brought me to the top.

Most hikers would probably just tag Little Cedar Mountain and return by side-hilling off-trail back to the approach road. Truly, if you look at my attached map, my detour out to an unnamed Peak 7986 might seem unnecessary, but I just wasn’t ready to turn back yet. The wildflowers were in bloom, the birds were singing, and I figured I could try for the unnamed peak about two miles away. A quick check of satellite maps (thankfully I had cell reception) revealed a fairly defined trail to its base, and that sealed the deal.

I backtracked from Little Cedar Mountain and reached the trail I had spotted, and it quickly became clear this trail was mostly used by burros these days, though there were occasional cairns and saw-cut marks on trees. I don’t know who built it or when, but it made for a great extension to my hike and I was loving the views along the arced ridge crest.

Near the end of the arced ridge, the trail veered in a different direction. I went cross‑country through easy terrain until I reached a faded double‑track. It was a gentle walk up the slope to the summit along this old road. Along the way, I passed a somewhat hidden residence complete with an outhouse. I would have preferred not to pass so close, but I stayed on the road. I’m not certain this leg of the hike was on public land, as maps show the usual checkerboard of BLM and private parcels. I may have been on someone’s property for a while, but I wasn’t about to knock and ask. The road walk was otherwise uneventful, and the path gradually faded as I neared the summit of Peak 7968.

The descent from Peak 7968 began with some boulder‑hopping before giving way to a steep grassy slope. Brush was easy to avoid, and I soon reached an old double‑track in the canyon below. My plan was to follow this until about 6,600 feet, then head north through the foothills to my car. That plan ended quickly when I ran into a chain‑link fence marked: “Protected habitat, do not enter! Blue Crow Refuge.” Signs were posted on nearly every tree beyond it, so I didn’t want to intrude.

Well, crap. I certainly couldn’t return the way I came, so I pulled up my map with the checkerboard overlay and decided to cut cross‑country instead to avoid the private land. The terrain was a bit annoying with side‑hilling and constant dips in and out of gullies, but I believe I avoided trespassing. It wasn’t a bad detour, but that lingering “I’m not supposed to be here” feeling did take away from the rest of the hike.

Afterward, I reached out to Blue Crow Refuge for clarity on their land boundaries so I could provide more accurate info for anyone considering this route. Their reply, which wasn’t very helpful: “The Wood Hills are checkerboard with private/BLM parcels. Most private parcels are inhabited. My gates facing west are posted with signs. Blue Crow Refuge is parcel number 008550011.”