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The Overland Directory

Tires in Nevada

Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires.

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Tires in Nevada

4 listings

  1. Custom Truck Accessories - Carson City Carson City, NV Truck accessory and camper shell shop fitting lift kits, wheels and tires, tonneau covers and bed liners, with a separate RV and camper centre in town.
  2. Custom Truck Accessories - Reno Reno, NV Truck accessory shop fitting lift kits, camper shells, wheels and tires, tonneau covers, bed liners, LED lighting and running boards, with alignment.
  3. Sierra Nevada Truck Accessories Reno, NV Truck accessory shop selling and fitting camper shells and toppers, bed liners, tonneau covers, lift kits, running boards, towing gear, toolboxes and wheels.
  4. High Rollin Customs Sparks, NV Four wheel drive shop trading since 2007, fitting lift kits and suspension, wheels and tires, bumpers, winches and skid plates, and repairing transfer cases.

Nevada by the numbers

Of Nevada is federal land, the highest share of any state 1
79.8%
56.1 million of 70.3 million acres, as of September 30, 2024
Of Nevada is BLM public land, by the agency’s own count 5
67%
BLM Nevada rounds it to 48 million acres. The Congressional Research Service counts 47,225,132
Acres in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 23
6.3M
The Forest Service calls it the largest national forest in the lower 48. Part of it lies in California
Miles of BLM route managed for motor vehicles, as a floor 54
3,581
The roads and trails recorded for public motorized use in the BLM’s national route data
Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada 2
13,140 ft
Esmeralda County. The lowest point is 479 feet, on the Colorado River in Clark County
Approximate mean elevation 3
5,500 ft
Fifth highest of the states in the USGS table
Average annual precipitation, 1895 to 2020 4
10.2 in
NOAA calls Nevada the nation’s driest state
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 55
39
16 Forest Service, 15 National Park Service and 8 BLM. 26 can be booked ahead

Tires: sharp rock, playa and the chain rules

Every agency here talks about tires. The BLM says Nevada’s roads often have sharp rocks and that flats are common, asks for off-road tires of at least 6-ply and spare tires for the Black Rock, and extra spares for High Rock Canyon. The Fish and Wildlife Service says flats are the most common problem on the Desert refuge. Buy a tire with a strong carcass, and carry a full-size spare, a plug kit and a compressor.

Winter adds the law. NDOT accepts a four-wheel drive with four mud-and-snow tires at both chain control levels, and counts a snow tire only if it has at least 3/16 inch of tread.

The full guide to overlanding Nevada

What a good tire shop does

Tires are the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and on a loaded rig they work close to their limits. A good tire shop starts with load rating and size, then tread. It will also tell you when the tire you want will rub, need different wheels or throw off your gearing.

Expect help with

  1. 01Choosing a tire by load, terrain and season
  2. 02Wheels with the right offset and load rating
  3. 03Mounting, balancing and tire pressure sensors
  4. 04A matching full-size spare
  5. 05Alignment, rotation and repairs

How to choose tires for overland travel

Tread pattern is the last decision, not the first.

  1. 01Match the load rating to your real axle weights, not to the badge on the fender.
  2. 02All-terrain tires suit most overland travel. Mud-terrains are louder, heavier and wear faster, and earn it only in real mud and rock.
  3. 03Buy five. A matching full-size spare that you rotate in is worth the money when the nearest tire shop is a day away.
  4. 04Check the wheels too. Wheels have load ratings, and the wrong offset stresses bearings and rubs.
  5. 05Ask whether the shop can move or reprogram your tire pressure sensors.

What to have ready before you ask for a quote

A tire quote is quick when the shop knows what the tire has to carry.

  1. 01Vehicle, current tire size and wheel size
  2. 02Lift height, if any
  3. 03Loaded weight, or a list of what is on the vehicle
  4. 04Where you drive most: pavement, gravel, rock, sand, snow
  5. 05A budget range for five tires

Questions people ask

What does load range mean?

It describes how much weight a tire can carry at a given pressure. Heavier builds, vans and truck campers usually need a higher load range than the vehicle came with. The tire's sidewall and the placard in the door jamb are the places to start, and a tire shop can work through the numbers with you.

How big can I go?

Every platform has a size that fits at stock height, a size that fits with a modest lift, and a size that needs trimming and gears. Tell the shop your lift and wheels and ask what fits without rubbing at full steering lock and full compression.

Should I air down?

On washboard, sand and rock, lower pressure gives a better ride and more traction and is easier on the vehicle. It also means you need a way to air back up before pavement. How low depends on your tire, your weight and your speed, so ask your tire shop and start conservatively.

How high is Nevada?

From Mesquite at 1,607 feet to Boundary Peak at 13,140. Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.

Towns

  1. Austin On US 50 in the middle of the state. Forest Service office for the Austin-Tonopah Ranger District. 6,644 ft
  2. Ely Where US 50, US 6 and US 93 meet. BLM district office and Forest Service ranger district. The Park Service puts it 68 miles from Baker. 6,436 ft
  3. Pioche On US 93. The Mount Wilson byway ends here, where State Route 322 returns to the highway. 6,076 ft
  4. Tonopah Where US 6 meets US 95. BLM field office and a Forest Service office. The Lunar Crater byway leaves US 6 to the east, at about mile marker 79. 6,045 ft
  5. Wells Where I-80 meets US 93. Forest Service office. The California Trail byway starts 26 miles north on US 93. 5,633 ft
  6. Baker Five miles from Great Basin National Park, at the foot of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The Park Service lists fuel here year-round. 5,311 ft
  7. Elko On I-80. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Forest Service puts Thomas Canyon Campground, in Lamoille Canyon, 30 miles away. 5,067 ft
  8. Carson City State capital. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. NDOT’s Tahoe chain rules apply on US 50 between here and Glenbrook. 4,680 ft
  9. Reno On I-80. Home of the BLM’s Nevada State Office. The road to the Black Rock leaves I-80 to the east, at Wadsworth. 4,505 ft
  10. Caliente On US 93, east of Basin and Range National Monument. The BLM’s Caliente Field Office looks after the monument and the Mount Wilson byway. 4,399 ft
  11. Winnemucca Where I-80 meets US 95. The BLM’s Winnemucca District and Black Rock Field Office and a Forest Service office. The Fish and Wildlife Service routes visitors from here to Sheldon refuge by way of Denio. 4,295 ft
  12. Lovelock On I-80. Start of the BLM’s 20-mile Lovelock Cave Back Country Byway. 3,980 ft
  13. Gerlach Portal to the Black Rock Desert, 75 miles north of Wadsworth on State Highway 447. The BLM lists fuel, food and motels here, and the nearest tow truck to the conservation area. 3,943 ft
  14. Alamo On US 93. North end of Alamo Road from the Desert refuge, and the nearest tow service to Basin and Range National Monument. 3,462 ft
  15. Las Vegas Where I-15 meets US 93 and US 95. BLM district office and a Forest Service office. The Desert refuge’s Corn Creek entrance is north on US 95. 1,996 ft
  16. Mesquite On I-15 in the far southeast. The Gold Butte byway starts off nearby Exit 112. 1,607 ft

Passes, high roads and summits

  1. Boundary Peak The highest point in Nevada, in Esmeralda County 13,140 ft
  2. Wheeler Peak Great Basin National Park. The scenic drive ends below its face 13,063 ft
  3. Charleston Peak Top of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, outside Las Vegas 11,918 ft
  4. Ruby Dome Ruby Mountains, above Lamoille Canyon 11,387 ft
  5. Hayford Peak The highest point in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge 9,924 ft
  6. Wheeler Peak Campground Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive: Baker and State Highway 488 to the Wheeler Peak trailheads, in Great Basin National Park 9,886 ft
  7. Road’s End Trailhead Lamoille Canyon Road: State Route 227 to Road’s End Trailhead, in the Ruby Mountains 8,800 ft

Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates), retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.

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Sources for this page

56
  1. Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, from U.S. Geological Survey data. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012, Table 366. Extreme and Mean Elevations by State. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Nevada State Climate Summary 2022 (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-NV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  5. Bureau of Land Management. Nevada state office and district offices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  6. Bureau of Land Management. Nevada Recreation Activities: overlanding, camping, OHV use, wilderness, the safety checklist and the 14-day stay limit. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  7. Bureau of Land Management. Nevada Byways. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  8. Bureau of Land Management. BLM Back Country Byways brochure: the four types of byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  9. Bureau of Land Management. Nevada National Conservation Lands. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  10. Bureau of Land Management. Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  11. Bureau of Land Management. Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA: safety handout (playa travel, breakdowns, tow trucks). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  12. Bureau of Land Management. Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA: plan your visit handout. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  13. Bureau of Land Management. Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA: Manager’s Report, fiscal year 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  14. Bureau of Land Management. High Rock Canyon. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  15. Bureau of Land Management. Gold Butte Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  16. Bureau of Land Management. Gold Butte National Monument. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  17. Bureau of Land Management. Basin and Range National Monument. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  18. Bureau of Land Management. Lunar Crater Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  19. Recreation.gov, from Bureau of Land Management data. Bitter Springs Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  20. Recreation.gov, from Bureau of Land Management data. Mount Wilson Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  21. Recreation.gov, from Bureau of Land Management data. California Trail Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  22. Recreation.gov, from Bureau of Land Management data. Fort Churchill to Wellington Back Country Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  23. USDA Forest Service. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  24. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  25. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  26. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Camping Occupancy and Use Restrictions, forest wide (Forest Order 04-17-24-04). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  27. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District: Lamoille Canyon. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  28. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Road’s End Trailhead. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  29. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Lamoille Canyon road work begins next week (news release, August 20, 2026). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  30. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Thomas Canyon Campground. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  31. USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  32. National Park Service. Nevada. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  33. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  34. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Auto Touring. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  35. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Directions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  36. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Weather. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  37. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Fees and Passes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  38. National Park Service, Great Basin National Park. Goods and Services. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  39. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Desert National Wildlife Refuge: About Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  40. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Desert National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  41. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Desert National Wildlife Refuge: Rules and Policies. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  42. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge: About Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  43. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  44. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge: Rules and Policies. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  45. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Off-Highway Vehicle registration. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  46. Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program. Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  47. Nevada Department of Transportation. Traction and Chains Requirement Descriptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  48. Nevada Department of Transportation. Safe Winter Driving. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  49. Nevada Fire Info, for the member agencies of the Nevada Fire Board. Nevada Interagency Fire Restrictions Plan 2026, Appendix 4: Stage I and Stage II restrictions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  50. Nevada Fire Info. Restrictions: fire restrictions on public lands in Nevada, by zone. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  51. Nevada Division of Minerals. Abandoned Mine Lands program, with the 2024 AML Report and the brochure it links to. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  52. Nevada Division of State Lands. State Land Office: School Trust Land. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  53. Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Pyramid Lake Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  54. Bureau of Land Management. Ground Transportation Linear Features, public display. Sum of GIS_MILES by administrative state for routes managed for public or limited public motorized use.. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  55. Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  56. U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.

Reviewed September 19, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.

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