Nevada · United States
Lamoille Canyon Road
NF 660Lamoille to Road’s End
A twelve-mile dead-end climb into a glacier-carved gorge of the Ruby Mountains, Nevada’s answer to Yosemite Valley.
Lamoille Canyon Road runs about twelve miles from the valley near Lamoille up into the largest glacial canyon of the Ruby Mountains in north-eastern Nevada, ending at the Road’s End trailhead around 8,800 feet. The paved road climbs through a U-shaped gorge of granite walls, hanging valleys, waterfalls and avalanche chutes beneath 11,387-foot Ruby Dome, scenery that has earned the Rubies the nickname ‘Nevada’s Yosemite’ or ‘Nevada’s Alps’. It is a National Forest Scenic Byway, a there-and-back drive rather than a through route, generally open May to October. Mind the abrupt seasonal closure once snow arrives, rockfall and the occasional bighorn sheep on the road, and the long, exposed run with no services beyond the canyon mouth.
On the road
The road runs from Lamoille to Road’s End. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built it in the 1930s, and it became a Forest Service Scenic Byway in 1987. It is a two-lane paved road with a 35 mph (56 km/h) limit. It climbs from about 1,830 metres near Lamoille to 2,680 metres at the trailhead.
Powerhouse Picnic Area, near the canyon mouth, marks the site of an old hydroelectric plant. Glacier Overlook has panels on how ice carved the valley. Further up come the Changing Canyon nature trail, Thomas Canyon Campground and the Terraces Picnic Area. Road’s End has parking and toilets, and it is the northern start of the Ruby Crest Trail, about 38 miles (61 km) long.
The road is not ploughed in winter, when skiers and snowmobilers take over. The lower canyon stays drivable for much of the year, while the upper road opens from late spring into autumn, depending on snow. Freeze and thaw can bring rockfall in winter and spring. Aspens usually turn gold in early to mid October. Stock up in Elko, the nearest town with services.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Lamoille Canyon Road on the map12.6 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 13Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%1,786 to 2,676 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Glacier OverlookPullout with interpretive panels looking up the U-shaped glacial canyon of the Ruby Mountains5.9 mi in
- Thomas Canyon CampgroundAspen-shaded campground and trailhead beneath the jagged Ruby Mountains peaks7.8 mi in
- Roads End TrailheadParking and turnaround at the head of the canyon, start of the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail13 mi in
Hazards
- Abrupt seasonal snow closure
- Rockfall and wandering bighorn sheep
- No services beyond the canyon mouth
Is Lamoille Canyon Road open? Typical season and live summit weather ›
Sources
“Be prepared for lots of climbing in one direction and white-knuckle descending in the other.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Lamoille Canyon Road offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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