Lamoille Canyon outside Elko, NV is the most amazing place you haven’t heard of. These are the Ruby Mountains and they are no joke. Known as the “Swiss Alps of Nevada,” the Ruby Mountains are a glacier-carved paradise full of endless outdoor adventure surrounded by alpine lakes and streams, tree-lined canyons, and towering peaks.
Two glacier events happened here with one occuring 150,000 years ago, and a more recent one about 15,000 years ago. During the older glacier event a glacier flowed down Lamoille Canyon over 12 miles. It begain up by Lamoille Lake where we hiked.
Our first hike was a loop with Lamoille Lake the main focus. The trailhead starts where the road ends. This time of year is ideal with the aspen trees starting to change color, and the air a bit cooler. The trail climbs for the first half with switchbacks and good views. We passed Dollar Lakes and came to Lamoille Lake. There wasn’t anyone at either of the lakes on the day we hiked, in fact, we only saw a few people on the trail. After taking a billion pictures, relaxing in the sun, and eating our sandwiches we started down. You can go back the way you came, or take the stock trail. The stock trail is more rugged with loose rocks but it’s shorter. You decide.
This hike topped out at 9,767′ which could cause the hike to be more difficult for some. The rating on Alltrails is Hard but I’d rate it moderate probably.
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