The Schell Creek Range is a linear mountain range in central White Pine County, in east-central

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. Its length is approximately in a north-south direction. Most of the range is contained within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, with some of the range also included in the High Schells Wilderness. The range comprises two major groups of peaks. The southern section rises from a point near Burnt Peak in Lincoln County, reaching the summit of Mt. Grafton, , just north of the border with White Pine County. To the west are remote Cave Valley and the Egan Range, while to the east are U.S. Route 93 and the

Fairview Range (Lincoln County) The Fairview Range is a mountain range in Lincoln County, Nevada. References Mountain ranges of Lincoln County, Nevada Mountain ranges of Nevada {{LincolnCountyNV-geo-stub ...

. North of Mt. Grafton, the range drops quickly to a line of lower summits, eventually reaching Connors Pass. That is where

U.S. Route 50 U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...

, the "Loneliest Highway in America", crosses the range, connecting the nearby community of

Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral ** Ely Rural District, a ...

with the

Great Basin National Park Great Basin National Park is an American national park located in White Pine County in east-central Nevada, near the Utah border, established in 1986. The park is most commonly entered by way of Nevada State Route 488, which is connected to U ...

and west-central

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

. North of Connors Pass the range continues into its higher northern section. To the west is

Ely, Nevada Ely (, ) is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. In 1906 copper was discovered. Ely's mining boom came later than ...

, while to the east are Spring Valley and the high

Snake Range The Snake Range is a mountain range in White Pine County, Nevada, United States. The south-central portion of the range is included within Great Basin National Park, with most of the remainder included within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest ...

, (including Great Basin National Park, Wheeler Peak, and Mt. Moriah). Within this section of the Schell Creek Range are

Cave Lake State Park Cave Lake State Park is a public recreation area occupying more than in the Schell Creek Range, adjacent to Humboldt National Forest, in White Pine County, Nevada. The state park is located at an elevation of southeast of Ely and is accessed ...

and the scenic road over Success Summit into Duck Creek Basin. The crest continues to rise, reaching South Schell Peak at , Taft Peak at , and North Schell Peak which, at , is the high point of the range. Nearby are the Timber Creek and Berry Creek campgrounds (and trailheads). The range then makes a slow descent to lower elevations, dropping to Schellbourne Pass at , where the

Overland Stage Line The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was ...

, the

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

, and the Transcontinental Telegraph made their way through the Great Basin. Just west of the range was the Egan Canyon Pony Express Station. From there, the range ascends to Becky Peak at before quickly descending to the floor of Steptoe Valley near Lages Station.

Notes

{{Reflist

References

Peakbagger.com

Mountain ranges of Nevada Mountain ranges of White Pine County, Nevada Pony Express