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

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, 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. N ...

. 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 The Egan Range is a line of mountains in White Pine County, in eastern Nevada in the western United States. From Egan Creek near the historic community of Cherry Creek, the range runs south for approximately 108 miles (173 km), extending so ...

, while to the east are

U.S. Route 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south numbered highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at US 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln Cou ...

and the

Fairview Range (Lincoln County) The Fairview Range is a mountain range in Lincoln County, Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, Calif ...

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

, 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 Fores ...

, (including Great Basin National Park, Wheeler Peak, and Mt. Moriah). Within this section of the Schell Creek Range are Cave Lake State Park 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 North Schell Peak is the highest mountain in the Schell Creek Range of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. It is the ninth-highest mountain in the state, and also ranks as the fifth-most topographically prominent In topography, promi ...

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 The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost ...

, 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 Pike ...

, and the Transcontinental Telegraph made their way through the

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California. It is noted fo ...

. Just west of the range was the Egan Canyon Pony Express Station. From there, the range ascends to

Becky Peak Becky or Beckie is a feminine given name, often a short form ( hypocorism) of Rebecca. It may refer to: People * Rebecca Allison (born 1946), American cardiologist and transgender activist * Rebecca Becky Anderson (born 1967), British journalis ...

at before quickly descending to the floor of Steptoe Valley near Lages Station.

Notes

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References

Peakbagger.com

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