Lamoille Canyon Road, also known as Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, is a

National Forest Scenic Byway The National Forest Scenic Byways are roads that have been designated by the U.S. Forest Service as scenic byways. Many are also National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program was initiated in 1987. List The following roadways were listed by the Fede ...

Elko County Elko County is a county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,702. Its county seat is Elko. The county was established on March 5, 1869, from Lander County. Elko County is the fourth ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

in the western United States. The road traverses

Lamoille Canyon Lamoille Canyon is the largest valley in the Ruby Mountains, located in the central portion of Elko County in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada, in the western United States. Approximately in length, it was extensively sculpted by ...

in the

Ruby Mountains The Ruby Mountains (Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: 'Duka Doya', meaning “Snowcapped”) are a mountain range, primarily located within Elko County, Nevada, Elko County with a small extension into White Pine County, Nevada, White Pine County, in ...

of northeastern Nevada, and it is administered by the Ruby Mountains Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Route description

2013-09-09 10 11 24 View down Lamoille Canyon from 10000 feet along the route to Verdi Peaks from Terraces Picnic Area in Lamoille Canyon

Lamoille Canyon Road is officially designated National Forest Road 660 (NF 660). Its southern terminus is at a large parking area in Lamoille Canyon with multiple trailheads. From here, the road winds north and then northwest through the canyon, descending from its elevation of at the parking area to around at the entrance of the canyon. Once outside of the canyon, the road continues north toward the small town of

Lamoille Lamoille or La Moille may refer to: Places in the United States Illinois * La Moille, Illinois, a village * Lamoille Township, Bureau County, Illinois Iowa * LaMoille, Iowa, an unincorporated community Minnesota * Lamoille, Minnesota, an uninco ...

, reaching its northern terminus west of town at an intersection with SR 227. The eastern terminus of SR 227 is located about one mile east of this location. Throughout its length, the road is undivided and two-lanes wide (one each way) with a speed limit of . The road is not plowed in the winter, when it is used for winter recreation such as

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

and

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

. Motor vehicle access to the upper end of the road is generally limited to the months of June through October, though this is partly dependent on snowfall. In contrast, the section of the road below is usually motor-vehicle accessible for most of the year. 2013-10-08 12 40 27 National Forest Scenic Byway sign on Lamoille Canyon Road

2013-10-08 12 40 27 National Forest Scenic Byway sign on Lamoille Canyon Road

Points of interest

Powerhouse Picnic Area, Camp Lamoille, Thomas Canyon Campground, Changing Canyon Nature Trail, Terraces Picnic Area, and Roads End Trailhead are all located along Lamoille Canyon Road. The Roads End Trailhead is the northern terminus of the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail.

History

Lamoille Canyon Road was constructed by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

in the 1930s and 1940s.

Major intersections

References

External links

*{{commons category-inline National Forest Scenic Byways Ruby Mountains Transportation in Elko County, Nevada