Lamoille Canyon

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 12 miles (19 km) in length, it was extensively sculpted by glaciers in previous ice ages.

Lamoille Canyon begins at Liberty Peak at an elevation of 11,032 feet (3360 m), at 40°35.19'N and 115°24.01'W. It quickly descends to a glacial basin now occupied by Lamoille Lake. A nearby granite shelf contains the picturesque Dollar Lakes. Further down the canyon is a large stand of whitebark pine and the Road's End Trailhead, the high point (8800 ft, 2680 m) of the paved Lamoille Canyon National Forest Service Byway. This is also the northern terminus of the 38 mile (60 km) Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail, and the start of the much shorter trail to Island Lake.

Road's End is where Lamoille Canyon begins a sweeping turn around the flanks of Thomas Peak (11,325 ft, 3450 m). The glaciers have deeply carved the canyon, leaving a classic U-shaped cross section and, high on the side of Thomas Peak, four hanging valleys (including Island Lake). The road then passes the Terraces Picnic Area (featuring more glacial remnants) and Verdi Peaks. A nearby nature trail exhibits the diverse plant life in the canyon bottom.

The canyon continues to descend to its junction with Thomas Canyon, which enters from the south. At the head of Thomas Canyon is majestic Mount Fitzgerald (11,215 ft, 3240 m), and at its outlet is the Thomas Canyon Campground. About a mile below the campground, Lamoille Canyon passes through a narrow slot and then drops quickly to its junction with Right Fork Canyon, which also enters from the south. Near this point are Lamoille Falls, Camp Lamoille (available for group rental), and the precipitous north face of Mount Gilbert (11,120 ft, 3390 m).

At Camp Lamoille the canyon has descended to 7100 feet (2165 m). In the remaining 3 miles it descends another 1000 feet (300 m) and exits the range at the Powerhouse Picnic Area, the site of early efforts to harness the water of the Ruby Mountains to produce electricity. Nearby are the communities of Lamoille and Spring Creek.

External links

* [http://www.nevadadventures.com/recsites/elkoco/lamillecanyon/lamoillecanyon.html Lamoille Canyon]
* [http://www.nevadawilderness.org/northeast/ruby.htm Ruby Mountains Wilderness]
* [http://highsierrahiking.com/ruby.html Ruby Crest Trail]
* [http://www.exploringnevada.com/nevada-pictures-photographs/backcountry-scenic-drive-photos/lamoille-canyon-photographs/ Photos of Lamoille Canyon]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lamoille, Nevada — Lamoille is a rural hamlet in Elko County in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada in the western United States. As of the 2000 census, the town (zip code 89828) had a population of 393. It is located at 40°43.68 N and 115°28.70 W,… …   Wikipedia

  • Lamoille — can refer to these places in the United States:*LaMoille, Iowa *Lamoille, Nevada *Lamoille Canyon, in Nevada *Lamoille County, Vermont *Lamoille River, in Vermont …   Wikipedia

  • Lamoille Lake (Nevada) — Infobox lake lake name = Lamoille Lake image lake = LamoilleDollarLakesNV.jpg caption lake = Lamoille (near) and Dollar Lakes image bathymetry = caption bathymetry = location = Nevada coords = coord|40|34.6|N|115|23.7|W|region:US… …   Wikipedia

  • Right Fork Canyon — is a major branch of Lamoille Canyon, located in the Ruby Mountains of Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada in the western United States. Approximately 5 miles (8 km) in length, it was extensively sculpted by glaciers… …   Wikipedia

  • Seitz Canyon — is one of the major valleys within the Ruby Mountains of Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada in the western United States. Approximately 5.5 miles (9 km) in length, it was extensively sculptured by glaciers in previous …   Wikipedia

  • Ruby Mountains — The Ruby Mountains comprise one of the many mountain ranges of the Great Basin in the western United States. They are the predominant range in Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada. To the north is Secret Pass and the… …   Wikipedia

  • Snow Lake Peak — Infobox Mountain Name = Snow Lake Peak Photo = SnowLakePeakNV.jpg Caption = Snow Lake Peak, looking northwest from the Ruby Crest Trail in Lamoille Canyon Elevation = convert|11137|ft|m|0 cite web url =… …   Wikipedia

  • Mount Gilbert (Nevada) — Mount Gilbert Elevation 11,215 ft (3,418 m) [1] …   Wikipedia

  • Nevada Scenic Byways — U.S. Route 50, designated the Loneli …   Wikipedia

  • Dollar Lakes — Location Ruby Mountains, Elko County, Nevada Coordinates …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”