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Rubies Route
#RubiesRoute TravelNevada.com/Rubies-Route
A Gem of a Road Trip
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The Rubies Route Serves up an Abundance of Altitude.
Hit the Road
Start: Elko Suggested Duration: 2-5 days Distance: 30 to 375 mi
With Elko as your hub for this perfect jewel of a road trip, you’ll have the choice of three main spokes that lead to scenic slices of recreation-packed paradise. Chase trails in stunning Lamoille Canyon, wildlife at Ruby Lake and Angel Lake, or wind your way through wild country toward Jarbidge, one of the West’s last true frontier towns.
ELKO TO LAMOILLE CANYON AND THE RUBY MOUNTAINS
Called Nevada’s Alps, the Ruby Mountains’ craggy peaks— capped by Ruby Dome at 11,387 feet—rise nearly a mile above the valley floor. A 45-minute drive puts you at the top of Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, where scenic trails offer everything from afternoon jaunts to multiday thru-hikes on the Ruby
Crest National Recreation
Trail. Whichever you choose, you’re never far from beautiful, trout-packed alpine lakes. In winter, the byway closes to cars and becomes a snowmobile superhighway with around 300 inches of annual snowfall. Elko’s hotels and motels offer all the amenities, but closer to the mountains are the rustic Hotel Lamoille and two swanky wilderness yurts—one on top of a Ruby Mountain ridge, another tucked back in the woods on a babbling brook.
LAMOILLE CANYON
RUBY CREST NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL
Rubies route
Get a full itinerary, plus road trip essentials, including downloadable directions, maps, podcasts, and tunes curated for your adventure.
ELKO TO RUBY LAKE AND ANGEL LAKE
If mostly-unpaved Harrison Pass is open, stop at remote Jiggs Bar for a cold one on your way to Ruby Valley. If it’s not, take paved Secret Pass/NV-229.
Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
offers a 370,000-acre panorama of watery grandeur, home to 220 species of birds and plenty of fish. Embark JIGGS BAR on the wildly photogenic Angel Lake Scenic Drive, an aspenladen gem where wildlife abound, hidden just 12 miles up from I-80. If you don’t already have a comfy bed waiting for you in Elko, Wells has you covered. Spring for an
Uncommon Overnighter with
teepee glamping at a wild horse refuge or a luxurious lodge on a working ranch.
ELKO TO JARBIDGE
It doesn’t get much more offthe-grid than Jarbidge. Site of the last American gold rush and stagecoach robbery, this Wild Western town (seasonal population: 11 to 100) draws anglers, off-roaders, shutterbugs, and nature-lovers. The pictureperfect Jarbidge Wilderness
JARBIDGE WILDERNESS AREA
Area is one of the most remote corners of the lower 48. The dirt roads from Elko only get plowed once a year (around July 4) and get snowed in as early as October. Alternatively, there’s a paved route via Jackpot into Idaho and back down to Jarbidge. With all the effort to get there and all the splendor waiting at the end of the trail, we recommend an overnighter at the Outdoor Inn.
