Ruby Mountains

The Ruby Mountains, located primarily in Elko County with a small extension into White Pine County, Nevada, are part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and reach a maximum elevation of 11,387 feet at Ruby Dome. The range stretches south-southwest for approximately 80 miles, bordered by Ruby Valley to the east and Huntington and Lamoille Valleys to the west. Known as "Duka Doya" or "Snowcapped" by the Shoshoni, the mountains were named after garnets found by early explorers. The range features U-shaped canyons, moraines, hanging valleys, and cirques, evidence of glaciation during recent ice ages. Major valleys include Lamoille Canyon, Seitz Canyon, Box Canyon, and Kleckner Canyon. Prominent summits in the central core are Ruby Dome, Thomas Peak, Liberty Peak, Mount Fitzgerald, Verdi Peak, Snow Lake Peak, Mount Silliman, and Mount Gilbert, while southern peaks include King, Lake, Wines, Tipton, and Pearl Peaks. North of the central core, significant peaks are Old-Man-of-the-Mountain and Soldier Peak. Glaciers carved basins now occupied by alpine lakes such as Echo, Liberty, Favre, Lamoille, Castle, and Griswold in the central core, with smaller tarns like Island, Dollar, Verdi, Snow, Box, and Seitz lakes. Further north are Cold, Hidden, Soldier, and Robinson lakes, while southern lakes include North Furlong and Overland. Ecologically diverse, the range supports flora from aspen to whitebark and limber pines, and fauna like mountain goats, bighorn sheep, mule deer, mountain lions, marmots, beaver, pikas, and introduced Himalayan snowcocks. Trout populations are influenced by stocking. Geologically part of the Basin and Range Province, the ...