Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Nevada / Northeast Nevada

Lamoille Lake to Liberty Lake (Ruby Mountains)

Ruby Mountains Wilderness, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (top of Lamoille Canyon, southeast of Elko)

The first few miles of the Ruby Crest Trail make a short backpacking trip on their own: from the top of Lamoille Canyon past the Dollar Lakes and Lamoille Lake, over Liberty Pass, and down to Liberty Lake in its basin below. A Backcountry Post hiker found the view of Liberty Lake from the pass even better than the lakes before it: “shortly after the pass Liberty Lake came into view and that surpassed them.”

It’s a good fit for a single night, according to onX, with day trips to Favre and Castle Lakes from camp.

The hike

Glaciers carved the northern Rubies into U-shaped Lamoille Canyon, which Wilderness Connect says is sometimes called “Nevada’s Yosemite.” The range holds more than two dozen alpine lakes, and this hike passes several of them in its first few miles.

The trail starts at the Roads End trailhead at the top of the Lamoille Canyon road, which the Forest Service lists as an entry point to the Ruby Mountains Wilderness, the Ruby Crest Trail, and the Island Lake Trail. Backpacker puts the Dollar Lakes about 1.5 miles in. Hike Bike Travel lists them at 3.4 miles round trip and Lamoille Lake at 4.0 miles round trip.

Past Lamoille Lake, onX says, the trail climbs granite switchbacks to a saddle, where Liberty Lake first comes into view, then drops into the basin. Hike Bike Travel puts Liberty Pass at 10,450 feet. Expect around 1,700 to 1,800 feet of climbing to the lake, depending on the source.

Below Liberty Lake, the Ruby Crest Trail continues south to Favre Lake (9,510 feet, per Hiking Project), with Castle Lake nearby. Hike Bike Travel looped past Favre Lake, adding about 2.7 miles, and returned from Lamoille Lake on the stock trail. The Backcountry Post group made a longer day hike south to Wines Peak, refilling at North Furlong Creek before the dry plateau.

Snow can last. On a June 28-30, 2016 trip, Backcountry Post found snow covering the pass and ice at the edges of Lamoille Lake, with deeper patches past North Furlong Creek.

For the full traverse to Harrison Pass, see the Ruby Crest Trail. For a quieter approach to the crest from the east side, see Overland Lake.

Tips

Camping

No permits are required for the Ruby Mountains Wilderness or the Ruby Crest Trail, according to Travel Nevada, and dogs must be leashed. Camping is dispersed and follows Leave No Trace. onX asks campers to pack out all human and animal waste; Hike Bike Travel says to bury waste far from camp and pack out toilet paper. Hike Bike Travel found Liberty Lake popular, with plenty of flat ground but limited room for crowds, and Favre Lake quieter, with fewer flat spots. Under the 2026 Stage 1 restrictions, campfires are allowed only in developed sites; gas stoves are allowed (BLM release). Ruby Mountains office: 775-752-3357.

Inside Intel: onX recommends two sites: an established camp on the near side of Liberty Lake, and another on the far side toward Favre Lake. The Backcountry Post group (2016) camped near the outlet at the south end of Liberty Lake, just over 10,000 feet. They called the sites great but heavily used, some too close to the water, and packed out a lot of trash. They liked the sites at Castle Lake more than those at Favre.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Dinner at the outlet of Liberty Lake:

After the climb over Liberty Pass, a hot meal that needs only boiling water makes the evening at Liberty Lake easy. See which backpacking meals testers keep coming back to.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.