Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Nevada / Northeast Nevada

Overland Lake from Ruby Valley (Ruby Mountains)

Ruby Mountains Wilderness, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (east side of the range, Ruby Valley)

Overland Lake is a granite-walled cirque lake high on the east side of the Ruby Mountains, which the Ruby Crest Trail reaches around mile 21.5 from Lamoille Canyon, by Backpacker’s count. The Overland Lake Trail climbs to it directly from Ruby Valley, a shorter, out-and-back way to reach a lake whose campsites Backpacker singles out.

The catch is a dry, steep climb and a rough road to the trailhead.

The hike

HikeArizona’s guide (2019) starts at a lower trailhead on Ruby Valley Road (NV-767), about 9.5 miles from Harrison Pass Road when driving from Elko. From there, a dirt road climbs about 3/4 mile and 500 feet to the upper trailhead. Hiking Project suggests that drivers without high clearance or 4WD park at a pullout lower on the road and walk.

The trail heads west-northwest. Hiking Project describes the first mile climbing to a saddle around 7,300 feet, with views and rock formations along the ridge, then a mile of switchbacks gaining about 500 feet. A gentler traverse follows on the north side of the ridge, shaded by aspen groves. Around mile 3.75 the trail splits and rejoins within 0.1 mile. The last 1.5 miles are steep, gaining nearly 1,000 feet.

The trail ends at a signed junction with the Ruby Crest Trail. Turn south (left) to reach Overland Lake, which Hiking Project puts at 9,453 feet, in a cirque of granite peaks. A smaller lake or tarn sits less than half a mile above it. Backpacker notes that some hikers prefer that upper lake for water, about 0.3 mile up the trail.

From the junction, the Ruby Crest Trail also runs north through Overland Canyon. On the 100 Peaks trip (2020), the group found the Middle Fork of Overland Creek, a cascade about 1.25 miles past the lake, to be the only reliable water heading north. Hiking Project lists deer, mountain goats, grouse, and hawks among the wildlife here.

For the Lamoille Canyon end of the range, see Lamoille Lake to Liberty Lake.

Tips

Camping

Travel Nevada says no permits are required for the Ruby Mountains Wilderness or the Ruby Crest Trail, and dogs must be leashed. Camping at Overland Lake is dispersed. HikeArizona says backpacking is allowed and describes several small campsites near the old cabin at the end of the lake. Wilderness rules ban motorized equipment and mechanical transport, including bikes (Wilderness Connect). Under the 2026 Stage 1 restrictions, campfires are allowed only in developed sites; gas stoves are allowed (BLM release). Hiking Project’s Ruby Crest page advises camping at least 100 feet from fragile areas.

Inside Intel: HikeArizona’s guide says the best sites are “a bit farther west,” across the lake’s outlet, rather than by the cabin. Backpacker calls the Overland Lake banks home to “some of the route’s best campsites.” On the 100 Peaks trip, the group chose a spot by a granite outcrop on the lake over the cabin sites, and the writer called it “one of my favorite days of camping of all time.”

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A granite perch above Overland Lake:

Wind can rake the Ruby crest, so a tent that stays taut in gusts earns its weight at Overland Lake's cirque camps. See the tents reviewers trust.

Compare the top 5 →

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.