Nevada · Hiking

Right Ranch Shortcut

1.1 mi
round trip
233 ft
climb
6,686 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
best months

Is Right Ranch Shortcut open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Right Ranch Shortcut, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Right Ranch Shortcut is a 1.1-mile out-and-back hike in the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated hard, with a one-way climb of about 230 feet from a low point of 6,441 feet to a high of 6,686 feet. The route is natural-surfaced and open to bikes, so it works for hikers and mountain bikers alike. The closest neighbors are the Wright 2 and Wright 3 mountain biking trails, both about 0.2 miles away, and the Right Ranch mountain biking trail at 0.4 miles. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Ruby Lake show May highs around 66°F and September highs around 77°F, while July and August average in the upper 80s. That station sits about 670 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run a little cooler.

  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Right Ranch Shortcut

    Best months: May–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 14°

      9 wet · 7 snow

    2. Feb

      42° / 18°

      9 wet · 7 snow

    3. Mar

      50° / 25°

      9 wet · 5 snow

    4. Apr

      56° / 31°

      9 wet · 3 snow

    5. May

      66° / 39°

      8 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      78° / 46°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      88° / 53°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      87° / 51°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      77° / 41°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 30°

      5 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      50° / 21°

      7 wet · 4 snow

    12. Dec

      39° / 15°

      8 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ruby Lake Nwr, NV, 7.8 mi away at 6,019 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.