Steele Lake
- 5.2 mi
- round trip
- 1,446 ft
- climb
- 9,611 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Steele Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Steele Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.
Elephant Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-26-01-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Road Closure for Construction Work (Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger Districts)
Agency alert covering Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District · Order 04-17-26-06-04 · USFS · Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District
Area, Road, and Trail Closures (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-25-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Year-Round Fire Restrictions (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-24-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Vehicle Snow Chain Requirements during Inclement Weather (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-23-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Steele Lake is a hard hike in Nevada's Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, on the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back of about 5 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 1,450 feet. The route runs from a low point of about 8,100 feet to a high point of about 9,600 feet, so the climb is the main factor in the hike's difficulty. The trail is a natural surface route and is not open to bikes, and it's managed by the Forest Service. It's open year-round, which makes it a good option for a long outing in any season. The Winchell Lake hike sits just 0.1 mile away, and Weeks Loop is about 0.9 mile off. For a longer outing, Boulder Lake is about 2.7 miles away and the East Humboldt Highline Trail (#026) is about 2.8 miles away.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Angel Lake Spring Box
~10 min drive
0.08-mile out-and-back trail to Angel Lake Spring Box in Nevada.
HIKE
Winchell Lake
Next door
6.80-mile out-and-back trail to Winchell Lake in Nevada with 941 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Boulder Lake
~5 min drive
2.91-mile out-and-back trail to Boulder Lake in Nevada with 1,193 ft gain.
Photo: reverendlukewarm, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Angel Lake Spring
~10 min drive
0.59-mile out-and-back trail to Angel Lake Spring in Nevada.
HIKE
East Humboldt Highline Trail (#026)
~5 min drive
10.74-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 4,353 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Ackler Creek
~7 min drive
4.16-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 1,532 ft elevation gain.
Photo: reverendlukewarm, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Smith Lake
~11 min drive
1.40-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 610 ft gain.
HIKE
East Humboldt Highline Trail (#026)
~5 min drive
10.98-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 4,361 ft elevation gain and 9,735 ft max elevation.
HIKE
2Nd Boulder
~8 min drive
5.21-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 1,136 ft elevation gain.
Photo: reverendlukewarm, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Smith Lake Trail
~11 min drive
0.68-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 320 ft of elevation gain.
