Winchell Lake
- 6.8 mi
- round trip
- 941 ft
- climb
- 8,614 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Winchell Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Winchell 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.
Winchell Lake is a hard hike of about 6.8 miles in the Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger District of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in northeastern Nevada. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. The route is an out-and-back that climbs from about 8,079 feet to about 8,614 feet, with a total gain of roughly 941 feet. That makes it a steep, high-country walk, and the climb is one way rather than round trip. Steele Lake sits just 0.1 mile away, and Weeks Loop is about 0.9 mile off. Boulder Lake and the East Humboldt Highline Trail (#026) are both within about 3 miles. For an overnight base, Angel Lake Campground is about 5.8 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
Steele Lake
Next door
5.15-mile out-and-back trail to Steele Lake in Nevada with 1,446 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
~10 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
~9 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
~10 min drive
0.68-mile out-and-back trail in Nevada with 320 ft of elevation gain.
