Lamoille Canyon CCC Camp – Lamoille NV

Description

Lamoille Canyon is the largest valley in the Ruby Mountains in northeastern Nevada. It is a spectacular glaciated canyon with several side valleys, surrounded by peaks over 11,000 feet.  Much of the canyon lies within the huge Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest complex across Nevada and is jointly managed with the Trust for Public Land.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp in the canyon and did extensive work there, 1933-37. Camp Lamoille was the first CCC camp in Nevada, which had 54 camps overall by the end of the New Deal era.  It was located at the confluence of Lamoille Creek and Right (South) Fork Lamoille Creek, which has its own spectacular side canyon.

Camp Lamoille was turned over in 1939 to the Boy Scouts of America, which added a few more buildings.  The baseball field is undoubtedly original CCC work.  It has since been operated by the Elko Lion’s Club.  

Camp Lamoille was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.  Sadly, the lower part of Lamoille Canyon was devastated by a wildfire in 2018 (which began in a firing range at the foot of the canyon) and the main camp lodge building was destroyed (leaving only the stone foundation and chimney).  One other original building appears to have survived, along with some Boy Scout A-frames and the playing fields.