Snake Range

Mountain chain in White Pine County, east-central Nevada. The Snake Range is situated east of the Schell Creek Range and just west of the Utah border, and runs roughly northeast–southwest for 100 km/60 mi. Much of it lies within the Humboldt National Forest. Wheeler Peak (3,982 m/13,063 ft), 56 km/35 mi southeast of Ely, is the second-highest summit in Nevada, and is the only peak to be permanently capped with ice.

In the north of the Snake Range, the Mount Moriah Wilderness Area (area 332 sq km/128 sq mi) rises to a height of 3,678 m/12,067 ft at Mount Moriah. A highway (US 50) crosses the range through Sacramento Pass, which, at 2,181 m/7,155 ft, is the lowest point in the range. Below the pass, much of the range lies within the Great Basin National Park (established 1986; area 310 sq km/120 sq mi). This park includes Wheeler Peak and the Lehman Caves, a labyrinth of calcite formations 8 km/5 mi west of Baker. A wilderness area containing 3,000-year-old bristlecone pines is situated along one of the many long-distance walking trails through the park.