The Lamoille Trailhead (Recommended exit trailhead)
From downtown Elko, take 5th Street south, which becomes state road 227. This is well signed for Lamoille Canyon. From Elko, stay on 227 for about 19 miles to the signed Forest Road 660 on the right. Signed for Lamoille. Follow the road to its ends in 12 miles. This is the exit trailhead. There is a toilet at the trailhead, but no camping. Thompson Canyon Campround is part way up the canyon, but can fill up on weekends. See Reserve America for reservations.

To Harrison Pass (Trailhead)
From the ends of the road, go back down Lamoille Canyon to 227. Go left (west) on 227. Follow this back 12 miles toward Elko. Turn left onto state road 228. (signed, major junction)

Follow 228 south for 40.1 miles. It passes through the incredibly small town of Jiggs, then continues south before turning east and heading up to the pass. Just before the pass, the road turns to good graded dirt. It should be reachable by all in most conditions. The pass offers good views to the east. Park at the large parking are if you have a low clearance 2wd vehicle.

Day 1 - From Harrison Pass to the South Fork (10 miles from Harrison Pass / 8.2 from the 4wd Trailhead)
From Harrison Pass, walk or drive the jeep road. Stay on the obvious main road and several small forks. It is about 2.8 miles to where the jeep road makes a left on the ridge and flattens out. There is a parking area here and trailhead sign. If driving, I would recommend parking here.

Continue along the jeep road, staying right at the first junction, again on the obvious main road. It contours around with several more minor side roads. Ignore this. The further you get, the narrower the road gets and the more it becomes an ATV trail. The trail then crosses the Wilderness Boundary and begins a mellow meander in and out of the many side canyons. A ridgeline makes a good lunch spot before the descent to the South Fork of Smith Creek. There were several shallow streams crossing the road when we hiked this route early September.

On the south bank of the South Fork of Smith Creek are several good campsites. The camping is just OK, though, as the area seems to be pretty heavily used by livestock. We continued on and camped in the Middle Fork, but flat ground was very hard to come by.

Day 2 - South Fork of Smith Creek to Overland Lake (5.75 miles with a steep elevation gain over the pass)
The trail climbs to the ridge, meanders down to Middle Fork of Smith Creek, then climbs slightly before making a fairly steady traverse to the headwaters of the North Fork of Smith Creek. If needed, there are quite a few good camping areas in the North Fork, though they may be a bit off the trail.

From the headwaters of the North Fork, fill your bottles at the last spring, right where the trail begins its series of steep switchbacks. The character of the hike begins to change as the hike climbs to the ridge. Big views present themselves and you begin to see north to the scenery you will encounter in the next couple of days.

From the ridge, the trail switchbacks down to Overland Lake. There are quite a few good campsites along the lake, and the old cabin makes for an interesting site.

Day 3 - Overland Lake to North Furlong or Farv Lake (12.1 mile to North Furlong Junction / about 15 miles to Farve Lake)
The big day! From Overland Lake, the trail descends to a junction. Go left here, as the trail contours along the side of the range. A waterfall on the left before the trail begins climbing is the last reliable water for 12-13 miles. Stock up!

The trail climbs, switchbacks, and finally reaches the ridge and overlooks Log Canyon to the west. Big views from here on out! Catch your breath and start climbing to the first of 5 summits. The trail, though up and down, is never particularly steep. After a long traverse, the trail makes a steeper climb to near the summit of Wines Peak. The true summit is a short distance west of the trail and worth the side trip.

From Wines, the trail descends to the North Furlong Junction and a great rest spot in the trees. In wet times, there will be flowing water at the junction (there wasn’t when we were there). If not, it is a 20 or so minute walk to North Furlong Lake and water. If you don't need water, I would recommend continuing on to Farve Lake. Continue north on the trail, crossing a final minor ridge for the day. The scenery changes dramatically in this section and is stunning. A few ponds on the left of the trail a short distance before Kleckner Creek offer the first water and decent camping.

At Kleckner Creek, go right. The trail climbs a short distance to the Farve Lake junction. A short distance from the main trail, Farve Lake has quite a few excellent campsites or wander south from Farve to the less visited Castle Lake.

Day 4 - To Lamoille Trailhead (5.25 miles)
From Farve Lake, head back to the main trail. The final day is short, scenic, and goes by quite fast. The trail climbs to Liberty Lake, a stunning lake set in a hanging valley. The lake is a very popular destination from the Lamoille Trailhead.

Passing Liberty Lake, it is 20 or so minutes to Liberty Pass and the dramatic views into Lamoille Canyon and the exit trailhead. From the pass, the trail meanders down to very near Lamoille Lake which makes a good side trip. A final junction just past Lamoille Lake offers a stock route (left) back to the trailhead, or the hiker route (right). Go right, as the trail passes the charming Dollar Lakes before descending to the trailhead.