June 4, 2026 - Thomas Canyon Campground

Deb here. The temperature dipped to 36 degrees overnight, but all was well in our van with our cozy heater. I didn’t put coverings over all of the windows since it was so dark last night, and it was so nice to wake up this morning and see the blue sky, mountains and rushing brook. Pretty perfect.

We decided last night that we’d hike the Thomas Canyon Trail this morning. Last time we were here we hiked the trail at the end of the road and it was spectacular, leading up to a series of alpine lakes. I learned last night from a woman in a nearby campsite that there was still a lot of snow up there, but that the Thomas Canyon hike is a winner. And to make it even better, the trail departs across the road from our campsite.

After leisurely coffee, tea and breakfast, we took off up the trail by about 8:45 am.

The trail is an out and back, going up about 1,300 feet in elevation over 2+ miles (one way). It was a constant up but oh so beautiful. Wildflowers were just starting to pop, so I took lots of photos along the way. And then there were many waterfalls, blue sky, aspens, sunshine and snow covered mountains. All in all an absolutely perfect alpine hike.

We took our time and arrived in the big meadow underneath the snow capped peaks at the end of the trail by 11 or so. I found a big rock and we hung out for quite a while, enjoying our snacks and talking with a couple of other hikers. The couple we met live about 70 miles from here and just came for a day hike. They’ve been hiking around Nevada for 40+ years and confirmed that the Ruby Mountains are among their favorites. They also suggested checking out Jarbridge, an old mining town with lots of great hikes and camping on the Idaho border, northwest of here.

We eventually headed down the mountain, returning to our campsite by 12:30 or so. The afternoon was pleasantly spent reading, napping and hanging out. There’s something to be said for our enforced digital detox!

Later in the afternoon we drove to the end of the road, about 5 miles beyond the campground. There’s a large parking area there with several trailheads, and we talked with a couple of men who’d tried to hike up to the Dollar Lakes (where we’d been in 2023) and had turned around due to the snow. We definitely made the right decision to hike in Thomas Canyon.

Back to our campsite for happy hour and then dinner later (grilled cheeses and corn chowder). More reading before bed. What a relaxing day!