Unit 111, Nevada

The Schell Creek Range runs north-south for roughly 132 miles; unit 111 covers the central and northern sections. Elevation rises from approximately 5,600 feet in Steptoe Valley (west) and the eastern valleys to 11,883 feet at North Schell Peak, an overall relief exceeding 6,000 feet. Other notable summits include South Schell Peak (11,785 ft), Taft Peak (11,734 ft), and Becky Peak (10,008 ft). The southern half of the range is steep with rugged canyon topography; the northern end features gentler slopes, rolling hills, swales, and broad benches. Connors Pass (7,723 ft) on US-50 bisects the broader range.

Public land accounts for approximately 93% of the unit. The unit is managed by two federal agencies: Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (Ely Ranger District) covers the forested Schell Creek Range core including the High Schells Wilderness (121,497 acres; no motorized vehicles or mechanized equipment), and BLM Ely District manages the Becky Peak Wilderness (18,119 acres; no motorized/mechanized) and lower-elevation valley lands. Private lands are concentrated in Steptoe Valley near McGill and Ely (west side) and in portions of the eastern valleys; private inholdings also restrict access in some canyon drainages. Key access routes: US-93 (Great Basin Highway) runs along the western edge; US-50 crosses at Connors Pass (7,723 ft); State Route 483 accesses the western slope; State Route 893 provides east-side access. Forest Service roads lead to campgrounds and trailheads on the west slope. High-clearance vehicles recommended; summer thunderstorms and fall/winter snowstorms can close two-track roads rapidly. No cellular service in most of the unit interior.

Vegetation spans a full elevational gradient: sagebrush steppe and salt desert scrub in the valley floors; pinyon-juniper woodland on lower slopes and foothills; mountain mahogany on mid-elevation ridges; quaking aspen and riparian shrubs in canyon drainages; mixed conifer forest of Douglas-fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, and limber pine in the upper forest zone; bristlecone pine near treeline; and alpine terrain above approximately 11,000 ft. Perennial streams support rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and brown trout.

Mule deer are the primary big-game species, concentrated in the High Schells Wilderness core and surrounding canyon drainages. Elk are present year-round, with bulls summering at high elevations and moving to lower basins during the fall rut; late-season rifle hunters find bulls in the High Schells Wilderness timber. Pronghorn antelope range primarily through the sagebrush valleys—Steptoe Valley north of Lages Junction and the northern portion of the unit; recent wildfires and habitat projects have improved antelope habitat at the north end. Mountain lions are present throughout the range following deer and elk. Blue (dusky) grouse inhabit conifer forests and riparian zones in the High Schells; chukar partridge occupy rocky canyon breaks in pinyon-juniper; sage grouse use sagebrush flats in the valley floors. Perennial streams support trout populations.