Better understanding the distribution pattern of soil carbon storage (SOC) and total nitrogen (total N) along elevation gradients will facilitate the projection of global change on terrestrial C and N cycling. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents in 0-0.1, 0.1-0.25 and 0.25-0.4 m soil layers were measured following the standard procedures for four vegetation communities: Subalpine meadow, cold temperate coniferous forest, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest and shrub grassland, along elevation gradients from 1703.1 m to 2756.3 m on the Luya Mountains in the eastern rim of the Loess Plateau in China. The results showed that the SOC and total N in the three layers were all positive linear correlated with elevation (P<0.001). The SOC of different layers are (35.7113.32), (29.1812.85) and (26.3912.74) g·kg~(-1) respectively, and the total N contents are (2.830.93), (2.380.84) and (2.120.80) g·kg~(-1) respectively. Both are decreased with soil depth declined. The CN ratio varied from5 to 19 in study area. The highest value was observed in cold-temperate coniferous forest (2332.6 m), but the lowest value in subalpine meadow (2756.3 m). The CN ratio variation trend showed "Lambda" with elevation gradients and which fitted with the Gaussian model. Elevation induced microclimatic differences and vegetation community types were found to be important factors for the significant variations in SOC and total N in the Luya Mountains.