Nevada is a road trip waiting to happen. At 109,781 square miles, it is the seventh largest state in the Union, with highways and byways past old mining towns, massive sand dunes and forested mountains. A trip on the Loneliest Road in America (also known as the stretch of U.S. 50 inside Nevada) is a great way to explore the Silver State.
A popular place to start is Reno, where downtown lodging options include the Eldorado Resort Casino, Circus Circus Reno and the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. Head east on Interstate 80, and around the town of Fallon, you will connect with Loneliest Road in America. That was how Life magazine described the road in 1986, adding “we warn all motorists not to drive there unless they’re confident of their survival skills.”
It might be lonely, but it’s also full of beauty and adventure. Gin and vodka fans may want to check out Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon, while off-road enthusiasts will enjoy Sand Mountain Recreation Area, featuring a 600-foot-tall sand dune. On the eastern end of the state, there is Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, with six 30-foot-tall beehive-shaped ovens used in the late 19th century, as well as Great Basin National Park, home of the amazing Lehman Caves. There’s also the historical Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, whose history is chronicled at the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, and the McGill Drugstore Museum, a curious remnant of mid-20th century America.
If you’ve traveled the Loneliest Road as far as Ely, you may want to start heading north to the ranching and mining city of Elko, home of the Western Folklife Center, which puts on the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. You can head back to Reno on Interstate 80, which roughly follows the path pioneers took in the mid-19th century to reach the gold fields of California. Great stops include the California Trail Interpretive Center just west of Elko; the community of Winnemucca, home of the Humboldt Museum; and Lovelock, where you and your sweetie can “lock your love” in Lovers Lock Plaza.
For more on Nevada and Nevada road trips, visit TravelNevada.com.
Drone shots by Siya Zarrabi @hopscotchtheglobe and Adam Lukaszewicz @gettingstamped
