The winding roads of scenic Nevada
Museums, caves, parks and quirky spots help fill 5-day itinerary away from the glitz of Las Vegas
Nevada is so much more than Las Vegas. Slot machines and all-day Happy Hours have their place, but the state’s spectacular scenery and wacky Wild-West culture trumps all of that.
Follow this five-day road-trip itinerary and discover that, in Nevada, the real jackpot is won when you bet on the road less travelled.
DAY 1: Reno to Virginia City (42 kilometres)
Our 1,600-kilometre journey begins in Reno. Closer to San Francisco than Las Vegas, this small Silver State city sprung up in the 1800s, attracting settlers with its liberal divorce laws and legalized gambling.
These days, it’s having a bit of a cultural renaissance with hip coffee shops and art galleries popping up in between the old mega casinos. Even if you’re not a motorhead, spend the morning exploring the 200plus vintage cars at the National Automobile Museum.
And once you’re revved up to hit the road, our first overnight stop (a short distance out of Reno) is Virginia City. This picturesque silver-rush town is one of the biggest historic districts in the country.
Walking along its original wooden boardwalks past 150-year-old businesses, such as the Bucket of Blood Saloon and Piper’s Opera House, is like stepping into a Wild West movie set . . . with less pistol fire.
Daily must do: Grab a pint of local craft beer at the extremely popular Virginia City Brewery and Taphouse. Special event: The 57th Annual International Camel and Ostrich Races runs Sept. 9 to 11.
Day 2: Virginia City to Elko (475 kilometres)
This will be the first long day of driving through the Great Basin — North America’s largest closed watershed — but there will be stops along the way, the first of which is the California Trail Interpretive Center.
This beautifully built museum honours the 250,000 pioneers who attempted the 3,218-kilometre trek to California between 1841 and 1869. Listen to their accounts while looking over the very path they trod all those years ago.
Before settling into Elko, head up Hwy. 227 toward Lamoille Canyon and take in lush wooded mountain slopes.
Although Las Vegas is the state’s touchstone, the truth is Nevada is the most mountainous of the contiguous U.S. states, with summits reaching more than 4,000 metres.
Finish off the day with a tasty traditional Basque dinner at the Star Hotel in Elko (Basque herders were encouraged to come work in the late 1800s when sheep were introduced to the area.)
Daily must do: Visit J.M. Capriola Co., a cowboy supply store that still makes saddles by hand. Special event: California Trail Days, Elko, June 4 to 5.
Day 3: Elko to Ely (307 kilometres)
Head south along Hwy. 278, which rolls along the base of the Ruby Mountains, toward Eureka. On the way, you’ll spot steep sage-covered valleys, jagged peaks and cowboy working herds up hard packed paths.
Stop for snacks in Eureka, a tiny frontier town with historic storefronts, and visit the Eureka Thrift Store for some dusty antique scores. For the final stretch of the day, turn east onto Hwy. 50, dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America” by Life magazine.
Follow the same trail as the Pony Express, crowned by mountain caps and now also lined with massive working ranches. Remember, when you spy a dust cloud, that’s where the cows are. Daily must do: For incredible steaks in Ely, the Cellblock Steakhouse is the place to go.
Special event: At Christmas time, the coal-fired steam engine that runs out of Ely along the Nevada Northern Railway, a National Historic Landmark, becomes the Polar Express. During October, it turns into a haunted Ghost Train.
DAY 4: Ely to Alamo (430 kilometres)
The awe-inspiring view looking out from under the shadow of Wheeler Peak down into the Great Basin National Park is worth the drive, but it’s what lies under the 4,000-metre mountain that’s truly spectacular.
Lehman Caves, a series of marble passageways nearly 60 metres below the surface, is filled with stalactites and stalagmites, and has been hosting tourists since 1885.
Exiting the park and crossing the wide open and arid basin can be a wild experience; if a weather front moves in, you’re the only thing out there in its way besides a few Joshua trees.
Luckily, there’s respite on the way in the form of the WildWest inspired A Cowboy’s Dream, a luxury ranch-style bed and breakfast in Alamo.
Daily must do: If you’re feeling brave, head down the unmarked road toward Area 51. When you hit the “Restricted Area” sign, know you are being watched.
Special event: The Great Basin National Park Astronomy Festival runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
DAY 5: Alamo to Las Vegas (419 kilometres)
For the alien-conspiracy enthusiast, take a little detour to Rachel and Little A‘Le’Inn, a wonderfully kitschy outer-space-themed diner stuffed full of E.T. “evidence.”
Then hop on Hwy. 93 south and follow the signs to Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, Valley of Fire. The giant sandstone formations get their rich red hue from iron deposits and have stood in as alien-planet backdrops in Total Recall and Star Trek: Generations.
Since it’s about an hour’s drive to Las Vegas, there will be more tourists here than anywhere else, but driving the winding road in between these ancient rusted rocks, you won’t even notice them.
Make your way to Hwy. 15 and head south toward McCarran International Airport to conclude your everywhere-but-Vegas Nevada road trip. If you want to extend your stay in Sin City that’s up to you, but be warned: you’ll still be craving that open road.
Daily must do: On the way to the airport, stop for a bite at a Southwest institution, In-N-Out Burger.
Special event: Available throughout the year, take a guided tour of the 3,000-year-old Ataltl Rock petroglyphs in Valley of Fire. Emma Yardley’s trip was supported by TravelNevada, which didn’t review or approve this story.