Lonliest Road in America

We will be going across Hwy 50 in Nevada in about 2 weeks - any feedback on things not to miss?  We are in a small class C towing a Jeep Rubicon, so off-road stuff is okay.

Austin is a great place to explore. They have a few nice restaurants there. The biggest attraction on the road, the shoe tree, was just cut down.

Just make sure you have plenty of water and the vehicle is in good condition.  It's not a good place to be stuck!    Otherwise, have fun.

ArdraF

If you can stop at a visitors center and ask for the CD titled "Welcome to our 17-million acre museum" Pony Express Territory. It features stories and tales of towns and sites all the way across Hwy 50. We picked it up free and the Lt. Governor was the moderator. Was a great learning experience, and passed the time. Its phased to coincide with the area your in.

Highway 50 is one of my favorite drives.  Sometimes you'll go miles at a time without seeing another vehicle.  Make sure your rig is in good shape and you'll be fine.

East of Fallon, Navy fighters will buzz the road as they roar down the valley to practice their low-level runs.  There's a Pony Express station at Sand Mountain. The shifting sands covered it up shortly after the Pony Express shut down, then the sand shifted again a few years back uncovered it.  There's also another Pony Express station behind a fence alongside the road further to the east (Cold Springs?).

Austin and Eureka have self-guided walking tours of their towns.  Walk through the Eureka Opera House, which was restored to it's original glory a few years back.

Ely is home to the Ghost Train and Nevada Northern Railroad.  When the copper mine closed in the 1980s, Kendecott Copper donated their entire railroad  - rolling stock, rail yard, track and buildings - to the town of Ely.  Today it's a Nevada state park and is the best preserved short line railroad in the U.S. 

Spend a few minutes walking around the Hotel Nevada in downtown Ely.  It's the first high rise, fireproof building in the state. The main lobby is dominated by slot machines, but if you take the elevator upstairs each floor is decorated in a different theme.

12 miles north of Ely on Hwy 93 is the McGill Drug Store.  When the mines closed, the owners just locked up the store and it remained closed until 1995.  Today it's a museum - an old town drug store frozen in time.

If you stay on Hwy 50 through Utah, Delta was the site of a WWII Japanese internment camp.  The local museum has a good interpretation of the camp, including a re-creation of one of the barracks used to house the internees.  You can also drive to the site of the camp northwest of town - it's a desolate place, truly in the middle of nowhere.

Lou, thanks for your input - lots of good ideas.

Bill (arcticfox2005)
2009 Fleetwood Tioga Ranger, 26'
2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Lou,

Do you know if they are still doing the stickers/stamps?  When we were there a couple of years ago, you could get a little book from the visitor's center and either get stickers or have your book stamped at specific points along the way.  We didn't do it because we learned about it near the end of our drive.

We also love that road, it is beautiful in it's own way.

Articfox2005, be sure and stop in at a visitor center and FYI, the road going west into Austin is pretty steep downhill.  Just as you get to the end of that grade, there is a campground on the left hand side.  It's not much, but it's the only one we found.

Marsha~

Marsha, I can answer that. Yes. We found a website where you could get a Highway 50 Survival Guide, and they send you the little book they call a Passport. You get it stamped at places along the way and when it is filled, you mail it back and they send you a Certificate documenting your travels. Good marketing strategy by the towns along the route.

Thanks for your input.

Bill (arcticfox2005)
2009 Fleetwood Tioga Ranger, 26'
2004 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Bill, Oh I'm so glad you found the information.  I remembered some of it....but not all.  Have a fun time!!!

Marsha~

If it's open, take a trip to Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.  Ghost town, gold mine, stamping mill and home to several ichthyosaur (giant prehistoric reptile-fish) fossils.  Do a Google search for more info.  The park itself has a 14 space campground with overflow space for RVs if it fills up.  It's about 50 miles south of Hwy 50, the last 3 miles is graded dirt but your rig should have no problems.

Other campgrounds I remember along Hwy 50 are Bob Scott Wayside, east of Austin alongside the highway and a recreation area several miles south of the road between Eureka and Ely.  Both are no hookup campgrounds.

Fallon and Ely have several full service RV parks.

One of my Top 10 Highways to drive. . .    And I couldn't believe all the bicycle campers out in the middle of it in JULY!