

Cowboy Corridor
Gear Up For the Ride of Your Life
Route Distance
400 miles on I-80 Nevada
Suggested Time
2 to 4 days
Few road trips brim with as much Western heritage as Nevada’s Cowboy Corridor. And here’s the thing: I-80 Nevada may be a highway some motorists expect to blast down on their way to somewhere else. Their loss! Speed limits hit 80 mph out here, but when you hit a town, slow down. Beyond those off-ramps, you’ll discover lively communities full of history and right-now attractions, with museums, art galleries, poetry and music festivals, and even beers highlighting the confluence of buckaroo, Basque, and American Indian traditions that have shaped the Silver State. So pack your boots, hit the Cowboy Corridor, and become part of the story.
Highlights
- Brush up on buckaroo culture at museums, heritage centers & Western shops
- Dig into hearty, family-style Basque feasts at century-old dinner houses
- Set your own land speed record at West Wendover’s Bonneville Salt Flats
Crossing Nevada on the Cowboy Corridor
Basques, Buckaroos & Ruby Mountain Views
Truckers and travelers have long been rocketing across I-80 Nevada from Reno to West Wendover. However, true Cowboy Corridor road trippers follow their temptations to a whole trove of just-off-the-interstate treasures in towns whose Western roots still proudly show. Institutions like the Western Folklife Center, Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum, and Buckaroo Hall of Fame offer a glimpse of Nevada’s rootin’-tootin’ past, while Basque restaurants, guest ranches, ghost town B&Bs can be found all around you. Along the way, discover other ways the Nevada’s West remains wild among the sky-scraping Ruby Mountains, breathtaking Angel Lake, hiking and biking trails galore, and beyond.

COMMUNITIES ON THIS TRIP
Reno, Fernley, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Elko, Wells, West Wendover
Glovebox Essentials
Prepare for Your Adventure
Get ready to come chase some horizons with this handy tool kit. Here, you’ll find all the Cowboy Corridor road trip essentials, including downloadable directions, maps, and podcasts, and tunes to complement your upcoming adventure.
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Featured Story
Cowboy Corridor Playlist
Portraits of Nevada on the #CowboyCorridor
Embracing Wisdom & Tradition Along Nevada’s Cowboy Corridor | EP 1
Embracing Wisdom & Tradition Along Nevada’s Cowboy Corridor | EP 2
Embracing Wisdom & Tradition Along Nevada’s Cowboy Corridor | EP 3
Time to Boot Up
Earnin’ Your Spurs on the Cowboy Corridor
It ain’t all cowboys out here. Basque and American Indian traditions also shine bright, and modern-day recreationalists have roamed northern Nevada’s wild backcountry for generations. Altogether, few routes brim with as many of Nevada’s Western cultural legacies as noticeably as the one we call the Cowboy Corridor. Chompin’ at the bit yet? Explore more.
Leg 1
Tote Your Pack Down that Dusty Winnemucca Road
Start your trip like Johnny Cash started “I’ve Been Everywhere” and wind your way from Reno to Winnemucca for buckaroo history, Basque bites, and mountain bike trails.
Leg 2
History, Heritage, Art Appeal & Hearty Meals
Next up: Elko, which serves up hefty helpings of cultural history at museums, in 50 murals, and on your plate. En route, Battle Mountain offers classic eats and unusual feats.
Leg 3
Wild Herds, Migratory Birds & Land Speed Records
Watch for bighorn and mountain goats at Angel Lake, then head to West Wendover, where the Historic Wendover Airfield, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and a 63-ft neon cowboy await.

Leg 1
Reno to Winnemucca via Lovelock
165 miles
- “Lock your love” and throw away the key at Lovers Lock Plaza
- Tip your hat to local legends at the Buckaroo Hall of Fame
- Scarf lamb shanks, Basque burgers, and Picon Punches at the Martin Hotel
The first two towns Johnny Cash references in “I’ve Been Everywhere” are Winnemucca and Reno. (He also mentions Charleston and Dayton, but we won’t argue he meant the Nevada ones.) Crank it up, head from Reno to Lovelock, and help the town live up to its name by “locking your love” to a never-ending chain. Then scope out the #WeirdNevada wonder that is Thunder Mountain Monument on your way to Winnemucca, where the artifact-packed Humboldt Museum and Buckaroo Hall of Fame await, along with decadent meals at the Martin.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
In Winnemucca, choose from retro-chic (and neon-glowing) motels to familiar chains. For a historic night’s sleep, the charming Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn in Unionville is a stone’s throw from Mark Twain’s old miner’s cabin.

Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn
Imlay

Hotel Lovelock NV I-80
Lovelock

C Punch Inn
Lovelock

Quality Inn Winnemucca – Model T Casino
Winnemucca

Scott Shady Court
Winnemucca

Winners Hotel & Casino
Winnemucca

Best Western Gold Country Inn – Winnemucca
Winnemucca

Winnemucca Inn
Winnemucca
Western buffs and history hounds should high-tail it to the Buckaroo Hall of Fame and the expansive Humboldt Museum. But there’s plenty here (and along the way) for off-roaders, mountain bikers, animal lovers, and more.

Unionville Ghost Town
Unionville

Marzen House Museum
Lovelock

Water Canyon Recreation Area
Winnemucca

Nevada Historical Society
Reno

Humboldt Museum
Winnemucca

Nanny Joe’s Antiques, Retro & Vintage
Lovelock

Winnemucca Sand Dunes
Winnemucca

Buckaroo Hall of Fame & Heritage Museum
Winnemucca

Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary
Lovelock

Thunder Mountain Monument
Imlay
Basque bites abound on the Cowboy Corridor. Get a first taste at Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno, at Winnemucca’s historic Martin Hotel, or up at the Paradise Valley Saloon. And if you’ve never tried a Picon, today’s your day.

Paradise Valley Saloon & Bar G
Paradise Valley

Gold Diggers Saloon & Grub House
Lovelock

The Martin Hotel in Winnemucca
Winnemucca

Steve’s Homemade Ice Cream
Fernley

Bakarra Basque Bistro
Winnemucca

The Griddle Winnemucca, NV
Winnemucca

Dora’s Smokehouse and BBQ
Lovelock

Mary & Moe’s Wigwam Restaurant & Casino
Fernley

Louis’ Basque Corner
Reno

Temptations
Lovelock
Reno’s cowboy culture lives on at the century-old, weeklong, all-pro Reno Rodeo. Meanwhile, working ranches send their best hands to Winnemucca, a town that also celebrates bikers, horseshoe pitchers, and photographers.

Leg 2
Winnemucca to Elko via Battle Mountain
125 miles
- Fall in love with cowboy poetry at the Western Folklife Center
- Pore over fine leatherwork and silver tack at Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum
- Side-trip to Lamoille Canyon to enjoy some scenic Ruby Mountain splendor
Continue east from Winnemucca to Elko, stopping in Battle Mountain to scope out the ephemera-filled Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum. Then cruise along the meandering Humboldt River to Elko, the heart of Nevada’s cowboy country, where western heritage thrives in four distinct museums, at legendary J.M. Capriola Co.’s leatherwork (and more) shop, on 70+ pieces of radiant public art, in traditional Basque restaurants, and beyond. Elko’s also the gateway to Alp-like Lamoille Canyon, where scenic drives and stunning hikes await.
Thanks to a mining boom, plenty of Elko hotels offer all you need. Stay steps from the action at old-school Stockmen’s or the clean, comfy Rodeway Inn. For a casino-resort feel, Maverick Casino Hotel Elko is your jam.

Rodeway Inn Elko Downtown Area
Elko

Stockmen’s Casino and Ramada Hotel
Elko

Owl Club Casino Restaurant & Motel
Battle Mountain

Super 8 – Battle Mountain
Battle Mountain

Big Chief Motel
Battle Mountain

Maverick Hotel & Casino by Red Lion Hotels
Elko
Peruse pioneer history at the California Trail Interpretive Center, admire Ansel Adams originals at the Northeastern Nevada Museum, and discover the rich world of cowboy poetry and music at the Western Folklife Center.

Northeastern Nevada Museum
Elko

Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum
Battle Mountain

Crum Canyon
Battle Mountain

Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum
Elko

Lamoille Canyon & The Ruby Mountains
Lamoille

Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail
Lamoille

California Trail Interpretive Center
Elko

J.M. Capriola’s
Elko

Mill Creek Recreation Area
Battle Mountain

Copper Basin Mountain Bike Trail
Battle Mountain
Battle Mountain’s on-the-way eats include Mexican classics, gluten-free pizza, and diner delights. In Elko, it’s all about Basque-ing in steak sandwiches, lamb chops, multi-course dinners, tapas, and Picon punches, to boot.

El Aguila Real
Battle Mountain

Mama’s Pizza & Deli
Battle Mountain

The Star Hotel
Elko

Ogi Deli Bar & Pintxos
Elko

Toki Ona
Elko

McAdoo’s Elko
Elko

Owl Club Casino Restaurant & Motel
Battle Mountain

Cowboy Joe Coffee
Elko

Machi’s Saloon & Grill
Elko

Duncan Littlecreek Gallery & the Gallery Bar
Elko
Thousands of revelers turn up for wild, town-wide celebrations of ranch life through verse and song; Basque heritage with dancing and woodchopping competitions; and buckaroo skills with bull riding, bronc riding, and more.

Leg 3
Elko to West Wendover via Wells
110 to 130 miles
- Hike, fish, and watch wildlife at aspen-studded, 8,378-ft Angel Lake
- Tour the B-29 Enola Gay Aircraft Hangar at the Historic Wendover Airfield
This ride ain’t over, and neither are its surprises. This last leg takes you to breathtaking, wildlife-abundant Angel Lake en route to West Wendover, home to military history at Historic Wendover Airfield, the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, and big-name live entertainment. The nearby Goshute Range hosts a migratory bird station, where you can help track and release wild hawks. On your way out, be sure to wave to Wendover Will, the 63-ft-tall neon cowboy, to officially wrap up your Cowboy Corridor excursion.
West Wendover does its Nevada border town duty, offering interstate travelers their very first (or last) casino-resorts, complete with 24-hour gaming, plush rooms, pools, live entertainment, and more.

Hampton Inn & Suites—Wells
Wells

Angel Creek Campground
Wells

Rainbow Hotel Casino
West Wendover

West Wendover Peppermill Hotel Casino
West Wendover

Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino
West Wendover

Cottonwood Ranch
Wells

Super 8 Motel – Wells
Wells

Montego Bay Casino & Resort
West Wendover

Red Garter Hotel & Casino
West Wendover
Spot bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and pronghorn at Angel Lake. Help track migratory raptors with Hawkwatch International. Check out a bootlegger party cave. Or investigate lofty history at Historic Wendover Airfield Museum.

Jukebox Cave
West Wendover

Wendover Will
West Wendover

Historic Wendover Airfield Museum
Wendover

Angel Lake
Wells

Sun Tunnels & Bonneville Land Art
West Wendover

HawkWatch International
West Wendover

Peppermill Concert Hall
West Wendover

Pilot Peak
West Wendover

Bonneville Salt Flats
Wendover

Blue Lake Wildlife Management Area
West Wendover
Forget touristy tasting rooms and seen-’em-all tours. Schedule a visit to the Saffords’ working ranch—a rustic beer lover’s oasis for over 20 years—and enjoy some award-winning beers ’til the cows literally come home.

Bella’s Restaurant & Espresso
Wells
Out here, it’s all about Bonneville, baby. Get ready for rocket launches and races across the salt flats with wild cars, motorcycles, and even bicycles at numerous events, held where some speedometers top out near 1000 mph.
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