

Loneliest Road in America
Highway 50: Plenty of Space at Your Own Pace
Route Distance
375 to 500 miles
Suggested Time
2 to 4 Days
In July of 1986, Life magazine dubbed Nevada’s Highway 50 the “Loneliest Road in America.” The article claimed there were “no points of interest” along the route and “warned” readers not to risk traveling it unless they were confident of their “survival skills.” However, Nevada adventurers knew better then—and still do. And sure, a road doesn’t get much more wide-open than Highway 50. But that’s exactly why we dig it. Today, this famous Nevada road trip is your gateway to ghost towns, historic mining communities, stunning state parks, unsurpassed recreational opportunities, and a handful of authenticity-packed Sagebrush Saloons, to boot.
Highlights
- Earn road tripper cred, stamp by stamp, with your Highway 50 Survival Guide
- Toast your travels in real-deal roadhouses and storied Sagebrush Saloons
- Encounter the oldest trees under the darkest skies at Great Basin National Park
Chasing Horizons on a Route 50 Road Trip
Anything But Lonesome on the Loneliest Road
American Indians. The Pony Express. Gold miners. And now…you. Come chase some history while making plenty of your own. If it’s outdoor action you’re after, get ready for hiking, biking, camping, stargazing, hot springing, off-roading, wildlife watching, and Sagebrush Saloon-hopping. You’ll also encounter a few welcoming, far-flung (but just-close-enough) small towns, from farm-fresh Fallon to western history-packed Austin, Eureka, and Ely along the way. Cap it all off at Great Basin National Park, where sky-scraping peaks and 5,000-year-old trees beckon visitors who prefer their national parks served without a side of elbows at their vista points.
Glovebox Essentials
Prepare for Your Adventure
Get ready to come chase some horizons with this handy tool kit. Here, you’ll find all the Loneliest Road in America road trip essentials, including downloadable directions, maps, and podcasts, and tunes to complement your upcoming adventure.
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Featured Story
The Roaming Gnome Road Trips the Loneliest Road in America
Loneliest Road in America Playlist
The Loneliest Food in America—Part 1: Baker + Ely
The Loneliest Food in America—Part 2: Eureka + Kingston
The Loneliest Food in America—Part 3: Austin, Middlegate + Fallon
The Loneliest Food in America—Part 4: Dayton, Carson City + Stateline
Buzzfeed Bring Me! Along the Loneliest Road in America
Hit the Wide-Open Road
Heaps to Explore on Highway 50
From ghost towns and state parks to hot springs and Sagebrush Saloons, the Loneliest Road is alive with passions to chase. Along the way, you’re bound to enjoy Highway 50’s endless vistas, friendly communities, and historic towns filled with stories and characters who can spin a yarn that’ll keep you mesmerized and yearning to explore more.
Leg 1
Follow in the Hoof-steps of the Pony Express
Snag a Highway 50 Survival Guide (and first stamp) in Carson City, then hit the Loneliest Road, visiting Fallon, Sand Mountain, the Shoe Tree, and more en route to Austin NV.
Leg 2
Get Found in the Middle of Somewhere
Check out a “castle” with a view and shop for turquoise in Austin before heading toward Eureka, with detours to a hot spring, a sagebrush saloon, and a ghost town.
Leg 3
“Eureka!” Discover the Heart of Nevada.
Explore an opera house, haunted hotel, and newspaper museum in the old mining town of Eureka before cruising to Ely, where great grub, neat history, and outdoor action await.
Leg 4
A Day (or More) in the Parks
This leg is all about Great Basin National Park. 5,000-year-old trees. Millenia-old cave formations. 13,064-ft Wheeler Peak. And a few million stars. You do the math.

Leg 1
Reno or Carson City to Austin NV
170 to 215 miles
- Fall for Fallon’s farm-to-fork fare, arts scene, and wildlife watching
- Attempt to slay the massive Monster Burger at Middlegate Station
- Tour a ghost town and prehistoric fossil site at Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
Embark from Carson City, Nevada’s cultured-up capital town. Before you ditch civilization, order your Highway 50 Survival Guide (or grab one from our pals at the Visit Carson City HQ). Collect stamps in at least five communities along your journey and we’ll send you some sweet “survivor” swag. Then head for the old mountaintop mining town of Austin, by way of Fallon, an ancient petroglyph site, a huge singing sand dune, an old-school roadhouse, and more.
Travel Nevada Pro Tip
Launching from Reno? You can also connect to route 50 in Fernley.
Stay in a motel or a cute, cozy suite in town at Union Street Lodging in town, or opt for an Uncommon Overnighter in an ornate, old-fashioned estate room in a star-studded valley at Paradise Ranch Castle

Paradise Ranch Castle
Austin

Cold Springs Station Resort
Fallon

Cozy Mountain Motel
Austin

Kingston Cabin
Kingston

Holiday Inn Express – Fallon
Fallon

Best Western Fallon Inn & Suites
Fallon

Dayton RV Park
Dayton

Union Street Lodging B&B
Austin

Reese River Cabins
Austin
Uncover mining-era history at Dayton, Fort Churchill, Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Parks. Be a bird nerd at Stillwater NWR or a culture-vulture at Oats Park Art Center. Or send it big at Sand Mountain Recreation Area.

Fort Churchill State Historic Park
Silver Springs

Lattin Farms
Fallon

Oats Park Art Center
Fallon

Dayton State Park
Dayton

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
Gabbs

Republic of Molossia
Dayton

Middlegate Station
Fallon

Churchill County Museum & Archives
Fallon

Hidden Cave & Grimes Point Archaeological Site
Fallon

The Shoe Tree of Middlegate
Middlegate Station
Find farm-to-fork foodie flavors in Fallon, “The Oasis of Nevada.” Tour Frey Ranch, one of the USA’s only estate distilleries. Or take on the infamous, multi-pound Monster Burger at Middlegate Station to win a trophy shirt.

The Courtyard Café & Bakery
Fallon

Azteca Grill & Bakery
Fallon

Stone Cabin Coffee
Fallon

Middlegate Station
Fallon

J’s Old Town Bistro
Dayton

Dayton Taphouse
Dayton

Cold Springs Station Resort
Fallon

Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers
Fallon

Roadrunner Café
Dayton

The Slanted Porch
Fallon
Visitors flock to Fallon to appreciate Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge’s 260+ migratory bird species, to celebrate the town’s famed Hearts of Gold cantaloupes, and take a shot at out-drawing fellow sharpshooters.

Leg 2
Austin, NV to Eureka, NV
70 to 135 miles
- Browse turquoise jewelry and other Nevada gems at Jason’s Art Gallery
- Get stoked to soak and listen for braying burros at Spencer Hot Springs
- Admire ancient art at Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area and Toquima Cave
Sure, you could blast from Austin to Eureka in just over an hour. But with all these on-the-way wonders, what would be the fun in that? That’s why we’ve designated this slice of Highway 50 its own leg—one offering chances to pull up a stool in a classic Sagebrush Saloon with a Big Smoky Valley view; soak your cares away while listening for the bray of wild burros at Spencer Hot Springs; examine millennia-old cave paintings and rock carvings; and more. Combine it with Leg 3 or make it a full day on its own. The options are endless.
Sleep and sip in 1870s opulence at the elegant, beautifully restored Jackson House Hotel (ghost tours on weekends).

Colonnade Hotel
Eureka

Stone Church Lodge
Eureka

Jackson House Hotel
Eureka

Sundown Lodge
Eureka

Ike’s Canyon Ranch
Las Vegas
On this historic leg, investigate 3,000-year-old cave paintings and 10,000-year-old petroglyphs, taste tea between ghost tours at Jackson House Hotel, and glimpse mining-era grandeur at an opera house and newspaper museum.

Eureka Opera House
Eureka

Eureka Underground Tunnels
Eureka

Kingston Canyon
Kingston

Toiyabe Crest National Recreation Trail & Arc Dome Wilderness
Austin

Eureka Historic Walking Tour
Eureka

Stokes Castle
Austin

Toquima Cave
Toquima Mountain Range

Jason’s Art Gallery
Austin

Eureka Sentinel Museum
Eureka

Spencer Hot Springs
Austin
Dip down about twenty minutes southwest off Highway 50 to Kingston, home of the Lucky Spur Saloon, where the drinks are strong and the decor fits the name. In Eureka, dig into steaks and American classics at the Owl Club.

Urban Cowboy Bar & Grill
Eureka

Champs Burgers
Austin

Raine’s Market
Eureka

Lucky Spur Saloon
Kingston

Grandma’s – Austin’s Living Room
Austin

Eureka Owl Club
Eureka
Hop into haunted history at the Jackson House Hotel, which has lured the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures crew. Or listen as some of Nevada’s most talented musicians fiddle their way to victory in the Eureka Opera House.

Leg 3
Eureka to Ely
80 to 185 miles
- Peruse gems at Garnet Mercantile or rockhound for your own at Garnet Hill
- Explore Cave Lake State Park and cruise the aspen-lined Success Loop
- Buzz around beehive-shaped kilns at Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park
The short, beautiful 1.25-hour drive from Eureka to Ely rewards you with plenty of time to fill your day exploring a mountain town built on art, history, and outdoor adventure. Stop at Garnet Hill to search the ground for ruby-like stones before rolling into town, where you’ll find more gems at the bauble-filled Garnet Mercantile, plus paintings at the Ely Art Bank and on a town-wide mural tour. After wandering trails, rails, and historic sites, treat yourself to a hearty dinner and rest up for the last leg of the Loneliest Road in America.
The western-chic, century-old Hotel Nevada delights with funky flair, killer neon, and rooms honoring famous former guests, while the Bristlecone delivers mountain views, and the Prospector offers paw-some, pet-friendly rooms.

Bristlecone Motel
Ely

Historic Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall
Ely

La Quinta Inn & Suites—Ely
Ely

Prospector Hotel & Gambling Hall
Ely

Holiday Inn Express & Suites—Ely
Ely

El Rancho Motel
Ely

Jailhouse Motel & Casino
Ely

Magnuson Hotel Park Vue
Ely
With hands-on history at a railroad museum, a working locomotive yard, and Renaissance Village; fabulous art at the Ely Art Bank and all over town; and outdoor activities galore, discover what it means to get Ely-vated.

Ely Art Bank
Ely

McGill Drugstore Museum
McGill

Garnet Hill
Ely

East Ely Railroad Depot Museum
Ely

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park
Ely

Renaissance Village and Ely Mural Walking Tour
Ely

Nevada Northern Railway Museum
Ely

Cave Lake State Park
Ely

Ward Mountain Recreation Area
Ely
There’s a lot to eat in Ely. From one of Nevada’s best Basque chorizo burgers to old-fashioned malts to juicy steaks served in your own private jail cell, you’ll have your plate full with this list of our favorite Ely eats.

Racks Bar & Grill
Ely

Economy Drug & Old Fashioned Soda Fountain
Ely

The Cup
Ely
From on-the-ice sculpting, fishing, and bowling contests to cranking the pedals in bike races up mountains or against old-school steam locomotives, Ely’s no stranger to exciting events.

Leg 4
Ely to Great Basin National Park
65 to 95 miles
- Stargaze in the Lower 48’s darkest night skies at Great Basin National Park
- Trip out on kaleidoscopic patterns and rare formations at Lehman Caves
- Wind up Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive to breathtaking views at 10,000 feet
Another hour-and-change drive whisks you to wonderment at Great Basin National Park, a sanctuary where solitude can still be found and nature runs wild. Get gnarly among 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine trees—the oldest living things on Earth. Drive up to 10,000 feet and hoof it up to 13,064-ft Wheeler Peak—Nevada’s 2nd tallest. Navigate stalactites and stalagmites at stunning Lehman Caves. Then discover why “half the park is after dark” as you scan the Lower 48’s darkest night skies for shooting stars and entire galaxies.
Enjoy Great Basin’s incomparable night skies from the courtyard at Stargazer Inn, from the hot tub at Hidden Canyon Retreat, your RV site at Whispering Elms, or around the campfire at one of the National Park campgrounds.

Hidden Canyon Retreat
Baker

Border Inn Casino & RV Park
Baker

Stargazer Inn & Bristlecone General Store
Baker

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive & Campground
Baker

Whispering Elms Campground, Motel and RV Park
Baker
Cruise into Baker via Osceola Ghost Town. Then hit the park to check out water-carved formations in Lehman Caves, hike among ancient trees and towering peaks, fish backcountry lakes, and gaze galaxies with your naked eye.

Osceola Ghost Town
Osceola

Great Basin National Park
Baker

Great Basin Hiking Trails
Baker

Mount Moriah Wilderness Area
Baker

Lehman Caves
Baker

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive & Campground
Baker
Baker: small town, big flavors. Slide into Sugar, Salt & Malt for everything from breakfast to sushi and ice cream cookie sammies. Pick up burgers and burritos at 487 Grill, AM eats to go at Great Basin Café, and south-of-the-border favorites at Sandra’s Mexican Food.

487 Grill
Baker

Stargazer Inn & Bristlecone General Store
Baker
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