Uncommon Overnighters

As the home of some of the most famous boomtowns in the West, Nevada’s Wild West stories come alive in haunted hotels in Nevada’s “living” ghost towns. Stay at spooky old hospitals turned galleries and other historic haunts—including some that paranormal investigators consider “active” enough to be portals to the underworld—or spend an evening with the infamous Lady in Red, a guest at a swanky old mining-era hotel who never really checked out.

Nevada’s also got its fair share of oddball themed hotels. Whether you love clowns enough to stay in a motel adorned with hundreds of them—next to a historic cemetery, no less—or are simply morbidly curious enough to check it out, head to Tonopah. A handmade concrete castle near Austin, an out-of-this-world Area 51-area trailer cluster, and a few former-bordello B&Bs are just a handful of more offbeat options. Point is, if you’re stoked to stay somewhere that’ll earn you some serious stories, Nevada’s got you covered.

Looking to overnight it in some of the Silver State’s best kept secret spots? Explore Nevada ghost towns by day, then spend the night in guest rooms crafted from original miners’ cabins. Snag a truly “elevated” experience in a yurt among Elko’s alp-like Ruby Mountains, a cool 10,000 feet above sea level; or pack into one that’s just a shishkabob’s throw from top-notch winter ice fishing and summertime stand-up paddleboarding at Cave Lake State Park. Or even post up for the night in off-grid BYO-everything cabins where it’s just you, your campmates, and maybe even a resident band of wild burros—along with a woodburning stove and a nearby river of natural hot springs beneath a few million stars.