US 50 in Nevada

[timhomer2009]

Would anyone recommend traveling US 50 in Nevada, just to take the challenge?

If so, what are some good tips for preparation?

[Voyager]

If you want to go over 7 mountain ranges on the loneliest road. Bring supplies with you.

[Sykotyk]

It's not nearly as troublesome as people make it out to be. The biggest reason most don't take US50 is that it's not that direct of a route between two major places. I've never driven it all the way, yet.

Sykotyk

[roadfro]

I've never driven the route myself, but it's not nearly as bad as Time Magazine made it out to be (Time was where "The Loneliest Road in America" title came from).  US 50 is the major route across central Nevada, and has some of the state's larger rural towns not located near the I-80 corridor. If you want more information outside of the pictures here on AARoads, the Wikipedia article on the route is informative and very well researched (it's currently a 'Featured Article' candidate).

A better candidate for 'Loneliest road', at least as far as Nevada is concerned, is US 6.  From Tonopah to Ely (~165 miles), there is nothing of major significance and few (if any) services. 


If you do decide to brave "The Loneliest Road", you might check out the "Nevada Highway 50 Survival Guide" published on this page by the Nevada Commission on Tourism (scroll about 2/3 down, it's a PDF).

[Voyager]

US 6 goes to Ely?

[roadfro]

Yes, US 6 goes through Ely.  The original alignment went through the main part of the city, but the modern alignment of the highway now just skirts the southern part of Ely.

In fact, the three-route multiplex of US 6, US 50 and US 93 begins on the southeast edge of Ely and continues about 27 miles south/east to Major's Place (where US 93 turns south to Caliente and Las Vegas, while US 6/50 head east to Utah).

[Sykotyk]

When you leave Ely on US6 west, there's a sign indicating there's no services for the forseeable future (I forget the exact signed distance, but a quick search says it's 168 miles). Although the only time I took US6 west was on my way to NV318 towards Las Vegas (it's shorter than simply staying on US93 south as it cuts east and then back west over mountains).

NV318 was a fun road to drive, as well. It ends at the Extraterrestrial Highway (NV 375) before you rejoin US93.

Very desolate. Don't bother with looking for a cell signal for most of the way once you get outside Ely until about 10 miles from NV-375, either.

Sykotyk

[roadfro]

NV318 was a fun road to drive, as well. It ends at the Extraterrestrial Highway (NV 375) before you rejoin US93.

Many people have fun driving SR 318.  It's actually closed to traffic twice a year for the Silver State Classic, where racers can drive the course at basically whatever speed their car can handle.  It's a big deal in Ely, where there are usually activities before the event.

[donutbandit]

US 50 through Nevada and Utah is my favorite drive in America. But, then, I love solitude and quiet places.

Ironically, every time but once I have driven this road, I got pulled over. In 1997, my son and I were headed from Virginia to Sacramento in his '79 Mustang. As we left Eureka, we didn't notice that the speed limit had dropped from 75 to 70. Just as we left town and picked up speed to 75, a sheriff's car passed, turned around, and gave chase.

I was driving, which probably helped. I told him we didn't notice the speed change, and that the speedometer was inaccurate, anyway. After IDing us both and checking the registration, he let us go.

The ironic thing about this is that we had spent a good part of the day crossing Utah at over 100 MPH. We just opened that Ford 302 up on the flats west of Delta, and the speedo pegged at 85. From timing the signposts, we estimated that we were anywhere from 110 - 125 MPH sustained for about 30 minutes in western Utah. Then, we get pulled over in a backwater town in Nevada for 5 over the limit. Sheesh.

The second time was also leaving Eureka in 2002. My speedometer cable had broken earlier that day and I had no idea how fast I was going, just a feeling. A Eureka town cop pulled me over, and I explained the speedometer. Turned out that he was mainly interested in my '71 Ford Galaxie, as his parents had one when he was growing up. We chatted awhile, and I asked him if he wanted to take it for a spin. He really wanted to, I could tell, but he gave into the call of duty and said he couldn't. I think I made a friend that day in Eureka, NV.

There is (or was) a very good Chinese restaurant in Eureka. When I moved back East in 1987, I stopped there at 5:30 AM, and though the guy wasn't even open yet, he sold me a cup of coffee. I ate there in 2002, and related the 1987 story to the waitress. She smiled, and said, oh yeah, that my husband. He crazy. He always do that. (I wonder if that restaurant still there? The food great)

[Alex]

I really enjoyed reading that.

U.S. 95 heading south from Tonopah is fairly desolate as well, though you do pass cars on a more consistent basis. Have not done U.S. 50 yet across Nevada...

[agentsteel53]

sounds like me ... doing 110 out of Utah, and getting pulled over for 74 in a 70 (!) around Ely. 

the highway patrol like US-50 and I-80.  They pay little attention to the minor state routes ...

[roadfro]

U.S. 95 heading south from Tonopah is fairly desolate as well, though you do pass cars on a more consistent basis. Have not done U.S. 50 yet across Nevada...

In the many times I've driven between Vegas and Reno along US 95, I've always found the stretch between Beatty and Tonopah to be the most desolate.  I've also found that stretch usually has the least amount of NHP troopers on patrol, but plenty of Esmeralda County sheriffs patrolling...in 9 years of driving, the only time I've been pulled over and received a ticket was in this section about 10 miles south of Goldfield.

I, too, have yet to do US 50.  The only part of it I've clenched is from South Lake Tahoe to Carson City.  I've wanted to do it for some time, as the first part of a grander scheme to clinch the Nevada's entire highway system.

the highway patrol like US-50 and I-80.  They pay little attention to the minor state routes ...

That's mainly because most people traveling rural Nevada are heading east-west across the state.  The best way to do this is to use either US 50 or I-80 (and sometimes US 6).  Most rural state highways are north-south, and very few that serve any significant towns run east-west.

[florida]

If you're going to do it, get it done soon. I was snooping on the US Highways site and AASHTO approved for Temporary US 50 (and 395) in Carson City when the extension of I-580 will be built to Fairfield Drive in August.

[J N Winkler]

I have done US 50 all the way from Austin to I-15 (in Utah) and the Nevada length of it is seriously overrated as the "Loneliest Road."  It does, however, have enough empty stretches in Nevada that it can easily fool a clueless magazine journalist from a large coastal city.  But the Utah portion is far more desolate and has a length of perhaps 90 miles with no services.  (There is actually a "NO SERVICES X MILES" sign right at the Utah state line, but I forget the exact number.)

[agentsteel53]

I have done US 50 all the way from Austin to I-15 (in Utah) and the Nevada length of it is seriously overrated as the "Loneliest Road."  It does, however, have enough empty stretches in Nevada that it can easily fool a clueless magazine journalist from a large coastal city.  But the Utah portion is far more desolate and has a length of perhaps 90 miles with no services.  (There is actually a "NO SERVICES X MILES" sign right at the Utah state line, but I forget the exact number.)

I believe the number is indeed 90.  From that gas station on the state line (gambling on one side, cheap gas on the other!) to Delta along 6/50.

Then there is the 106 mile gap between Salina and Green River along I-70/US-50 ... yes, I'd say Utah US 50 is far more desolate than Nevada US 50.  Nevada US 50 I think has gaps of about 60-70 miles between services ... Ely, Austin, Fallon, etc, are not all that widely spread out.

all that considered, the loneliest road in the US, as far as I can tell, is Utah state route 21 between Milford and Garrison.


amount of cars passed, or seen coming in the opposite direction: 0


amount of badgers seen: 1


time taken to complete stretch: 49 minutes

[donutbandit]

Some memories of my first trip on US 50 from when I moved my family back East in 1987.

Sometime after leaving Fallon, you will see off to the left what looks like a sand dune. It's the desert air fooling you, because, as you travel for miles and miles, that sand dune grows into a large mountain. This is Singing Sand Mountain - an ever changing mountain of very fine sand that is deposited there by a quirk in the wind currents caused by the surrounding cliffs and mountains. It's almost pure white, and actually over 3,000 feet high.

If you are from a more humid clime, the desert air is hard to fathom. Every time we would top one of the summits, we would be gazing off into a vast valley bordered by another mountain range. Off in the distance, you see an oncoming car. We would try to guess how long it would take the two of us to meet. We were always way wrong. When most of the guesses were from 6 to 8 minutes, it was usually 15 - 20.

If you ever spend any time in the Nevada desert, for the first few days the sky looks pink. This is from reflected desert sand. However, by the third day, the sky looks just as blue as anywhere else. Your eyes have adjusted.

Right now, if I drive east on CA 89 out of Mt. Shasta near sunset until I have an open vista to the east, the eastern sky is pink because of the same effect.

[roadfro]

If you're going to do it, get it done soon. I was snooping on the US Highways site and AASHTO approved for Temporary US 50 (and 395) in Carson City when the extension of I-580 will be built to Fairfield Drive in August.

Thanks for the warning...I've already clinched US 50 (soon to be US 50 Business) within Carson City.  However, I will have to go drive the new freeway extension and Temporary US 50/395 on Fairview Drive come August.

Every time we would top one of the summits, we would be gazing off into a vast valley bordered by another mountain range. Off in the distance, you see an oncoming car. We would try to guess how long it would take the two of us to meet. We were always way wrong. When most of the guesses were from 6 to 8 minutes, it was usually 15 - 20.

I would do this when driving on US 95.  There's a lot more cars, so you get more chances to refine the "skill". Rural US 95 has a lot fewer valleys to drive through, because US 50 tends to go directly east-west through more areas of basin-and-range mountain constructs which have most mountains oriented north-south.

If you ever spend any time in the Nevada desert, for the first few days the sky looks pink. This is from reflected desert sand. However, by the third day, the sky looks just as blue as anywhere else. Your eyes have adjusted.

I'd think that effect is more often caused by blowing sand than reflected sand.  Or maybe, as a native Nevadan, my eyes are permanently adjusted?

[sandiaman]

I  really miss Nevada,  I lived there when I was a kid and Nevada was the least populated  state!  And I'm not talking about  Las Vegas, which is what most people think is typical  Nevada.  I lived in the Northern  part of the state, and can remember when Carson City posted signs that read:  Welcome to the  smallest capital city in the US.  Not true any more.  Montpelier has that distinction now.I  like   the lack of people, always a good contrast with crowded California next door.  LONLIEST ROAD IN NEW MEXICO  (where I reside)  would probably be US  60 between Socorro on I-25 and Springerville,AZ.,  185 miles with  very limited services,  except for Pie Town,NM,  where you can buy their world famous ..... (you guessed it)  pies.  It is pretty and pretty monotonous.  But that is what you can expect in the Southwest.

[agentsteel53]

I remember there being 3 or 4 towns on US-60 between the state line and I-25.  At least, 3 or 4 gas stations.  I think I stopped in Quemado for gas.  Not much on that road indeed - just the radio telescope array to the south.