Looking to drive from Tonaopah to Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park. Google seems to think I can take Pole Line road and Ione road. Both are dirt. Is this passable in a Jetta ?
Former SR 69 is allegedly passable by a normal car. That being said, I'd recommend just taking 95 and 361, especially if you don't have rugged tires. The dirt roads in that part of Nevada are notorious for causing flats, the next couple of weeks are looking wet, and those roads aren't frequently maintained or patrolled.
Yes, 95-361-844 is double the distance, but it probably won't take much more time given the car you have, and the two miles of dirt road between 844 and the park are in good shape.
Wow, thanks, never expected a response from a DOT employee. It amazing to me that Google will route this way, I always do due diligence when checking routes and distances out in this area.
I also love your use of "allegedly" ;-)
Quote from: cl94 on October 11, 2025, 10:48:13 PMFormer SR 69 is allegedly passable by a normal car. That being said, I'd recommend just taking 95 and 361, especially if you don't have rugged tires. The dirt roads in that part of Nevada are notorious for causing flats, the next couple of weeks are looking wet, and those roads aren't frequently maintained or patrolled.
This summer I had some extra time for a drive out to Utah and got the brilliant idea to try Grass Valley Road, which departs US 50 east of Austin and eventually connects to SR 306 at the mines near Crescent Valley. By the time I realized something was wrong, I had completely lost the tread on the right rear tire and was running on the rim. Not a disaster by itself, but when I walked around the car I saw that the left rear tire was also rapidly deflating. Middle of nothing, and at least 20 miles from a paved road (and cell phone service).
Fortunately the spray can of "Fix-A-Flat" I had thrown in the storage compartment several years ago worked for that second tire, along with the portable tire inflator (one of these) (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096F8N6FM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1) I keep back there. So I recommend those items as required equipment if you're driving those roads, along with maybe some better common sense than I had...those tires were about at the end of their life and I was probably going too fast.
Most of my cars have had at least a full-size spare and a can of tire patch goo. Oddly though the last time I got a flat on a dirt road was in early 2008 departing Peralta Canyon in Arizona. Almost all my flats and slow leaks happen just minutes from home, go figure.
Is Ione road "Former SR 69" ?
Quote from: jander on October 12, 2025, 09:24:18 PMIs Ione road "Former SR 69" ?
What is now NV 377 was previously NV 69 (nice).
All the old Nevada highway maps are available here:
https://www.dot.nv.gov/travel-info/maps/historical-maps (https://www.dot.nv.gov/travel-info/maps/historical-maps)
The 1975 map (https://www.dot.nv.gov/home/showdocument?id=1255) is the last one that shows only the old numbers, and the 1982 map (https://www.dot.nv.gov/home/showdocument?id=1263) is the first that shows only the new numbers. The maps for the years in between show both sets of numbers, which unfortunately makes them kind of hard to read.
Oops, I typed "69" instead of "89". Pole Line Rd is former 89. 377, yes, is old NV 69.
Re: flats, I keep a plug kit in my car, in addition to having all-terrain tires. Knock on wood, I haven't gotten any flats since I got the all-terrains, but you need something better than generic car tires for these Great Basin dirt roads, and you certainly can't rely on AAA to come and save you. Some of the stuff I drove in Mono County (CA, but same terrain) today was among the roughest I have ever seen a low-clearance road, and those tires gave me peace of mind.
Also, don't let the DOT banner give you too much confidence for central NV. I'm based out of Tahoe and don't have much inside info beyond data for that part of the state, but I have driven a lot of these roads.
I have tire goo, a pump and a spare. Haven't had to use the spare yet, but did need the tire goo once.