Clown motel in Tonopah, Nevada. Image credit pmvfoto via Shutterstock

8 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Nevada

From a clown motel that will haunt your nightmares to a desert forest made entirely of discarded automobiles, things can get pretty strange in the Silver State. These isolated desert communities never take themselves too seriously, and that is what makes them so much fun to explore. They are where you can hunt for UFOs in Rachel, or bust through the double doors of an old-timey saloon in Goodsprings to get to know the locals. When you are ready to explore the playfully peculiar side of Nevada, be sure to add these towns to your road trip list!

Tonopah

Overlooking Tonopah, Nevada.
Overlooking Tonopah, Nevada.

Tonopah is one of those remote Nevada towns that never takes itself too seriously. If you are a fan of the strange (and slightly eerie), the Clown Motel will follow you in your nightmares long after you leave! The colorful visage and lit-up clown demand visitors stop to explore what's happening inside. But you don’t have to book a room in the Clown Motel to appreciate its quirks. The inside is decorated wall-to-wall with vintage clown memorabilia, and each room is decorated in a different (and creepy) clown motif. To add to the spooky vibes of the hotel, it’s located next to the Old Tonopah Cemetery, the final resting place of over 300 residents who met their end during the town’s rowdy Wild West days.

Clown motel in Tonopah, Nevada.
Clown motel in Tonopah, Nevada. Image credit melissamn via Shutterstock

Tonopah may be known for its spooky, kitschy vibes, but it also has a fascinating historical vibe. As a former mining town, it was often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Silver Camps’. You can learn more about its Wild West roots at the Central Nevada Museum, where you can explore an old mining camp stocked with relics of Tonopah’s early days. The Tonopah Historic Mining Park is another great spot where visitors can explore the ruins of an old mining camp, covering 113 acres of land in the remote Nevada desert.

Lovelock

Welcome to Lovelock, Nevada.
Welcome to Lovelock, Nevada. Image credit Ken Lund via Flickr.com

As a remote town located off I-80 in Northwestern Nevada, Lovelock is a town that is worth the detour. The most unusual attraction in Lovelock is the infamous Lovelock Cave. At first glance, it is your typical cave, but its history proves it as one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the state. In the early 1900s, archeologists unearthed over 10,000 ancient artifacts from the cave, with unusual findings such as ancient reed duck decoys, woven baskets, sandals, tools, and nets. The locals love to tell stories of giant human remains found in the cave, although archaeologists refute these local legends.

Lovers Lock Plaza in Lovelock, Nevada.
Lovers Lock Plaza in Lovelock, Nevada.

Outside of its mysterious cave, Lovelock is a delightful little town that always welcomes visitors. The Lover’s Lock Plaza reflects the town's whimsy, a lovely green space where you can go for a walk and take in the sights of the town. It even has a chain where visitors can attach locks, so you can forever leave your mark on Lovelock. From the park, you can walk to grab a sweet treat at Temptations ice cream parlor, or dine at Gold Diggers Saloon and Grub House for great food in a rustic saloon-like setting.

Dayton

The Republic of Molossia with closed borders to the USA is a micronation, or unrecognized country, located near Dayton, Nevada.
The Republic of Molossia, near Dayton, Nevada. Image credit Daniel L. Locke via Shutterstock

Did you know you can travel to a different nation without leaving Nevada? South of Reno is the small community of Dayton, known as the home to the micronation of The Republic of Molossia. The population of the Republic of Molossia is just over 30 residents and four dogs. It started as a dream of a teenager in the 1970s, and when that teenager grew into an adult, he bought an acre of land outside of Dayton and founded his very own micronation. Visitors have to schedule a tour to enter the micronation, where they can tour its national park, Molissia Space Station, and dine at the Tiki Hut Bar and Grill.

The Carson River in Dayton, Nevada.
The Carson River in Dayton, Nevada. By Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

After visiting the not-so-faraway country of Molossia, there is plenty to see in the town of Dayton. You can go for a walk at the lovely Dayton State Park, or test your luck at the Gold Ranch Casino. Dayton is also considered the second-oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Nevada, and you can feel the history in the old-timey architecture downtown. To learn more about its mining history, the Historical Society of Dayton Valley has tons of artifacts from the early days of Dayton, as well as original structures you can explore.

Rachel

Restaurant and gift shop near Area 51, Rachel, Nevada.
Restaurant and gift shop near Area 51, Rachel, Nevada.

If you have ever dreamed of visiting Area 51 while in Nevada, the remote town of Rachel is as close as you can get. While visiting Area 51 is strictly off-limits, the delightful town of Rachel really leans into the alien vibes in all the best ways. The Little A’Le’Inn (pronounced Little Alien) is an infamous alien-themed hotel that happily invites Earthlings to stay for the night. It is decorated in alien-themed decor, with flying saucers parked out front and statues of aliens scattered throughout the grounds. It also has a diner with alien-themed menu items, and a gift shop with “official” Area 51 merchandise. Even the gas station, the Alien Cowpoke Gas and General Store, is decorated in alien themes, with vintage cars and alien sculptures in the wide open desert.

Cafe near Area 51 in Rachel, Nevada.
Cafe near Area 51 in Rachel, Nevada. Image credit Nick Fox via Shutterstock

As a remote town settled along Extraterrestrial Highway, Rachel boasts some of the darkest skies in the state. While many visitors simply park alongside the Extraterrestrial Highway at night to gaze up at the night skies, the Worthington Mountains Wilderness is a wonderful place to potentially catch a glimpse of a passing UFO. It has rugged desert trails to hike by day, and allows for camping to watch the night sky light up with stars at night.

Fallon

Business and historic buildings in the downtown district of Fallon, Nevada.
Downtown Fallon, Nevada. Image credit Wirestock Creators via Shutterstock

Fallon may be situated in the heart of the heart of the Nevada desert east of Reno, but its location near the Carson River earned it the nickname “The Oasis of Nevada.” With lush green fields, farmland, and dairies, it is a vibrant community with much to discover.

The biggest attraction in Fallon is one you may not expect in the desert: the Fallon Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair, held every year. The festival celebrates Fallon's most famous crop, the Heart of Gold cantaloupe. Visitors can expect to enjoy everything cantaloupe, from cantaloupe ice cream to cantaloupe salsa. There are carnival rides and live music, and it is the only festival in the state where you can watch a tractor pull while sipping on a chilled cantaloupe beer.

Cowboys at the Fallon Ranch Hand Rodeo.
Cowboys at the Fallon Ranch Hand Rodeo. Image credit TLF Images via Shutterstock

If you miss the quirky festival, there is still plenty in Fallon to enjoy. You can explore artifacts from Fallon’s early days at the Churchill County Museum, with exhibits including vintage automobiles and themed rooms with antiques. When you have worked up an appetite in Fallon, The Slanted Porch is a beloved local diner serving American cuisine in a cozy setting.

Goodsprings

Famous Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada.
Famous Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada. Image credit JessicaGirvan via Shutterstock

Southwest of Las Vegas, not too far from the California border, is the hidden gem of Goodsprings. It is a tiny little town with a population of just under 300 that feels like stepping onto a Wild West movie set. Wild burros wander through the desert area of Goodsprings, where wide open roads lead to abandoned buildings and miles of untouched desert. While it may give off serious ghost town vibes, the community leans into its past as a time capsule to the days of cowboys and saloons.

The biggest attraction in Goodspring is the Pioneer Saloon. It is one of the oldest operating bars in the state, and not much has changed since it opened its swinging double doors in 1913. While many of the saloons from the old west lie forgotten (or modernized), the Pioneer Saloon gives visitors a rare glimpse back in time (while still serving amazing American pub food). The Goodsprings Museum and Olde Post Office is a great place to learn more about the history of this community, where the inside looks exactly like it did when it opened in 1899. And if you want to explore the desert region on foot, the Goodsprings Trailhead is a beautiful trail that doesn’t see much traffic.

Beatty

Welcome sign to Beatty, Nevada.
Welcome sign to Beatty, Nevada. Image credit Gchapel via Shutterstock

Want to explore a forgotten ghost town in the heart of the Nevada desert? Then look no further than the southern Nevada town of Beatty. While Beatty has modern amenities, the vibes of downtown still feel like stepping into the Wild West. The biggest attraction in Beatty is a few miles down the road at the Rhyolite Ghost Town. You will find old ruins of buildings that once stood tall during the Gold Rush of the early 1900s, but have since been abandoned and forgotten. The most unusual site at the ghost town is the Bottle House. It was built in 1906 and is composed of over 50,000 glass bottles.

If you want to learn more about the mining boom (and subsequent bust) in Beatty, make sure to stop by the Beatty Museum and Historical Society. As a former catholic church built in 1955, the museum highlights Beatty’s rich history with antique exhibits and quirky displays (like a taxidermied bear). From the museum, there are so many delightful restaurants to sit down for a great meal, like Smokin' J's Barbecue.

Goldfield

Goldfield, Nevada: house covered in road signs
Downtown Goldfield, Nevada. Image credit Megan Frost Photography via Shutterstock

The Wild West is still alive and well in the small community of Goldfield in western Nevada! Many of the buildings in town still have that Old West feel, with old stone buildings and rickety wooden saloons, like the Santa Fe Saloon and Motel. Everything from the diners (like the kitschy Dinky Diner) to the old stone courthouse makes visitors feel like they are stepping back in time when visiting Goldfield.

International Car Forest in Goldfield, Nevada.
International Car Forest in Goldfield, Nevada. Image credit pmvfoto via Shutterstock

However, it is not its old-world feel that makes Goldfield unique; it is its car forest. The International Car Forest of the Last Church is south of central Goldfield, and is one of the coolest man-made sites in Nevada. This desert sculpture park is composed entirely of discarded automobiles and buses that look as if they are coming right out of the sand.

Explore the Peculiar Side of the Silver State

There is so much more to Nevada than the dazzling lights of Las Vegas. These small communities capture the charm of Nevada, from the ghost town of Beatty to the mysterious findings in Lovelock Cave. Whether you are chasing UFOs or eerie ghost towns, expect the unexpected in the heart of Nevada. Only in these peculiar towns can you slow down and create unique memories of sleeping in a clown-themed motel or a house made entirely of glass bottles. So, pack snacks, hit the open road, and don’t be surprised if you see a flying saucer in the darkness of Nevada’s night sky.

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