9 Perfect Destinations for a Long Weekend in Nevada
Nevada's best towns might require going a bit off the beaten track through the mountains or down long, lonely roads, but they will be well worth the journey for the perfect long weekend retreat. By traveling these roads, like the Loneliest Road in America, you will find caves with ancient Native petroglyphs, mining mansions, America's first National Recreation Area, strange towers, and even stranger motels. Not to fear, as all of these towns have ideal accommodations to stay at while you enjoy your long weekend in these nine perfect destinations.
Ely
Ely sits at the edge of Highway 50, commonly called the Loneliest Road in America. However, Ely is by no means a lonely place. It's a former copper mining town in the mountains with a mixture of cutesy historic attractions, pow wows, and vast mountain landscapes. The White Pine Public Museum, for example, exhibits a variety of Nevada structures from an old jail cell to a one-room schoolhouse, a bell from a ghost town, and bones of two giant short-faced bears. Take tours of the rail lines at the 1905 East Ely Depot or stroll through a turn-of-the-century village at the Ely Renaissance Village.
As for outdoor options, there is a lot to choose from, but the best one nearby is the Great Basin National Park, which contains a 13,062-foot mountain, Wheeler Peak, and the Lehman Caves. Lastly, every July, the Shoshone Tribe puts on a Powwow & Fandango, which is a great way to learn about Shoshone culture.
Virginia City
Virginia City was founded in 1859 with the discovery of silver, making it a key early mining town. Although the mines dried up by the 1870s, the buildings from that era remain. Taking an architectural walking tour of Virginia City will reveal several "castles" from the mid-1800s. These include the Graves Castle Mansion, built in 1868 by Robert Graves as a homage to French chateaus in the Second Imperial style, or the 1861 Savage Mansion, named after the Savage Mining Company. Ulysses S. Grant traveled here in 1879 to make a speech to Virginia City from the mansion's second floor.
Get a sense of what life was like underground for miners by taking the Chollar Mine Tours, or see the last operational stamp mill at the Comstock Gold Mill. To spend the weekend at a historic inn, head to the B Street House bed and breakfast, a restored 1875 Victorian house with a garden.
Tonopah
Tonopah is a very odd town in a good way. That oddness comes from its two most noteworthy hotels: The Clown Motel and Mizpah Hotel. The Clown Motel is decorated with thousands of clown figures of various shapes and sizes, and the outside is painted in clownlike colors of yellow, blue, and red. It's also right next to the Old Tonopah Cemetery, giving it a haunting feel. The Mizpah Hotel is also alleged to be one of the most haunted hotels in the US, and many have reported odd, unexplained phenomena.
Outside of these hotels, Tonopah has a Historic Mining Park with underground tunnels to see, and one of the darkest sky viewing parks at the Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park. Instead of an allegedly haunted motel, book a weekend stay at the Belvada Hotel, housed within a 1906 bank.
Austin
Much like Ely, Austin is right off Highway 50. It interrupts the wide open landscape of the lonely road with mysterious structures and alpine meadow trails. The town is most well known for Stokes Castle, built in 1897 by magnate Anson Phelps Stokes. It is often described as a strange granite tower that only a man as eccentric as Stokes would create. Another quirky spot is the historic Gridley Store, a 1863 stone building associated with Reuel Colt Gridley’s famous flour-sack fundraiser for Union soldiers. One of its owners, Reuel Colt Gridley, lost a bet and had to carry a 50-pound sack of flour throughout Austin. That sack of flour was then resold to raise money for Union soldiers, and kept on being resold over and over, raising more than $250,000.
Austin acts as a central location to several beautiful parks and landmarks, such as Hickison Summit, which hides a petroglyph site, and Toquima Cave, which has artwork on it from ancient Shoshone Native Americans. Or go hiking through the Arc Dome Wilderness or Alta Toquima Wilderness. For spots to stay in this quirky town, try out the Cozy Mountain Motel.
Genoa
Founded in 1851, Genoa is the oldest settlement in Nevada. The name was chosen by Mormon elder Orson Hyde in honor of the hometown of Christopher Columbus in Italy. The heritage site of Mormon Station State Historic Park is certainly worth checking out. It features a recreation of the 1851 trading post, along with a museum and the 1856 Kinsey House, the oldest home still standing in Nevada.
One of the darker historical spots in Genoa is the Hanging Tree, the site where an angry mob took a prisoner named Adam Uber from jail and hung him there in 1897, since he had killed a member of the teamster union, Hans Anderson. Genoa has a large network of trails to explore canyons and natural landmarks. To start on this journey, the Genoa Canyon Trailhead is right off downtown Genoa. Enjoy a stay in Genoa at the White House Inn, a relaxing 100-year-old home.
Elko
Elko is a unique town in many ways. It is home to Commercial Casino, a historic downtown gambling hall long associated with the giant taxidermied polar bear known as the White King. The community also has a large Basque population, a group of people from the region between Spain and France, who celebrate their delicious food and culture during the National Basque Festival in July. The community is nestled within the Ruby Mountains, which is prime territory for hiking and climbing, with 312 named mountains within Elko County alone.
Follow the spine of the Rubies at the Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail or head to the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, named after the largest valley in the Ruby Mountains formed by glaciers. The town has several chain hotels for a long weekend stay, such as Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
Caliente
The southeastern Nevada town of Caliente is the only incorporated town in wider Lincoln County. It's named for the Spanish word for hot, which suits it well due to its thermal hot springs. Travelers came on the rail lines from across the country to bathe in these hot springs. See several old Western box cars used on the Union Pacific Railroad at the Box Car Museum, along with old photographs and documents.
Right next to the museum is Caliente Station, a 1923 railroad depot built in the two-story Mission Revival style that today acts as an art gallery, library, and city hall. To explore nature, go to Kershaw Ryan State Park. This majestic desert oasis is fed by spring water, which gives it beautiful gardens and trails. The park sits within the beautiful Rainbow Canyon, named after its colorful rocks. For spots to stay at, there's the Pine Tree Inn in nearby Panaca or the highly rated, if unfortunately named, Shady Motel.
Boulder City
Boulder City is the site of one of Nevada's greatest architectural achievements: the Hoover Dam. Standing 900 feet tall on the Colorado River, it's one of the West's most iconic landmarks. By traveling to Boulder City, see the Hoover Dam at The Hoover Dam Tour Center, or go to the first national recreation area in America: the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Straddling the border between Arizona and Nevada, the area provides horseback riding trails, scuba diving in the freshwater lake, and hiking through colorful rock formations.
Boulder City also has a bit of an extraterrestrial side. Learn about at the Outpost 51 Alien Museum, which preserves information on alleged UFO sightings, crashes, and the infamous Area 51 itself. There are several motels close to the dam to stay at, including the Boulder Dam Hotel and the Railroad Pass Hotel and Casino.
Fallon
Founded in 1896 during the California Gold Rush, Fallon has a massive reservoir at Lake Lahontan, created by the Lahontan Dam. There is a naval air base here which houses the Navy Fighter Weapons School, but travelers also have good reason to visit this Nevada oasis, especially to go fishing at the Lahontan State Recreation Area. Around 17 miles northeast of Fallon is the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, home to waterfowl, shorebirds, and desert mammals in a marshy environment, with hiking trails and hunting opportunities. The Sand Mountain Recreation Area, which borders the Stillwater Mountains, draws in 50,000 to 70,000 visitors a year, looking to take their ATV or off-road vehicle on the sand dunes.
In town, visitors can enjoy a show or explore a gallery at the Oats Park Art Center or grab some American food from The Slanted Porch. For a small town motel to stay at, try out the Bonanza Inn and Casino.
Odd Destinations for a Perfect Weekend Getaway
Odd isn't a bad word. In fact, it can mean unique or interesting, and that is certainly the case with these nine destinations. By going to Elko, see one of Nevada's oldest casinos or enjoy Basque cultural activities and food. In Tonopah, test your courage at the Clown Motel or gaze up at the universe in a dark sky. Many of these destinations are situated right next to vast forests and recreational areas, so outdoorsy folks will always find a trail or lake to visit. Consider booking the next long weekend at one of these nine Nevada destinations.
