These Nevada Towns Have The Best Views In The State

With numerous mountain ranges and glacier-carved canyons, Nevada's natural landscape makes a trip to its smaller communities well worth the trek. In Incline Village, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada share the spotlight, while Genoa balances mountain views with a preserved Main Street that feels straight out of a movie. Elko shines in the heart of the Ruby Range, nicknamed the Swiss Alps of Nevada, while Ely sits quite happily at the end of the Loneliest Road in America, surrounded by the bristlecone pines of Great Basin National Park. Their contrasts may be stark, but these four towns all have one thing in common: a justified reputation for having some of the best views in the state.

Incline Village

Positioned on the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe and just 35 miles southwest of Reno, Incline Village occupies one of the most visually striking settings in Nevada. Overlooking North America’s largest alpine lake, Incline Village is the former home of the Great Incline Tramway, an 1880s-era engineering marvel that hauled timber 1,400 feet up the mountainside to supply the mines in nearby Virginia City.

The signature view here is from Sand Harbor State Park, where massive granite boulders rise from waters that seem to shift in color between deep sapphire and pale turquoise, depending on the light. Add to this the pine-covered slopes of the Sierra Nevada on every side, and it’s so pretty you’ll not want to leave. Getting there is half the fun. The Tahoe East Shore Trail, a three-mile paved path that’s known as “America’s Most Beautiful Bikeway,” is your best bet. This epic trail connects Incline Village directly to Sand Harbor along the shoreline, with fun-to-explore side trails heading off to hidden coves and beaches. Along the way, Memorial Point Scenic Overlook provides superb vistas of the lake and the mountains ringing its 72-mile shoreline.

Genoa

You’ll find Genoa on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada at the western edge of the Carson Valley. Nevada’s oldest non-native settlement, it was founded in 1851 as a trading post for California-bound emigrants and boasts a compact Main Street that looks much as it did a century ago. And it’s definitely scenic, with its 19th-century wood-frame buildings backed by pine-covered foothills that rise sharply toward the Sierras.

The town’s most important structures are huddled together in the Genoa Historic District, the entirety of which is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Highlights here include the Genoa Courthouse Museum and Mormon Station State Historic Park, which marks the site of that original 1851 trading post that Genoa was built around.

While this Historic District is certainly notable, it’s the views around town that really stand out. The Sierra Nevada rises directly to the west of town and is easy to get to from Genoa thanks to its superb trail network. The Genoa Trail System covers roughly 17 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian paths that wind through the foothills above Carson Valley. The just-over-eight-mile Genoa Loop is another good option and boasts great views opening across the valley floor to the Pine Nut Mountains on the eastern horizon.

Elko

The northeastern Nevada community of Elko is where you go to get the best views of the Ruby Mountains. Dubbed the “Swiss Alps of Nevada,” these majestic mountains, just 20 miles southeast of town, feature glacier-carved peaks topping 11,000 feet. In addition to covering over 90,000 acres of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Ruby range is also known for its sparkling alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and some of the most rewarding backcountry hiking in the western United States.

The best way to explore the Rubies is via the Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, a 12-mile paved road that winds from the small community of Lamoille, about 20 miles from Elko, into the heart of the range. This scenic drive climbs from the valley to 8,800 feet, passing towering granite cliffs, waterfalls, and avalanche chutes along the way. Stop at the interpretive panels along the route to learn how Ice Age glaciers carved the canyon, and pullouts at every turn provide incredible views of Ruby Dome, the range’s highest peak at 11,387 feet.

At Road’s End, trails fan out in several directions. The two-mile hike to Island Lake is a family-friendly option with views back down the length of Lamoille Canyon, while the trail to Dollar Lakes and Lamoille Lake is slightly longer, steeper, and less kid-friendly. For those with a few days to spare (plus a truckload of experience), the 36-mile Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail traverses the full length of the range, passing several alpine lakes with multiple peaks above 11,000 feet visible from its ridgeline sections.

Ely

You get to Ely along US Route 50, a highway that has earned the nickname of the “Loneliest Road in America.” Located in the state’s high desert region, Ely certainly is remote. A four-hour trek north of Las Vegas, visitors are few compared to other points of interest in the state. But for those that do make the effort, it’s this solitude that matters most.

The primary gateway to Great Basin National Park, visitors are here to see some of the most extraordinary natural scenery in Nevada. The park’s centerpiece is the 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, the second-highest summit in Nevada and reachable via the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. This spectacular route climbs 12 miles from the park entrance to an elevation of roughly 10,000 feet, with plenty of scenic pullouts offering views across the vast Great Basin. This is a paradise for hikers, especially those who make it to the end of the road. Here, the 2.8-mile Bristlecone Trail leads to a grove of Great Basin bristlecone pines, the oldest known non-clonal living organisms on the planet, with some estimated to be more than 4,000 years old.

Nevada’s Small-Town Scenery Awaits

Nevada’s reputation as a desert playground for gambling and entertainment really doesn’t do it justice. Wander away from the neon lights, and you’ll discover a whole other side to the state. From the rocky shores of Lake Tahoe to the glacier-carved peaks of the Ruby Mountains and the rugged landscapes of Great Basin National Park, these four towns offer the kind of views that linger long after you’ve packed up and headed home.