"America's Loneliest Road"
Legends of the Pony
Rumor has it! In July 1986, Life described US 50 from Fernley to Ely as "the loneliest road" in America. Life continued its abrogating review with one particular statement by an AAA vector that was read across the country.
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"It's totally empty. There are no attractions and no points of interest. We don't recommend it. We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they're confident of their survival skills."
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Leave it to Nevada to take this abrocating AAA review and use it as a profitable marketing slogan. US 50 is a highway roller coaster that summits ten mountain passes, beginning and ending its route at elevations over 6,000 feet. This regular, repeating pattern of up-and-down across the entire state never ever gets old!
Ready?
Windshield Overview
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409 miles
2 Detours
Recommended 5-6 days
Begin: South Lake Tahoe, CA.
End: Border Inn, UT.
Driving Time: 7 hours, 13 minutes
Counties: El Dorado (CA), Placer (CA), Douglas, Carson City, Lyon, Churchill, Lander, Eureka, White Pine, Millard (UT)
COMMUNITIES ON THIS TRIP
South Lake Tahoe (CA), Stateline, Kingsbury, Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, Incline Village, Brockway (CA), Carson City, Mound House, Dayton, Stagecoach, Silver Springs, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, Ely, Baker, Garrison (UT)
HISTORIC MARKERS ON THIS TRIP (with detours): 48
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Trip Highlights
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Detours
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park:
SR 28 from Spooner Lake to Incline Village
SR 431 to Mt. Rose Summit
Total Mileage (one-way): 50.1 miles
Carson City Historic District:
US 50 Business to Downtown Carson City
Total Mileage (one-way): 10.4 miles
Great Basin National Park:
National Park to Garrison, Utah
Total Mileage (combined): 63.6 miles
RECENT UPDATES
Revisions of text to all points on the map
ADDED - Friday's Station - Pony Express Memorial
Van Sickle Bi-State Park
Tahoe Rim Trailhead
Van Sickle Trail
East Peak Lake
East Peak, Douglas County High Point
Castle Rock Trailhead
- 207 - Carson Valley
Top of Cave Rock Trail (photo spot)
Slaughterhouse Canyon Trail
Spooner Lake (Fishing)
North Canyon Trail - LTNSP backcountry
Snow Valley Peak
Marlette Lake
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park
Secret Beaches (Trailhead)
"Creek Beach"
Secret Harbor Creek
Whale Beach (photo spot)
Bliss Beach
Parking points along SR 28
Marlette Creek
Marlette Lake (back door)
East shore Scenic Viewpoint (photo spot)
Sand Harbor Visitor Center
Sand Harbor Beach
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival
Memorial Point (photo spot)
Memorial Point to Hidden Beach Trail
Monkey Rock Trailhead
Tunnel Creek Flume Trail
History of Tunnel Creek Flume System
The Great Incline Bull Wheel (Tour and Trail)
Incline Creek & Fishing
Third Creek Falls
Stateline Fire Lookout Trail
Third Creek
incline Lake Road
Ophir Creek
Tahoe Meadows to Ophir Creek Trail
Mount Rose Campground
- 231 - Mount Rose Weather Observatory
Tamarack Lake
Mt. Rose Trailhead & Mt. Rose Wilderness
Meeting of Mountains and Desert
- 72- Nevada State Children's Home
- 258 - Charles W. Friend Weather Observatory
- 25 - Nevada's Capitol
- 44 - Carson City
State Capitol Building
Capitol Grounds (photo spot)
Capitol Interior
Battle Born Hall
- 250 - State Printing Building
- 75 - Government Building (1888-1970)
Tonkin Springs Reservoir