Article brought to you
by The RV Outlet, Milton, Florida
Loneliest Road is Really Not so Lonely
for RVers
By Chuck Woodbury
Twenty years ago,
Life Magazine named the 287-mile Nevada stretch of U.S. Highway 50
from Fernley to Ely the "Loneliest Road in America."
"It's totally empty," an AAA representative told the magazine. “We
warn all motorists not to drive there unless they’re confident of
their driving skills."
Nevada tourism officials disagreed. They insisted the highway should
have been called "the last authentically western road in America."
Most residents along the road thought the same. They didn't think it
was so lonely.
There are people, of course, who consider the road "287-miles of
mostly boring nothingness."
Not me. I have
traveled the highway at least a half dozen times, mostly in a
motorhome. To me, this wonderful stretch of wide-open road is a
refreshing break from the busy interstate. And, yes, it is indeed
one of the few remaining authentically western roads in America. And
it's easy as pie to travel with an RV, no matter what the size.
Frankly, it's so wide-open that there isn't much to bump into.
For motorists crossing northern Nevada, U.S 50 is an excellent
alternative to Interstate 80, which is four busy lanes through less
interesting landscape, and where the traffic includes a lot of big
rig trucks.
The Life Magazine article got some folks thinking, in particular the
folks at Nevada Tourism, who pondered, "Why not capitalize on the
'Lonely road' idea?" So they began a campaign to promote the highway
as the "Loneliest Road in America," even posting signs along the way
reminding motorists of the route’s claim to fame.
Highway 50 through Nevada is two-lanes of well-maintained pavement.
It passes through untouched, little populated, non-commercial,
uncluttered, unpolluted, unknown America. It leads through vast
valleys once covered with prehistoric lakes and marshes. It also
climbs over seven mountain passes, some higher than 7,000 feet with
forests of junior and pinion pines. For 30 miles the road follows
the old Pony Express trail: a couple of deserted stations are still
visible.
Cows outnumber people 20 to one. Sometimes you're so far from
civilization that it's impossible to tune in a radio station. The
road is so lightly traveled that very often you can stop right in
your lane to snap a photo with a clear view of five miles of highway
in either direction. I often stop for 10 minutes like this and never
worry about my motorhome getting smacked.
The only two towns between Fernley and Ely are Austin and Eureka.
Both are old mining camps that boomed and busted, and now have fewer
than 1,000 residents combined. But they have gas stations, Mom and
Pop cafes, a few RV parks, and terrific old buildings and cemeteries
to explore. Stop at each, walk the main streets and ask the
residents about what it's like to live in such a remote part of
America. They'll spin you some good yarns.
I usually camp at the Bureau of Land Management's Hickison
Petroglyph Recreation Site, 20 miles east of Austin. It's a
beautiful area studded with pinion pine and juniper. A half-mile
loop trail leads to an impressive display of Indian petroglyphs,
said to be as old as 10,000 years. The campground has 16 sites, some
shaded and some with magnificent views of the valley below. And make
sure to spend time outside at night stargazing. The Milky Way will
be in all its glory.
All together, there are about two-dozen RV parks and campgrounds
along the route, plus plenty of opportunities for boondocking.
The road's eastern
portal, the "big city" of Ely (population about 5,000) has several
RV parks, casinos and all major services. East of town is Great
Basin National Park, one of America's newest and least known
national parks. Campgrounds are near the visitor center and at
10,000 feet in the mountains. Both are in forest settings. A tour of
the park's limestone caverns is a "must do."
Fernley, at the western end of the road, also has all major
services, and is only an hour drive from Reno.
To learn more about the Loneliest Road,
be sure to send for the free Highway 50 Survival Guide.
