During the 1980s, a Life Magazine writer was traveling along US Highway 50 through Nevada and was astounded by the fact that he encountered very few people. He quickly named this stretch of land The Loneliest Road in America. Even though you may not encounter many people if you travel down this loneliest road, your journey will be anything but lonely with the variety of quirky, unique, and historic stops along the way.
US Hwy 50 through Nevada is, indeed, The Loneliest Road in America. See, the sign says so.
The original Lincoln (dirt) Highway was the first transcontinental highway. Originally created in 1913, parts of it lie adjacent to Hwy 50 today.
Steptoe Valley near Ely along Hwy 50.
The remains of Eureka's General Store sit along Hwy 50. Eureka calls itself the "Friendliest Town on the Loneliest Road in America."
US 50 between Austin and Eureka.
Living ghost town Austin is one of the quirky and historic towns on Hwy 50.
The infamous tree of shoes along Hwy 50 near Middlegate: a stop on the original Pony Express trail.
Hwy 50 passes through Dayton, the site of the first gold discovery in Nevada.
Musical Sand Mountain lies along Hwy 50, approximately 20 miles east of Fallon.
Hwy 50 east of Fallon en route to Naval Air Station Fallon's TOPGUN.
The Grimes Point Petroglyphs are located about ten miles east of Fallon along Hwy 50.
One of the four "spiders" that were created over 20 years ago. Whereas they all originally "lived" off Hwy 395, this one can be found along Hwy 50 about five miles east of Carson City on the south side of the highway near the Newman Lane intersection. This is probably one of the weirdest sights along this stretch of the road.
An aerial view of Hwy 50 between Lake Tahoe and Carson City.
Cave Rock near Lake Tahoe.
Hwy 50 approaching Zephyr Cove near Lake Tahoe. Notice how the desolation of the desert has given way to the gorgeous pine trees at the higher elevation.
Spooner Summit sits at Nevada Historical Marker No. 261 along Hwy 50 where the road crests the Carson Mountain Range.
The Nevada Commission on Tourism sponsors a promotion where visitors can stop at several specific locations along Hwy 50 and have the passport section of a state-issued "survival guide" stamped to indicate a particular location. Visitors can then mail their completed passport to the state and receive a certificate, signed by the governor that certifies they "survived" The Loneliest Road in America.
US Highway 50 is not only Nevada's loneliest road but the loneliest road in all of America. Have you traveled down The Loneliest Road in America? What unusual or interesting sights did you see? Please share your comments and experiences below.
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