off the beaten path

Adventure awaits where the pavement ends in Cowboy Country.

By CHARLIE JOHNSTON | May/June 2011

A barrage of colorful words and warranty-voiding maneuvers finally release our truck from the slick gully that turned out not to be “the road” after all. Thick January fog concealing our goal—summiting northeastern Nevada’s Pilot Peak—Editor Matthew B. Brown and I concede defeat.

But the trip is not a complete failure—it reminds us that to experience the breathtaking beauty of Cowboy Country’s off-the-beaten-path destinations, making responsible decisions is paramount, and self-reliance is key. Keeping that in mind, here are several ways you can find solitude in this expansive territory.

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ANGEL LAKE

Perched at 8,400 feet atop the striking East Humboldt Range, Angel Lake is replete with stellar alpine scenery, a remote mountain location, and sparkling azure water—the kind of place you would expect to find following an extended hike or backpacking adventure. Fortunately for those disinclined or unable to walk to such places, Angel Lake is an easy 13-mile drive southwest from Wells on scenic State Route 231.

The popular camping, fishing, nature-viewing, and hiking destination includes 26 campsites and a picnic area, and nearby Angel Creek provides a group picnic area and 18 additional campsites. Every summer, the lake hosts a Kids Fishing Derby.

Two trailheads in the area, Greys and Winchell Lakes Trails, offer access to the rugged and beautiful East Humboldt Wilderness. Since the road to the lake is too winding and steep for most trailers and motor homes (and closed from October through Memorial Day Weekend), Wells’ Angel Lake RV Park is a good option for recreational vehicle camping.

CONTACTS
Wells Chamber of Commerce
436 6th St., Wells
wellsnevada.com
775-752-3540

Angel Lake RV Park
124 S. Humboldt Ave., Wells
angellakerv.com
775-752-2745

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BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS (UTAH)

What is inhospitable to life, covered in a salt crust up to five-feet thick, and frequented by vehicles capable of speeds in excess of 600 mph? If you guessed an alien planet, you’re not far off. The other-worldly Bonneville Salt Flats east of West Wendover are the ancient dry bed of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which once covered much of present-day Utah and parts of eastern Nevada.

The 30,000-acre expanse is one of the largest completely flat stretches of land in the U.S.; so much so, in fact, that visitors can actually view the curvature of the earth from hills near West Wendover. The perfectly straight Interstate 80 appears to bend as it approaches the horizon across the flats.

Another rare opportunity afforded by the uniquely level surface is the chance to go fast…really, really fast. Since as early as the late 1800s, Bonneville has been synonymous with land-speed records and such high-octane events as Speed Week (August 13-19). Every description of wheeled conveyance from standard internal combustion cars to 600-plus-mph rocket-driven monsters has been pushed to its limits on the flats.

CONTACTS
City of West Wendover
1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, West Wendover
westwendovercity.com
775-664-3081

Bureau of Land Management
Salt Lake District Office
2370 South 2300 West,
Salt Lake City
blm.gov/ut
801-977-4300

Southern California Timing Association (Speed Week)
scta-bni.org
559-528-6279

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CALIFORNIA NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL INTERPRETIVE CENTER

The 1848 discovery of gold on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada spurred the largest human migration in the history of the U.S. Almost all of the nearly 200,000 people who reached the goldfields of California by land crossed through what is now Nevada along the California Trail. The California National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, eight miles west of Elko off Interstate 80, is a tribute to those brave men and women and their quest for mineral riches.

The center sits near the former trail and offers visitors the chance to learn about daily life on the route and its various cutoffs, the impact the mass migration had on American Indians, and the trail’s importance to the development of the West. Exhibits, interactive displays, murals, and dioramas paint a realistic picture of this important piece of American history.

The center is set to open for the season to coincide with California Trail Days, May 21-22, when visitors can experience firsthand what life was like for the pioneers who plied the trail. Starting in May 2012, the center is scheduled to be open year-round. Photo: Dini Esplin

CONTACTS
Bureau of Land Management
Elko District Office
3900 E. Idaho St., Elko
blm.gov/nv
775-738-1849

California Trail Days
elkotraildays.com
775-738-1849

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METROPOLIS

Metropolis is unique in that—unlike the vast majority of Nevada ghost towns—it has no ties to mining. Born in 1911, the town was among the West’s earliest master-planned communities, envisioned as an agricultural city set amid more than 40,000 acres of farmland. The town boomed in the following years and boasted its own spur of the Southern Pacific Railroad and one of the finest modern hotels in the state.

Prosperity was short-lived, however, and following lawsuits filed by farmers in downstream Lovelock, Metropolis’ water rights were cut drastically. Dry farming techniques kept the town afloat into the 1920s until the investment company behind the town, Pacific Reclamation, declared bankruptcy. Fires and cricket infestations led to the town’s demise by the early 1940s.

There are some ranches in the Metropolis area today, but the town is completely abandoned. Some ruins remain, including the front arch of a school (pictured above) and the vault from the bank inside the hotel. Photo: Carolyn Fox

CONTACT
Wells Chamber of Commerce
436 6th St., Wells
wellsnevada.com
775-752-3540

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PILOT PEAK

Pilot Peak, near the Nevada-Utah border north of West Wendover, does not even break the top-30 list of Nevada’s highest points. What makes the mountain a unique and worthy destination is that its 10,716-foot summit affords an unmatched view of the Bonneville Salt Flats almost 6,500 feet below. The mountain’s dramatic rise from the surrounding valleys has gained it recognition as a U.S. prominence peak, meaning its summit is more than 5,000 feet above the surrounding terrain.

Pilot Peak is best hiked in late summer and fall when its slopes are devoid (usually) of snow—during winter and spring, the climb can be much more difficult and requires crampons, an ice ax, and knowledge of mountaineering techniques. Even under the best conditions, the climb is strenuous and requires a reasonable level of physical fitness and route-finding ability.

CONTACT
Summit Post
summitpost.org

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RUBY CREST NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL

The 37-mile long Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail is the stuff bucket lists are made of. From picturesque Lamoille Canyon and lofty Wines Peak to pristine Overland Lake and remote Harrison Pass, the three-to four-day backpacking trip should be on every Nevada adventurer’s list of must-sees.

The trail follows the spine of one of the Silver State’s most unspoiled and photogenic ranges at altitudes ranging from 7,200 feet (Harrison Pass at the trail’s southern terminus) to 10,863-foot Wines Peak.

The north-south trail can be hiked in either direction, but I suggest starting in Lamoille Canyon (north) and arranging to be picked up at Harrison Pass (south) to ensure fresh legs when the scenery is best.

Camping along the route is best near lakes such as Liberty, Favre, North Furlong, and Overland, and potentially long waterless stretches necessitate careful budgeting of water. The highest sections of the trail—especially the pass above Overland Lake—can retain ice and snow throughout the year, so be prepared for some wintry travel.

CONTACT
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Ruby Mountain Ranger District
140 Pacific Ave., Wells
fs.usda.gov/htnf
775-752-3357

WORTH A CLICK
backpackingintherubymountains.info

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UNIONVILLE

Once home to Mark Twain, tiny, remote Unionville is a gem among Nevada’s near-ghost towns. Founded and named the seat of Humboldt County in the early 1860s, the mining boomtown’s brightest years came in the 1870s when it boasted a population of nearly 3,000. The seat was moved to Winnemucca in 1873, and Unionville eventually became a part of Pershing County.

Tucked into a striking canyon on the eastern slope of the Humboldt Range near the terminus of State Route 400, the town is now home to about 20 people and a handful of historic buildings, including the ruins of Twain’s former residence. Although no services are available, the Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn offers several charming rooms in restored historic buildings and home-cooked meals.

CONTACT
Old Pioneer Garden Country Inn
2805 Unionville Rd., Unionville
nevadabandb.com/oldpioneergarden
775-538-7585

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SANTA ROSA-PARADISE PEAK WILDERNESS

Named for Saint Rose of Lima, the first person in the Americas to be canonized, the Santa Rosa Mountains live up to their heavenly moniker with cathedral peaks and stained-glass slopes of brilliant wildflowers. Snows that often linger in the mountains well into summer feed ranching operations in Paradise and Quinn River Valleys, making the wilderness a local treasure as much for its water as its beauty. Hikers can enjoy the aforementioned wildflowers in May and June as well as wildlife-watching throughout the year. Snowmobiling near Hinkey Summit—about 50 miles north of Winnemucca—is a popular wintertime draw to the area.

CONTACTS
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Santa Rosa Ranger District
1200 Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca
fs.usda.gov/htnf
775-623-5025

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SALMON FALLS CREEK RESERVOIR

Although not technically in Nevada, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir has contributed to enough big fish stories in Jackpot and the rest of Elko County to gain mention here. Just across the Nevada-Idaho line from Jackpot, the reservoir is considered Idaho’s premier walleye fishery with trophy catches common. The waterway is also home to an abundance of Chinook and kokanee salmon, brown trout, yellow perch, black crappie, channel catfish, and smallmouth bass.

CONTACT
Bureau of Land Management
Burley Field Office
15 East 200 South, Burley, Idaho
blm.gov/id
208-677-6600

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TUSCARORA

In its heyday from about 1870 to 1890, the mining boomtown of Tuscarora produced millions of dollars in silver and boasted a population of roughly 5,000. Today, a handful of people reside in the “living ghost town” amid the ruins of many original buildings and the popular graveyard. The biggest draw to Tuscarora, about 50 miles northwest of Elko via State Routes 225 and 226, is renowned potter Dennis Parks’ pottery school and gallery.

CONTACTS
Elko Convention & Visitors Authority
700 Moren Way, Elko
exploreelko.com
800-248-3556

Tuscarora Summer Pottery School
tuscarorapottery.com
775-756-5526

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WILSON RESERVOIR

Remote Wilson Reservoir, 90 miles northwest of Elko via State Routes 225 and 226 and dirt roads, is renowned throughout northeastern Nevada for its superb trout and largemouth bass fishing. The reservoir is a popular ice-fishing destination in winter, and lake fishing is good in summer as well.

CONTACT
Elko Convention & Visitors Authority
700 Moren Way, Elko
exploreelko.com
800-248-3556