FALLON, Nevada — The Nevada Commission on Tourism would have you believe that the two-lane highway that runs from Fallon to Ely across the heart of Nevada is the "loneliest road in America."
Bosh.
Pressed, we could offer a dozen roads that make the much-ballyhooed lonely road — U.S. Highway 50 — look like a freeway. Some of them, in fact, are in Nevada — roads so empty you could probably go days without seeing another vehicle.
But part of the reason Highway 50 is far from car-less is the longstanding effort by the state and the settlements along the route to cash in on the "lonely" reputation. Some out-of-state folks, lured by the claim, follow the road just to see if the rumors of utter desolation are true.
You have to give the tourism folks "A" for effort. Truth is, if you like high desert, the road gives you a great taste — miles and miles of rolling valleys, jagged mountains, alluvial fans, sagebrush. And since it's high desert, it's relatively mild in the summer, downright cold in the winter.
And, putting the hyperbole aside, if you do drive Highway 50, you soon discover that it can lead you to some really neat stuff.
Such as a chance to peer at 50-foot-long prehistoric reptiles. Or the jumbled remains of Pony Express stations, preserved in the dry desert air. Or an old Army fort, slowly decaying along the California Trail. Ghost towns, abandoned mines, miles and miles of nothing.
Highway 50 actually runs from California to central Utah (where it become Interstate 70), but the "loneliest" portion, so-indicated on official Nevada highway maps, is about 300 miles between Fernley and Ely. (Historically, the road designated as Highway 50 ran from Sacramento to Washington, D.C.)
Along the way are several settlements, including Fallon (population about 8,300); Austin (300); Eureka (1,500 or so); and Ely (maybe 5,000).
Fallon is home to the Navy's Top Gun school and has a city water supply that contains at least twice the amount of arsenic allowed by the federal government.
Austin was one of the mineral boomtowns that rose up in central Nevada in the second half of the 19th century. During its heyday, local mines produced more than $50 million dollars in silver.
Eureka was also a mining boom town, in this case silver and lead, and at one point, the town had 9,000 people, dozens of gambling houses and at least a hundred saloons. Of the "living" ghost towns, Eureka is the most photogenic; it will remind Californians of the well-preserved mining towns in the Sierra Gold Country.
Ely, the White Pine County seat, is still a mining town, with a claim to the largest open pit mine in the West. It seems to be prospering, with expansion of copper mining by BHP (a huge Australian conglomerate), a new state prison just outside of town, and proximity to the small but popular Great Basin National Park, about 70 miles to the east.
Some of the attractions near Highway 50 are close to the highway; others take some wandering. Most of the interesting places are accessible by family car.
If you have four-wheel-drive, even better, because the best way to enjoy the high Nevada desert is to get off that famous highway — and really get lonely.
A few suggestions, from west to east:
Fort Churchill State Historic Park: In the early 1860s, prospectors and settlers overran lands belonging to the Numa Indians, starting what came to be called the Pyramid Lake War.
As a result, the U.S. Army built Fort Churchill, the largest post in Nevada. It was constructed of adobe on stone foundations and over the years has dissolved into a fascinating collection of skeletal remains. Eight miles south of Silver Springs, it's worth a side trip. Information: (775) 577-2345, www.state.nv.us/stparks/fc.htm.
Sand Mountain: Just off the highway about 25 miles east of Fallon is this big sandbox, very popular with the off-road-vehicle folks but also a place for the hearty to try a hike to the top of the 600-foot-high dune.
Geologists say the dune, composed of quartz granules eroded from the Sierra Nevada, has been building for about 10,000 years. Nice spot for the kids or a picnic. Information: Bureau of Land Management, (775) 885-6000, www.nv.blm.gov/carson.
Berlin-Ichthysosaur State Park: Who could ask for anything more: giant reptile fossils and a ghost town on the same spot.
The park is about 50 miles south of Highway 50; look for the Highway 361 turnoff about 15 miles east of Sand Mountain.
Berlin (nobody knows how the name came about) reached its height at the turn of the century and is a well-preserved but small example of the genre.
A short drive from the park is a very nice fossil shelter housing the remains of a covey of fossilized giant ichthyosaurs, discovered in 1928. Facilities in the park include camping sites, restrooms, an RV sanitary station and a picnic day use area. Depending on weather (it sits at 7,000 feet), the park is open all year; tours of the town and a local mine are offered from Memorial Day to Labor Day; fossil tours will run through Nov. 13. Information: (775) 964-2440, www.state.nv.us./stparks/bi.htm.
Eureka: As the best preserved — and most attractive — of the small settlements along Highway 50, Eureka is definitely worth a stop.
It has a great collection of old edifices dating from the 1870s, best enjoyed on a 47-stop tour. The guide is available from the Eureka County Historical Society, in the historical museum — at Bateman and Monroe streets, (775) 237-5010. Information: Chamber of Commerce, (800) 237-5544.
Bottom line: Unless you're heading for southwestern Colorado or looking for a new way to get to Salt Lake City or Provo, there's no real reason to try Highway 50. But if you like vacant desert and ghost towns and lots of history, it's well worth a try. But do get off the highway and try some back roads. Especially if you commute a lot.
Think of the concept: Drive for hours and never see another car. That alone is almost worth the trip.