The Loneliest Road in America (US 50)

Carson City, Dayton, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, Ely, Baker, Nevada. US Highway 50 road trip.

Details

Where: Carson City, Dayton, Fallon, Austin, Eureka, Ely, Baker, NV. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there: Launching from Reno, connect to Route 50 in Fernley.
Fees: Most places along the Loneliest Road are free to see; the survival guides are free.
Access: Route distance 375 to 500 miles; suggested time 2 to 4 days.
Phone: 1-888-359-9449
Website: ponyexpressnevada.com
Managed by: Travel Nevada.
Established: 1986.

This famous Nevada road trip is a gateway to ghost towns, historic mining communities, state parks, recreation and Sagebrush Saloons.

1860From April 1860 to October 1861, dozens of brave young riders carried the U.S. mail by horseback on the Pony Express Trail, 1,800 miles between Sacramento, California and St. Louis, Missouri; Highway 50 today roughly parallels that route. loneliestroad.us
1913With the Lincoln Highway Association established in the summer of 1913, the privately funded cross-country highway's organizers announced their chosen route in September of 1913. 4thprater.onlinenevada.org
1928As the Bureau of Public Roads assigned numbers to the nation's named highways, Nevada's section of Lincoln Highway became U.S. Route 50, while the Victory Highway was designated U.S. 40. 4thprater.onlinenevada.org
1986Life Magazine is said to have run a very negative article about Nevada US Highway 50 titled The Loneliest Road, quoting an AAA spokesperson who warned motorists not to drive there unless confident of their survival skills. loneliestroad.us