Ike’s Canyon Ranch

This Uncommon Overnighter prides itself on being a place folks go to get away from everything, and that’s not just wishful thinking. As the crow flies, Ike’s Canyon Ranch is 30 miles to the nearest service station, and by car it’s an hour and a half in any direction to the nearest town. Translation: This is about as far from civilization as you can get in the Lower 48.

The charming property is located halfway down Monitor Valley, which—along with neighboring Big Smokey Valley—form the spine of central Nevada. The surrounding massive mountain ranges are all part of the Toiyabe National Forest, and you’ll find unlimited canyons, creeks, and trails to explore in this pristine landscape including the nearby ghost towns of Belmont and Manhattan.

For its isolation, Ike’s Canyon Ranch is as warm and welcoming as you’ll find anywhere in the state. The property boasts two comfortable rooms in the main house, a fully stocked saloon, and an old stone cabin from the Pony Express days (now a studio lodging). During the warm months, people from around the world visit Ike’s, and your stay might feature a gathering of folks from around the world. The simple fact is that people come to here for a hard reset from modernity, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to fill your time exploring the countryside, cooking meals with new friends, and—of course—stargazing.

Tarantula Ranch

Get ready to get your glamp on at Tarantula Ranch Vineyard, located just minutes from Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and Death Valley National Park.

This is true dark sky country, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be roughing it. In addition to hot showers, an outdoor kitchen, and a strong Wi-Fi signal, you’ll have your pick among reservable RV and camping spaces that overlook the vineyard. If the name of the resort makes you want to get a bit more above ground, feel free to rent out their comfortable travel trailers or a space in the vineyard’s bottling room.

Once settled, use Tarantula Ranch as your basecamp for adventure. You’re not far from one of Nevada’s tallest mountain peaks and one of the lowest, hottest, and driest place in North America. If you’re planning on staying in, that’s fine too. Grab yourself a bottle of Mojave-grown wine and get comfortable for a stunning night underneath the Milky Way. 

Rockin’ TD Ranch

There are many areas of Nevada known for their utter remoteness and off-the-grid appeal. Northwestern Nevada is queen of this category, with miles and miles of nothing but gorgeous scenery. Just 10 miles from the California border and less than an hour to Oregon’s state line, the town of Vya is often called a ghost town—and short of a very small number of residents, it is. So, if you’re ready to hit the eject button and kick back in one of the Silver State’s most remote experiences, Rockin’ TD Ranch is for you.

A cozy, two-bedroom, two-bath guest house is outfitted with large windows that overlook Long Valley, along with a big, beautiful front porch to take it all in. The property also offers the Rockin’ TD Ranch Bunkhouse, which welcomes folks who travel with pets. Two sets of bunkbeds, a full kitchen, and single bathroom make this upscale bunkhouse a great family option, too.

Rockin’ TD Ranch is to near Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area, a designated Dark Sky sanctuary where you can see your shadow by the light of the Milky Way. One night here, and you’ll see why the idea of getting away to nowhere has never been so bright.

Old Yella Dog Ranch and Cattle Company

The Old Yella Dog Ranch is just a stone’s throw from Rockin’ TD Ranch in Vya, and has RV hookups, dry camping sites, and a fully furnished cabin to rent.

The cabin has three bedrooms and can sleep six, so it’s perfect for traveling with your tribe. There’s no cell service, but if you can’t find enough to keep you busy…well you aren’t trying hard enough, but Wi-Fi is available. Horses and dogs are welcome, and while a trip to Massacre Rim is recommended, just sitting the porch will also reveal a galaxy of stars, just for you.

Nevada Northern Railway

Wait, this is an attraction, not an overnighter! Ah, but wait, Nevada Northern Railway (NNRY) is both. Sure, there’s the depot museum, themed-train rides, and a chance to be the engineer but it’s not just those loco for locomotives who flock here.

For anyone looking for a glimpse of the galaxy, this is one of the most innovative ways to do it. NNRY’s Star Train let’s viewers behold the night sky while riding a train car behind a vintage diesel locomotive. Accompanied by “Dark” Rangers from Great Basin National Park, this is train ride will deliver a seriously cool experience. It’s so cool, in fact, that it sells out each year, so make your plans extra early to take part.

Continue the theme with an overnight stay in the railyard. Originally serving as the Chief Engineer’s Quarters, the bunkhouse was converted to modern accommodations with room for two. The working railyard comes alive very early in the morning so be ready for a jumpstart on your day.

Looking for even more cool train bragging rights? Book a night in Caboose #22, which was delivered to NNRY more than 40 years ago. At that time, Caboose #22 was considered to be state of the art, with all-steel sides and roller-bearing trucks. Creature comforts are minimal—it’s outfitted with an oil stove, but no electricity or air conditioning—but it’s an ideal (and memory making) alternative to summer camping! The Caboose sleeps three.

Fallon

It’s no surprise the Oasis of Nevada is known for its farm-to-fork cuisine. Farms occupy tens of thousands of acres in the verdant valley, providing an agricultural bounty that is easily found in many restaurants.

Lattin Farms

For five generations, Rick Lattin and his family have maintained one of Nevada’s largest organic farming operations. The farm is known for its tomatoes, berries, peppers, and squash, but their signature crop is the Hearts of Gold cantaloupe—an award-winning melon that is the namesake of Fallon’s greatest event. Lattin Farms is passionate about bringing farm-fresh produce to the community, and visitors are encouraged to stop by their incredible café, bakery, and produce stand.

Maine Street Café

For almost 15 years, this homegrown restaurant has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of food trends. Maine Street’s Chef Wenceslao Sandoval has more than 26 years of experience at four- and five-star restaurants, and he incorporates the café’s garden produce into a delicious and eclectic menu.

Slanted Porch

The Slanted Porch seems as if it were plucked out of a trendy urban neighborhood and dropped into rural Nevada. The loving detail that went into remodeling the 1908 residence into a trendy Fallon restaurant is also in the locally sourced food. Produce makes the less-than-4-mile trip from Lattin Farms, and beef is hand-selected from Fallon’s H5 Ranch. Even the delectable homemade potato chips come from potatoes grown at Fallon’s Workman Farms.

Schurz

On a quiet stretch of U.S. Route 95 on the Walker River Indian Reservation, an unassuming coffee shop beckons. Before entering, visitors may think they are in for a normal cup of joe, but one step inside this small sanctuary and you know you’re in for something special.

Next Evolution Coffee Shop

Andrea Martinez sought to provide her small community with healthy organic food and drink options. Her menu focuses on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, an unusual choice for the former burger joint, but one that’s paid off. Regulars love the fresh fruit smoothies, beet juice shots, acai bowls, sandwiches, and coffee sourced from an American Indian family-owned Nevada business. A drive-through window conveniently delivers colorful smoothies, wickedly delicious coffee drinks, and flavorful organic sandwiches to hungry patrons.

Las Vegas

The opportunities to eat whatever your heart desires are rife in Las Vegas. Finding farm-fresh, plant-based foods is easy, but a couple standout choices include:

VegeNation

Locations in Downtown Las Vegas and Henderson serve flavorful fare that just happens to be meatless—not the other way around. Try the “chicken” pot pie gnocchi garnished with pie crust; classic Vietnamese pho loaded with seasonal vegetables; or pizza topped with vegan sausage, jalapeños, and pineapple. 

NoButcher

Those looking to add more plants to their diet should head to NoButcher’s bustling community table. Some great items to try: “Pulled NoPork” sandwich, “NoEgg” sandwich, and the “NoTuna” sandwich. 

Reno

The Biggest Little City’s Midtown District is home to a growing dining scene, and tasty, plant-based eating is at the forefront. Look for vegetarian options on most menus, but make sure to splurge on these fine choices.

Laughing Planet

With locations in Midtown and at the University of Nevada, Reno campus, Laughing Planet, focuses on delicious vegetarian and meat dishes served fast and fresh. Awesome salads and soups start things off, but save room for the Bollywood bowl, which will make your taste buds dance with the southern Indian flavors.  

Great Full Gardens

Since 2013, this eatery has offered vegan, gluten-free, and paleo choices along with healthy dishes for the meat lover in the family. The three locations feature many options from local vendors and farmers. Start with the sinful cheesy bruschetta, then indulge in the wasabi vegetable bowl. Wrap up your meal with their delicious signature Liège waffles.

Great Basin National Park

Baker / Ely

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For:

• Calliope Hummingbird
• Red-naped Sapsucker
• Black-throated Gray, MacGillivray’s Orange-crowned, and Wilson’s Warbler
• Yellow-breasted Chat
• Black Rosy-Finch

The vastness of time and space is almost palpable in eastern Nevada’s Great Basin National Park. With biomes ranging from subalpine forests to grasslands, the park attracts birds from as far away as South America and the Caribbean.

Franklin Lake IBA & Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Elko / Wells / Lamoille

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For:

• White-faced Ibis
• Black, Caspian, and Forster’s Terns
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Violet-green Swallow
• Golden Eagle

These sister locations of marshes, islands, riparian habitat, meadows, grasslands, and shrub-steppe sit at 6,000 feet and include more than 200 pristine springs. Fifteen thousand acres of seasonal wetlands in the Franklin Lake IBA and 37,632 acres within Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge are five miles apart in northeastern Nevada.

The Ruby Mountains rise to elevations of 11,000 feet, adding forested mountain slopes, canyons, and cliffs to the landscape. More than 225 bird species occupy these ecosystems throughout the year. In springtime, this area provides critical food, resting, and nesting resources for a significant population of migratory birds.

Monitor Valley IBA

Austin / Tonopah

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For:

• Sage Thrasher
• Black-throated Gray Warbler
• Gray Flycatcher
• Sagebrush Sparrow
• Red-naped Sapsucker

If birding in rugged, isolated areas is your gig, then Monitor Valley IBA is your destination. This terrain — roughly between Austin and Tonopah — usually requires a 4WD vehicle with high clearance (to be safe), and the usual off-road travel precautions should be taken. From the valley floors to the surrounding peaks, habitat diversity and protected public lands support hundreds of avian species.

Bilk Creek–Montana Mountains IBA

Denio

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For:

• Sage Thrasher
• Gray Flycatcher
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Swainson’s Hawk

Overlapping the Oregon border near Denio is the rugged Bilk Creek–Montana Mountains IBA. Exceeding 500,000 acres, this remote landscape is mainly sagebrush. This location supports the largest state population — and one of the highest in the U.S. — of near-threatened sage-grouse. Hundreds of species migrate, breed, and reside in this IBA and surrounding lands.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Las Vegas / Henderson / Boulder City

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For:

• Western and Clark’s Grebes
• Lucy’s Warbler
• Phainopepla
• LeConte’s Thrasher
• Scott’s Oriole

Clark County is home to more than 400 recorded species, many of which reside on more than 1.5 million acres within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It is also an Audubon-designated IBA with countless places to post up — on foot, on a bicycle, or on the water — and train your eyes to the skies.

Rex Bell and Clara Bow

The Cowboy and the “It” Girl

Hollywood power couples existed long before Brangelina. In 1931, newly married silent movie stars Rex Bell and Clara Bow purchased 400,000 acres of land 7 miles outside Searchlight in southern Nevada. Craving privacy, they built the Walking Box Ranch and entertained Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and Errol Flynn, to name a few. The couple eventually divorced, but Bell found a taste for Nevada politics, serving as lieutenant governor for two terms beginning in 1954. Bell was running for governor when he died of a heart attack following a campaign speech in 1962. 

Searchlight

The Walking Box Ranch is under BLM management and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Although it’s always possible to park and walk around the periphery of the fenced compound, the interior of the ranch is not currently available to visitors. There are plans to open it for tours, so stay tuned.    

Dayton

One of Rex Bell’s final film performances was in 1961’s “The Misfits.” He’s in an uncredited scene with stars Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, and Marilyn Monroe. The scene is set in a bar where Monroe’s character plays paddle ball on a bet, and the Odeon Saloon doubled as the rough and tumble bar. The 1860s building still stands and still serves high-quality libations.

Jim Butler

Nevada’s Improbable Billionaire

Legend holds that in 1900, Jim Butler and his mulish—yet serendipitous—burro were pursuing a stubborn wandering donkey in the Manhattan range in central Nevada. Butler was a rancher and hobby prospector, and he bent down to pick up a seemingly unremarkable rock to throw at the animal to get its attention. The rock that Butler picked from the ground just happened to be high-grade silver ore, kicking off one of the largest mining booms in the state’s history, and creating the town of Tonopah. 

Tonopah

You can’t throw a rock (pun intended) in Tonopah without finding a location Butler once haunted. From the Tonopah Historic Mining Park, which is home to some of Butler’s most prolific mines, to The Mizpah Hotel (named after one of his claims) to Jim Butler Days held each Memorial Day weekend, you can follow in Butler’s exact footsteps in the town he founded.  

Sarah Winnemucca

The Paiute Princess

Sarah Winnemucca was born near present-day Lovelock to an important Paiute family. Her grandfather was friendly with the first white settlers, and her family enjoyed privileges rare for Native people including schooling.  

Winnemucca lived two lives: one among the whites and the other with her people who struggled in poorly managed reservations. She was a gifted writer and orator and actively spoke out against their mistreatment. She was also the first Native woman to publish a book, Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims, and she lectured at sold out shows in San Francisco and Virginia City.  

Carson City

You’ll find life-size statues of Winnemucca at both the U.S. Capitol and the Nevada State Capitol, which is open to visitors. At the Nevada State Museum—Carson City, the “Under One Sky” exhibit follows the lives of the West’s first inhabitants in their own words.  

Pyramid Lake

Winnemucca’s ancestors frequented these shores for millennia, and visitors can learn more about this pristine desert lake and its original inhabitants at the charming Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitors Center.   

Tex Rickard

Purveyor of Saloons and Fighters

 A legendary boxing promoter and wanna-be prospector, Tex Rickard followed gold fever to the town of Goldfield in central Nevada. In 1906, he set up The Northern Saloon, and got to work promoting a highly anticipated heavyweight bout between Joe Gans and Oscar Nelson. The historic fight went 42 rounds in the sweltering heat and set the stage for Rickard’s “Fight of the Century” between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries in Reno in 1910. 

Goldfield

A plaque commemorating the Gans-Nelson fight can be found on U.S. 95 in Goldfield, across from the Esmeralda County Courthouse. Rickard’s brick house can be found right along US Highway 95 (or the main thoroughfare through downtown Goldfield), and is one of the many stops along the self-guided Goldfield Historic Walking Tour.  

Reuel Gridley

Civil War Fundraiser

Reuel Colt Gridley owned a general store in Austin, and in 1864 bet a friend that whoever’s candidate lost the mayor’s race must carry a 50-pound sack of flour through the streets of Austin. Gridley lost and after delivering his flour sack, someone suggested the sack be auctioned off, with the money raised going to support the Sanitary Fund—an organization that aided disabled Civil War veterans.

The sack sold for $250, but the purchaser did not claim his prize, so the sack was again auctioned off for the charity. It was auctioned in this fashion so many times in Austin, that around $8,000 was raised for charity. Virginia City residents requested Gridley bring it to their town for similar treatment. From there, Gridley brought the flour sack to be auctioned in Sacramento and San Francisco, before finally taking it to St. Louis and several east coast cities. By the time all was said and done, the flour sack had raised more than $275,000. 

Austin

Toward the east end of the town’s main street, Reuel Gridley’s store still stands, complete with a historical plaque. His sack of flour is on permanent display at the Nevada Historical Society in Reno.  

J.R. “Crazy Tex” Hazelwood

The Hoof Shoes Guy

One of the biggest risks to cattle ranchers is poachers, but leading a cow astray leaves signs, namely footprints. Or does it? Enter J.R. “Crazy Tex” Hazelwood, the perpetrator of one of Nevada’s goofiest crimes. Living in northeastern Nevada, near Elko, Crazy Tex was always up to some kind of mischief and had a reputation as a ne’er-do-well. His latest scheme was nabbing a few cows here and there from big ranches who he thought wouldn’t miss them. Determined to outsmart the sheriff, Crazy Tex designed a pair of shoes with cow hooves on the bottom and even practiced walking like a cow for hours so his crime would go undetected.

He managed to keep his clever cow crimes under the radar for about six months, but eventually, ranch hands caught Crazy Tex in the act, and he admitted to his bovine badness. He spent some time in prison, then returned to the area, causing trouble for the rest of his days, which finally came to an end at the business end of shotgun wielded by a feuding neighbor who’d had enough.

Elko

If you think we’re pulling your leg, head on over to the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko where you’ll find Crazy Tex’s shoes on display, plus photos from his crime scenes. 

Wilbur D. May

Reno’s World Traveler

Wilbur D. May—philanthropist, businessman, rancher, and world traveler—was the son of a business scion. Attracted to Reno’s tax-friendly climate, he settled in the Silver State for more than 50 years until his death. During that time, he accumulated thousands of rare and exotic artifacts during his travels and brought them back to his home in Reno. May owned the Double Diamond Ranch where he raised racehorses and black Angus cattle. For decades, he was a tireless philanthropist, devoting much of his fortune to helping northern Nevada’s children. When he died in 1982, his plans for a museum and arboretum to be built in his name were carried out, and his many passions can be discovered through his collections.  

Reno

The Wilbur D. May Museum at Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno is home to a museum, arboretum, and botanical center. View the private collection the world traveler brought back from his adventures. Then stroll around the arboretum and botanical center, which are home to more than 4,600 native and adaptive plants across 23 acres of land. 

Helen Stewart

The First Lady of Las Vegas

Helen Jane Wiser Stewart came to Nevada in the early 1870s, and lived with her husband at Los Vegas Rancho, an almost 1000-acre ranch in southern Nevada. A spring on the ranch created an oasis in the arid landscape, and Stewart’s home became a stopping point for travelers from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.  

After her husband’s death, Helen took over operations, eventually becoming the largest landowner in Lincoln County (which included today’s Clark County) with more than 1,800 acres of land. 

Due to the flow of traffic, the ranch became a center of activity. Helen’s home became a voting site in 1890, and the first official post office in 1893. Helen served as the postmistress also. In 1902, she made the decision to sell most of the ranch to the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. The railroad arrived in 1905, the same year the remaining 110 acres of land that was previously Helen’s ranch were sold. In all, 1,200 plots of land were auctioned, and Downtown Las Vegas was born. 

Las Vegas

Visit Helen’s house at the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park. The first permanent, non-native settlement in the valley, it features the historic remains of an adobe fort built by Mormon missionaries along a spring-fed creek in 1855. This is the site Helen Stewart would eventually call home.  

Jessie Beck

Reno’s Gamblin’ Grandma

In 1938, Jessie Beck was a struggling restaurant cashier in Fort Worth, Texas. That all changed when Harolds Club manager Pappy Smith stopped in for breakfast and offered her a job in Reno.  

She was Nevada’s first woman craps dealer and eventually became the night shift supervisor. In 1951, she married Fred Beck and took over his gaming concessions after he passed. During the Vietnam War, Beck sent thousands of care packages to troops. One Navy squadron was so thankful, they named their lead plane after her. She was named a distinguished Nevadan in 1968.   

At around the age most people are retiring, Jessie found herself in a legal battle with Howard Hughes. The billionaire had purchased Harolds Club and wanted to buy Beck’s business. She wanted $3 million; Hughes was offering $175,000. Bad press for Hughes eventually made him back down and pay the asking price.  

Reno

Jessie Beck used her windfall to purchase the Riverside Hotel, which sits on the exact location of the first pioneer structure in Reno (also an inn). Beck turned the hotel into the city’s most popular casino: Jessie Beck’s Riverside. She was fondly referred to as Reno’s Gamblin’ Grandma. The hotel rooms are now artist lofts, but visitors can wine and dine on the first floor at the Wild River Grill while enjoying a beautiful view of the Downtown Reno Riverwalk.