U.S. Route 50 in Nevada

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U.S. Route 50
The Loneliest Road in America
Lincoln Highway
Maintained by Nevada DOT
Length: 408.82 mi[1][2] (657.93 km)
Formed: 1926
West end: US 50 at California state line
Major
junctions:		 US 395 in Carson City

US 95 Alt. / US 50 Alt. in Silver Springs

US 50 Alt. near Fallon
US 95 in Fallon
US 6 / US 93 in Ely
East end: US-6 / US-50 at Utah state line
Nevada highways
< SR 28 I-80 >
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
The Loneliest Road in America - custom sign along the highway
The Loneliest Road in America - custom sign along the highway

U.S. Route 50 crosses the center of Nevada and was designated the Loneliest Road in America by Life in July 1986. The name was intended as a pejorative, but instead, Nevada officials seized on it as a marketing slogan. The name originates from the highway traversing large desolate areas with no or few motorist services. In the stretch of highway between Fallon and Delta, Utah, a span of 409 miles (658 km), there are only three major towns: Austin, Eureka and Ely. There are also several ghost towns along this path. The highway passes through the center of the Great Basin and a series of Basin and Range features in its path across the state.

The route follows a historic corridor, first used for the Pony Express, and later for the Lincoln Highway. The route of US 50 has changed several times through the years. All of both the current and historical routes of US 50 in Nevada used roads that were first designated as Nevada state routes, the longest of these being State Route 2.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Major cities

In Nevada, US 50 closely follows the route of the Pony Express as well as the Lincoln Highway.[3][4] In the journey across the state the highway passes through several large desert valleys and basins. However, the route also crosses 17 named mountain summits and passes in Nevada.[5] Some of these summits are over 7,000 feet (2,134 m) high, located in pine forests and feature 8% grades and switchbacks.[5]

[edit] Western Nevada

US 50 enters Nevada on the shores of Lake Tahoe in the city of South Lake Tahoe, California. The highway passes along the east shore of the lake, including using the Cave Rock Tunnel at one point. The highway departs Lake Tahoe to crest the Carson Range via Spooner Summit and then descends into Carson City. Once arriving at Carson City US 50 follows the Carson River towards the Lahontan Valley. While following the Carson River the highway passes by Fort Churchill State Historic Park and Lahontan State Recreation Area. In addition to the trails of the Pony Express and Lincoln Highway the portion of US 50 west of Fallon also parallels the Carson River branch of the California Trail. The Carson River, and US 50, defines the southern limit of the Forty Mile Desert.[5]

At Silver Springs the highway splits with the main route and U.S. Route 50 Alternate. Both branches are sometimes called the loneliest road, although the official designation ends at Fernley, which is along the alternate branch.[6] The two branches rejoin just west of Fallon. At the junction of the main and alternate branches is also where the Lincoln Highway split into 2 branches. What is now mainline US 50 west of this junction is the "Pioneer" route. The "Donner" route follows US 50 Alt to modern Interstate 80.[7]

US 50 departs the Carson River near Fallon, just south of the terminus of the river at the Carson Sink. Fallon is home of the Naval Air Station Fallon or TOPGUN. After passing Fallon the highway passes by ancient petroglyph sites at Grimes Point and then Sand Mountain, a 600 feet (180 m) sand dune.[8]

[edit] Fallon to Austin

US 50 stretching across the Nevada desert
US 50 stretching across the Nevada desert

After Fallon US 50 starts to cross many geographical instances of the Basin and Range construct. The summits start out small and gradually increase in altitude. Among the features in the first basins include Frenchman Flat, a dry lake used by the US Navy for low level flight operations, and Dixie Valley, with several visible earthquake fault lines that resulted from the magnitude 7.1 Dixie Valley/Fairview earthquake in 1954.[9] Dixie Valley is now a US Navy Electronic Warfare Range.[10]

The next "town" after Fallon is single building settlement of Middlegate. Middlegate Station is a roadhouse that has served as a restaurant, bar, hotel and refueling station since the Pony Express era of the 1800s.[11] The building is full of Lincoln Highway and Pony Express era artifacts as well as plaques from various historical societies certifying that the station is authentic.[12]

Just east of Middlegate is a shoe tree and the turnoff for Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, a preserved ghost town. East of Middlegate the paths of the Pony Express, Lincoln Highway and US 50 diverge. The three routes take different paths across the Desatoya Mountains and rejoin west of Austin.[5] The first paved route of the Lincoln Highway is preserved as State Route 722.[13]

[edit] Austin to Ely

Lincoln Highway Sign along US 50 at Middlegate
Lincoln Highway Sign along US 50 at Middlegate

At Austin US 50 encounters hairpin turns and steep grades in it ascent up Austin Summit in the Toiyabe Range. This area is inside the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the first part of US 50 to run inside a national forest since leaving Lake Tahoe. At Hickson Summit, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Austin, is a rest area that features a walking tour of petroglyphs.[5]

The next town is Eureka, which bills itself as the "Friendliest town on the Loneliest Road in America".[14] The centerpiece of the historical district of downtown Eureka is the Eureka Opera House.[15]

Past Eureka is Ely, home to the The Ghost Train of old Ely, a heritage railway. Here US 50 departs the route of the Lincoln Highway, Pony Express and State Route 2. These routes proceed northeast towards Salt Lake City, while US 50 continues due east towards Delta, Utah.[5]

[edit] Eastern Nevada

Driving east, Ely is the last city along US 50 in Nevada. The next city is Delta, 162 miles (261 km) to the east.[16] There are only 2 gas stations along this stretch. Major's Place (the name of the junction with U.S. Route 93) has a single gas station and restaurant. The Border Inn, on the Nevada/Utah border, has a hotel, gas station and restaurant.

Downtown Eureka
Downtown Eureka

This portion of US 50 is mountainous with the highest point along US 50 in Nevada at Connors Pass at 7,729 feet (2,356 m).[5] This section has been designated a Scenic Byway by the Nevada Scenic Byways program.[17] Listed attractions include the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park and Nevada's only National Park, Great Basin National Park. The highway enters Utah northeast of Baker in a remote portion of the Great Basin desert.

[edit] Summits and Passes

From west to east US 50 traverses these named summits and passes[5]

Name Elevation Location Range Notes
Spooner Summit 7,146 feet (2,178 m) West of Carson City Carson Range
Sand Springs Pass 4,631 feet (1,412 m) East of Fallon Stillwater Range/Sand Springs Range
Drumm Summit 4,600 feet (1,402 m) Near SR 121 Fairview Peak
Westgate 4,605 feet (1,404 m) Near roadhouse at Middlegate Clan Alpine Mountains
Middlegate 4,605 feet (1,404 m) Near roadhouse at Middlegate Clan Alpine Mountains Eastgate is along an old routing of US 50, now SR 722
New Pass Summit 6,348 feet (1,935 m) West of Austin Desatoya Mountains
Mt. Airy 6,700 feet (2,042 m) West of Austin Shoshone Mountains
Austin Summit 7,484 feet (2,281 m) East of Austin Toiyabe Range
Bob Scotts Summit 7,267 feet (2,215 m) West of SR 376 Toiyabe Range
Hickson Summit 6,546 feet (1,995 m) East of SR 376 Toquima Range/Simpson Park Range
Devils Gate 5,990 feet (1,826 m) West of Eureka Mahogany Hills
Pinto Summit 7,376 feet (2,248 m) East of Eureka Diamond Mountains
Pancake Summit 6,517 feet (1,986 m) East of SR 892 Pancake Range
Little Antelope Summit 7,438 feet (2,267 m) Near ghost town of Illipah White Pine Range
Robinson Summit 7,607 feet (2,319 m) West of Ely Egan Range
Connors Pass 7,729 feet (2,356 m) West of US 93 Schell Creek Range Highest point along US 50 in Nevada
Sacramento Pass 7,154 feet (2,181 m) Near ghost town of Osceola Snake Range
The eastern junction of US 50 and US 93 at Majors Place, Nevada
The eastern junction of US 50 and US 93 at Majors Place, Nevada

[edit] Route overlaps

US 50 has overlaps with four other U.S. Highways in Nevada

US 50 Alternate overlaps US 95 Alternate between Fernley and Silver Springs.

[edit] History

Most of US 50 was numbered State Route 2
Most of US 50 was numbered State Route 2

[edit] Lincoln Highway

In Nevada, US 50 closely follows the route of the Pony Express as well as the Pioneer branch of the Lincoln Highway.[7] The original Lincoln Highway route has changed between Ely and Salt Lake. The original Lincoln highway followed what is now US 93 to Schellbourne, from there it followed a dirt road to Utah.

The demise of this routing began when the State of Utah refused to pave their portion of the route. Utah favored the Victory Highway (modern I-80 across Nevada and western Utah). The route of the Lincoln highway would direct travelers destined for both southern and northern California on a direct route towards Nevada. By paving the Victory Highway instead, Utah could force travelers destined for southern California to use the Arrowhead Trail (modern I-15 in Utah). The route of the Arrowhead Trail passed through numerous communities in Utah, but only Las Vegas in Nevada. Utah perceived this to have more economic benefit for the state. The final blow to the original route of the Lincoln Highway was the formation of the Dugway Proving Grounds which closed this area to the public.[18] The Lincoln Highway was re-routed to Salt Lake via what is now US 93, US 93 Alt. and I-80 in Utah, at the time US 50 also used this alignment.

Downtown Ely
Downtown Ely

[edit] Route changes

Between Ely and Green River, Utah US 50 passed through Salt Lake City until 1955. From Ely it followed the route of modern US 93 and Alt US 93 to Wendover. From there the highway was co-routed with US 40 across the Bonneville Salt Flats to Salt Lake. The highway returned to its current route at Green River via what is now numbered UT 201,US 89, and US 6. The route was changed in the 1950s when the more direct route between these cities (via Delta, Utah) was paved. [19]

Previously the highway to Delta consisted of unpaved state routes. The paved route did not follow exactly the route of the old dirt roads. The paved route bypassed the ghost town of Osceola and entered Utah approximately 14 miles (23 km) to the south of the dirt road. The border crossing in Utah was moved to avoid paving a route through Marjum Canyon in Utah.[20]

Between Austin and Fallon US 50 and Lincoln Highway was changed to bypass steep grades and sharp curves over Carroll Summit; the original route is now State Route 722. This change occurred around 1967.[21]

[edit] State route designations

The Middlegate roadhouse
The Middlegate roadhouse

The original numbered designation of the Lincoln Highway (Donner Route) was State Route 2. The modern US 50 was cobbled together from several Nevada state route designations. The portion from Lake Tahoe to Carson City was originally numbered SR 3. The original designation for US 50 from Carson City to Ely was route 2, except this road terminated at Fernley along what is now US 50 Alternate. What is now the main line of US 50 in this area was designated State Route 2A, essentially the main and the alternate branches switched places. East of Ely was originally numbered State Route 7 to the modern junction with US 93 and State Route 14 from there to the Utah State Line.[19]

[edit] The Loneliest Road in America

In July 1986 Life magazine published an article giving US 50 in Nevada the name "The Loneliest Road in America".[6] The name was intended to be a pejorative, but instead, Nevada officials seized on it as a marketing slogan. The highway is now officially designated The Loneliest Road in America by the Nevada Legislature. The Nevada DOT uses custom highway 50 markers along the route. Many stores along the route sell Loneliest Road in America passports, "survival kits", guides and related items. The Nevada Commission on Tourism has a promotion where any visitor can mail the completed "passport" with all the locations stamped and receive a certificate signed by the Governor, certifying they "survived" the Loneliest Road in America.[6]

Salt Wells, just east of Fallon
Salt Wells, just east of Fallon

In the 20 years that have passed since Life published their article, US 50 has gained popularity among people desiring a scenic or less traveled alternative to I-80 across Nevada. This increase in popularity of the route has caused some to dispute that US 50 still deserves the title of the Loneliest Road in America.[22] However, in the stretch of highway between Fallon and Delta, Utah, a span of 409 miles (658 km), there are only three major towns: Austin, Eureka and Ely.[16] The drive is sufficiently lonely for the American Automobile Association to state "We warn all motorists not to drive there unless they're confident of their survival skills"[23]

In Stephen King's novel Desperation, US 50 is referenced as "The Loneliest Road in America" and the city of Desperation, Nevada is located somewhere near Fallon. The book was inspired by King's visit to Ruth (a ghost town along US 50 near Ely) and his learning about the town's history.[24]


[edit] Major intersections

Note: Mileposts in Nevada reset at county lines.
County Location[5] Mile Junction Notes
Douglas South Lake Tahoe 0.00 US 50 west – Placerville, Sacramento Nevada-California state line
Stateline SR 207 – Minden
SR 760 – Nevada Beach
SR 28 – Incline Village, Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Carson City 7.60[25] US 395 south – Minden West end of US395 concurrency
SR 518 east (Snyder Lane) Junctions on current routing along SR 529 until freeway bypass is finished[1]
SR 520 north (Stewart Street)
SR 512 (5th Street) / SR 513 (King's Canyon Road)
SR 511 west (Washington Street) , Nevada Governor's Mansion

US 395 Bus. north (SR 529)		 Junction on current routing along SR 530 until freeway bypass is finished[1]
US 395 north – Reno East end of US395 concurrency
SR 525 north (Airport Road) – Carson Airport
Lyon Moundhouse SR 341 north – Virginia City
Dayton Dayton Valley Road (SR 822)
Silver Springs 29[25]
US 95 Alt. / US 50 Alt. – Fernley, Yerington
Churchill
US 50 Alt. west – Fernley
Fallon SR 117 east (Sheckler Road)
SR 723 north – Soda Lake
McLean Lane (SR 715)
US 95 – Winnemucca, Tonopah, Las Vegas Runs concurrent with US95 for one block
SR 115 south (Harrigan Road) – Naval Air Station Fallon
SR 116 east – Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge
Nevada Scheelite Mine Road (SR 839)
60[25] SR 121 north – Dixie Valley
Middlegate SR 361 south – Gabbs
70[25] SR 722 east
Lander 20[25] SR 722 west
Austin SR 305 north – Battle Mountain
SR 376 south – Round Mountain
Eureka Eureka SR 278 north – Carlin
White Pine Strawberry Road (SR 892)
Ely 66.45[25] US 93 north – Wells, West Wendover, Salt Lake City, Utah West end of US93 concurrency
68.43[25] US 6 west – Tonopah West end of US6 concurrency
Majors Place US 93 south – Las Vegas East end of US93 concurrency
Spring Valley Road (SR 893)
SR 487 east – Baker, Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park
101.88[25] US-50 east / US-6 east – Delta Utah-Nevada state line

[edit] See also

US 50 passing through the Cave Rock Tunnels at Lake Tahoe
US 50 passing through the Cave Rock Tunnels at Lake Tahoe

Spurs of State Route 2:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Nevada's State Maintained Highways: Descriptions, Index and Maps. Nevada Department of Transportation.
  2. ^ Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Planning Network GIS data version 2005.08
  3. ^ Auto Tour route - Nevada Pony Express. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  4. ^ Lincoln Highway Association. 1924 Map of the Lincoln Highway. Practice Press. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Benchmark Maps. Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas [map], 2003 edition, 1:280,000. (2003) ISBN 0-929591-81-x.
  6. ^ a b c The Official Hwy 50 Survival Guide - The Loneliest Road in America. Nevada Commission on Tourism. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
  7. ^ a b The Lincoln Highway in Nevada. Lincoln Highway Association. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  8. ^ Sand Mountain Recreation Area. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
  9. ^ Historic Earthquakes. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  10. ^ Nevada's Dixie Valley. Center for Land Use Interpretation (2004). Retrieved on 2008-03-18.
  11. ^ Middlegate Station. Middlegate Station. Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
  12. ^ Shayne Del Cohen. Sagebrush Saloons. Nevada Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  13. ^ Patrick, Kevin J.; Wilson, Robert E.. "16-Lincoln highway in Nevada", The Lincoln Highway Resource Guide. Indiana, Pennsylvania: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 214, 219. 
  14. ^ w:Image:Eureka, Nevada welcome sign.jpg
  15. ^ Eureka County, Nevada - Eureka Opera House. Eureka County. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  16. ^ a b American Automobile Association. Western States [map], 1979 edition, 1 inch = 40 miles. (1979)
  17. ^ Nevada Scenic Byways. Nevada Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
  18. ^ Patrick, Kevin J.; Wilson, Robert E.. "15-Lincoln highway in Utah", The Lincoln Highway Resource Guide. Indiana, Pennsylvania: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 203. 
  19. ^ a b Historical Maps 1927 and 1952. Nevada Department of Transportation.
  20. ^ Benchmark Maps. Utah Road and Recreation Atlas [map], 1:170000. (2002) ISBN 0-929591-74-7. Page 57, section G7.
  21. ^ H.M. Gousha Company. Road Atlas (hosted by Broer Map Library) [map]. (1967) Page 45. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
  22. ^ Michael Dougan. America's Not-So-Lonely Road - Looking for life in the dead center of Nevada. San Francisco Chronicle.
  23. ^ Highway 50, the Loneliest Road. Nevada commission on Tourism. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  24. ^ Highway 50 -- The Loneliest Road in America Through White Pine County, Nevada. White Pine Historical and Archaeology Society. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h Milepost Map 2007. Nevada department of transportation. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.

[edit] External links


U.S. Route 50
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California		 Nevada Next state:
Utah
Lincoln Highway
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Utah