Open range, endless vistas, sagebrush-carpeted valleys, and picturesque mining towns, few places capture the Nevada experience as well as the Pony Express Territory. The territory spans the center of Nevada, straddling US Highway 50. Its name reflects the fact that US Highway 50 parallels the historic Pony Express route, which stretched from St Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in the early 1860s.
It's a region with one foot firmly planted in the 19th century and the other in the 21st century. Only a handful of small towns are strung along the highway, which was designated by Life Magazine as "The Loneliest Road in America". And perhaps it is. Motorists who get pangs of loneliness when they're not surrounded by buildings and traffic may feel isolated. But the rest will find tranquility in the splendid solitude.
Pony Express Territory is a land of untrammeled natural wonders and charming mining towns that still look much as they did more than a century ago. Traveling east to west, your first stop on US Highway 50 should be at Great Basin National Park, home of ancient bristlecone pines. These gnarled giants, whom only grow at elevations of more than 10.000 feet, can live to be 4.000 years old. The park also has hiking trails that lead to alpine lakes and majestic mountain tops, including 13.063 foot Wheeler Peak, the second highest point in Nevada.
Lehman Caves, accessed through the park's visitor center, offers fantastic displays of stalactites and stalagmites developed over hundreds of years. The small town of Baker, located five miles east of the park, offers restaurants, a motel and a gas station.
About an hour northwest of the park is Ely, a former copper mining town that serves as a great base for trips to the regions many recreation areas and historic sites. The town has ample restaurants, hotels and RV spaces, and murals that bring the town's history to life.
The Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely incorporates the rail yards, shops and rolling stock of the Nevada Northern Railway, a short-line that operated from 1906 to the early 1980s.
The renovated East Ely train depot houses a small museum and gift shop. But the highlight of the stop is a ride on "The Ghost Train of Old Ely". During selected weekends and times, train excursions are offered with the railroad's historic Number 40, a 1910 Baldwin steam locomotive, or its sister engine, Number 93, a 1909 American Consolidated steam engine. Train enthusiasts can even become engineers and actually drive either a steam or diesel locomotive on a 14 mile trip up into a narrow mountain canyon.
Seventy eight miles west of Ely is Eureka, one of the best preserved 19th century mining towns in Nevada. Founded in 1864, Eureka boasts many of its original buildings, a number of which have been carefully restored. The most impressive is the Eureka Courthouse, which opened in 1880. Across the street is the Eureka Opera House, built in 1880, which has been renovated into a modern convention facility and performing arts center. The well-preserved Eureka Sentinel Museum offers displays about local history and features much of the press equipment used to produce the town's newspaper, which was published between 1870 and 1960.
Next come Austin, once one of Nevada's most successful mining camps. Silver was discovered here in 1862 and within a few years, Austin was the second largest community in the state. Of special note are the town's three historic churches: St Augustine's Catholic Church, erected in 1866; the Methodist Church, also built in 1866; and St George's Episcopal Church, constructed in 1878. Austin and the surrounding Toiyabe, Toquima and Hot Creek mountain ranges are popular places for mountain bikers seeking bright blue skies, rugged landscape and lack of crowds.
Between Austin and Fallon, Sand Mountain is a unique two mile long, 600 feet high sand dune that appeals to sand buggy enthusiasts, dirt bikers and sand skiers. The Sand Mountain Pony Express Station found south of the dune, is one of the best preserved examples of the type of crude rock enclosures used by the Pony Express riders.
West on US Highway 50 is the Grimes Point Archaeological Site. Interpretive signs guide visitors along a trail lined with petro-glyphs, the rock drawings made by native people who lived in the area between 5.000 BC and 1.500 AD.
Twelve miles west is Fallon, known for cantaloupes and fighter planes. Fallon's award-winning Hearts O'Gold cantaloupes are one of the top products of this rich farmland. It is also the headquarters of the US Navy's "Top Gun" flight school. Fighter planes are frequently seen practicing maneuvers in the skies above the community. While in Fallon, visitors also can enjoy the Churchill County Museum, containing exhibits describing regional Native Americans, the Emigrant Trail, and turn-of-the-century rural life. There's great fishing and camping at Lahontan Reservoir, just 17 miles west of Fallon. Campers also are welcome at nearby Fort Churchill, a 1860s Army post that has been maintained in a state of arrested decay. Both areas are state parks.
The nearby Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is an important habitat for a variety of waterfowl including pelicans, swans, ibises and ducks.
The Pony Express Territory is a place of history, natural beauty and unsurpassed recreational opportunities. So head out on "the Loneliest Road in America" and discover a region that has been called the heart and soul of the Silver State.
