Who needs a conventional vacation when you can have adventure with a side of quirky? Like a-forest-of-cars-turned-into-art kind of curious? For that, you have to visit Nevada. The Silver State welcomes the bizarre, celebrates the off-kilter, and nurtures the outrageous—from the sea-level sand beaches of the Colorado River to the towering peaks of Great Basin National Park. And all of it is happily served with some of the wildest adventures in the country. Here are ten ways to get a little out there in Nevada.
The Extraterrestrial Highway
With the U.S. government officially investigating unexplained sightings, the world has gone crazy for UFOs. Nevada? It’s been ground zero for the phenomenon for decades. Driving Nevada State Route 375 puts you in the heart of the mystery, passing as close as allowed to the Nevada National Security Site and the top-secret military base Area 51. You’ll also have the chance to snack on alien-themed jerky, take photos with out-of-this-world murals, and grab a burger at the UFO-themed Little A’Le’Inn. Just leave time to shop for souvenirs at the Alien Research Center, where a two-story silver alien welcomes you at the front door. The truth is right here.
Plan It: The Extraterrestrial Highway
Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary
Nothing gets the imagination going like a sky painted with stars. Is there life beyond our planet? Was that a meteor cruising across the sky—or something else? Nevada is home to some of the darkest skies in the lower 48, particularly at the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary. In fact, this remote area located 150 miles north of Reno is so dark that it’s been designated one of the darkest places on Earth by DarkSky International. The rim is a 1,200-foot-tall escarpment that rises dramatically above a broad valley, giving you the perfect perch for spotting the show. Bring a telescope, or just your naked eye, and you’ll be able to see constellations like Orion’s Belt and gasp at the Milky Way, which on clear nights looks like an angel spilled fairy dust across the sky. There’s no bad time to see the stars, but for a real spectacle, show up on a moonless night in July or August when the Perseid meteor shower is at its most active. Camping? This is an extremely remote area with no services; BYO everything, and be prepared to be self-sufficient.
Plan It: Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary
Out There in Nevada
So many people think that Nevada is just the Strip and then a vast expanse of nothingness. They couldn’t be more wrong. Nevada is filled with hidden gems if you dare to explore. —Paulina Dao, photographer and adventurer
International Car Forest of the Last Church
Have you ever looked across a desert expanse and thought, “You know what this field needs? A bunch of junk cars sticking out of the ground.” Not likely. But that’s the inspiration that struck local artist Mark Rippie, who broke the Guinness world record for the largest car forest—a title he still holds. Located outside Goldfield, the International Car Forest of the Last Church boasts more than 40 cars, trucks, and buses sticking out of the ground. Walking through the car forest is a surreal stroll through the desert on a dusty path, which features sprouted vehicles fantastically decorated by artists from around the world. After exploring the art, take a stroll through Goldfield, a living ghost town (population around 250), which in the early 1900s was Nevada’s largest and richest city (population around 20,000).
Plan It: International Car Forest of the Last Church
Jarbidge
One of Nevada’s quirkiest charms? The remote outposts where modern pioneers are putting old mining towns back on the map. To experience one of the best, make the trek to Jarbidge, considered the most remote town in the lower 48, with a permanent population in the low double digits and no paved roads within 20 miles. Located at the bottom of a canyon, the historic town is the site of the last gold rush in America—and the last stage-coach robbery. Grab a drink in one (or both!) of the town’s two historic saloons. The Red Dog Saloon still sports the original bar top, while the Outdoor Inn has a full menu, as well as ten rooms and occasional musical performances on the front porch. You’ll also find working craftsmen like glassblowers and woodworkers operating studios on Main Street. Bonus: Jarbidge Wilderness Area is nearby and boasts 150 miles of hiking trails that traverse wildflower meadows and 11,000-foot peaks.
The Clown Motel
Clowns. They’re either a source of joy or the cause of great anxiety, depending on your perspective. Either way, you can lean into the wacky world of these colorful entertainers in Tonopah at the Clown Motel, which the owners call “America’s scariest motel.” Each room is decorated in wild circus colors, while the themed rooms go a bit further with decor evoking classic horror films like The Exorcist, IT, and Friday the 13th. It’s not all scares, though: There’s also a collection of more than 5,000 different clowns.
Great Basin National Park
Here’s something really unusual: a gorgeous national park with near-zero crowds. While many national parks are busier than ever, Great Basin National Park, in eastern Nevada’s high desert, is one of the least visited units in the entire system. The 77,180-acre playground is packed with unusual finds, like the state’s only glacier, some of the oldest trees in the world, and an expansive cave system where scientists are still discovering new species of life.
Plan It: Great Basin National Park
Amargosa Big Dune Recreation Area
Nature puts on its own strange show in southwestern Nevada, where the sand sings to you. This rare phenomenon—which happens at only a few dozen places around the world—occurs when strong winds cause the sand to shift, creating a high-pitch singing sound. Amargosa Big Dune Recreation Area encompasses five square miles of shifting sand dunes, some of which are 500 feet tall. Located along the Free-Range Art Highway, Amargosa serves up the closest dunes to Las Vegas and is a popular destination for off-road enthusiasts, but it’s worth showing up just for the sweet song of mother nature.
Plan It: Amargosa Big Dune Recreation Area
Gold Butte National Monument
A trip here is about as close to time travel as most of us will get. At the 300,000-acre Gold Butte National Monument, petroglyphs transport visitors back 12,000 years to when Indigenous cultures created the area’s many paintings and carvings. And the rock art is just part of the attraction at Gold Butte, as the landscape is an otherworldly, Mars-like collection of red and tan sandstone outcroppings rising from the desert floor. Head to Little Finland, an area within the monument that boasts multiple panels of these pictures into the past, as well as surreal, goblin-shaped rock formations.
Plan It: Gold Butte National Monument
Guru Road and Black Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert is totally unique: a 800,000–acre expanse of dry lake beds, hot springs, and canyons. Skirting it, the mile-long Guru Road accesses a series of open-air art exhibitions, from inspirational sayings painted onto stone to a larger-than-life tribute to Aphrodite. All of the art was created by artist DeWayne “Doobie” Williams, who found a creative way to stay busy during retirement. Wander this eclectic road and you’ll find stone tablets etched with aphorisms, a tribute to Elvis, and maybe strangest of all, the Desert Broadcasting System, which includes several TV frames, each offering panoramic views of the desert. After touring the artscape, explore the landscape. Off-road travel is popular in the adjacent Black Rock Desert, as is soaking in hot water. Head to Soldier Meadows Hot Springs for a hot tub with a desert view.
Big Bend of the Colorado
A sandy swimming beach in the middle of the desert? Yeah, that’s a surprise. It’s also beautiful. And oh-so refreshing on a hot day. Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area protects two miles of sandy beach along the Colorado River where the water is Caribbean clear. Before you take a dip, make a detour into the nearby resort town of Laughlin to take a contemplative stroll through the famous Laughlin Labyrinths.
Plan It: Big Bend of the Colorado
We’re Travel Nevada—your official resource for exploring the Silver State’s sometimes surprising, always exciting towns, cities, and public lands. With travel tips and inspiration straight from the heart of Nevada, we’ve got you covered. All you need to do is get a little out there.
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