cowboy country territory towns

Consider this a mini Tour Around Nevada, if you will, of 21 Northern Nevada burgs.

By CHARLIE JOHNSTON | May/June 2011

For as long as Nevada has been a state and even prior to that, Northern Nevada has been integral in conveying people, products, and progress across the country.

The 1840s and ’50s brought hundreds of thousands of settlers en route to the California goldfields, and the 1860s brought the first transcontinental railroad. The nation’s first coast-to-coast road—the Lincoln Highway—was laid in the early 1900s, the 1920s brought the Victory Highway, and in the 1960s and ’70s, Interstate 80—the first interstate to traverse the country—was born.

Off the interstate, the omnipresent rumble of big-rigs and whir of speeding traffic is replaced by a comforting silence that is uniquely Nevadan. Friendly towns and immense vistas are cradled between towering peaks and the impossibly big skies of Cowboy Country territory.

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BATTLE MOUNTAIN

Rumors abound concerning the name of Battle Mountain. George Tannihill, who formed a mining district in the area in 1866, told of a battle between emigrants and American Indians in 1857, but no records of the skirmish exist, and it is generally believed that Tannihill was lying. Tall tails aside, the town came to be as a station for the Central Pacific Railroad in 1870.

Today, Battle Mountain is among Nevada’s most important mining towns. The community of almost 2,800 is the seat of and largest town in Lander County. Battle Mountain’s business district offers several casinos and hotels and an array of restaurants that includes options from Mexican cuisine to diner favorites. Arguably the biggest draws to Battle Mountain are its events, including the National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet on May 7, stock-car racing at the Battle Mountain Raceway on May 6-7 and June 4 and 15-16, and various rodeos throughout spring and summer.

The self-proclaimed gateway to Nevada’s outback, Battle Mountain delivers on the promise of adventure with neighboring mountain-bike trails such as Copper Basin Trail and remote canyons and mountain ranges to explore on foot. The nearby ghost town of Galena offers a lesson in the history of Nevada’s mining boomtowns.

CONTACT
Lander County Convention and Tourism Authority
625 S. Broad St., Battle Mountain
battlemountaintourism.com
775-635-1112

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CARLIN

Before Carlin became a town, its location near the confluences of Maggie and Marys Creeks and the Humboldt River was a favorite camp among California Gold Rushers as early as the late 1840s. The town started to take shape when the Central Pacific Railroad expanded eastward in the late 1860s and continued to grow thereafter. The discovery of one of the world’s most prolific gold deposits in the 1960s—the Carlin Trend—marked the start of another period of prosperity for the town. Today, Carlin and its about 2,300 residents rely heavily on the success of the area’s gold mines.

While in some ways a bedroom community of nearby Elko, Carlin is home to services typical of any like-sized Nevada city, including restaurants and bars, grocery stores, two motels, a casino, a medical center, bank, and schools. The University of Nevada, Reno’s Fire Science Academy in Carlin is among the finest emergency-response training facilities in the world.

CONTACT
City of Carlin
101 S. 8th St., Carlin
cityofcarlin.com
775-754-6354

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DENIO

One of the best things about Nevada’s Cowboy Country is that it is one of the few remaining places in the continental United States where a traveler can experience the sensation of being on a true frontier. And nowhere is the feeling more pronounced than in the northern extremes of the state in places such as Denio.

The main draws to the area are the abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation in nearby Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding wilderness and local opal mines such as
Bonanza, Rainbow Ridge, and Royal Peacock.

The ranching town of fewer than 100 straddles the Nevada-Oregon line about 100 miles northwest of Winnemucca. Denio has a gas station, restaurant and bar, motel, and RV park.

CONTACT
Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority
50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca
winnemucca.com
800-962-2638

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ELKO

The hub of Cowboy Country, Elko barely needs an introduction. With its ubiquitous western hospitality, cowboy way of life, international gold-mining prowess, and intrinsic connection to the great outdoors, Elko is among the most charming locales in the Silver State.

Born as a stop along the Central Pacific Railroad in 1868, by 1870 it was the Elko County Seat and had grown to a population of more than 1,000. As northeastern Nevada’s link to the rest of the nation, Elko gained prominence quickly. Nevada’s first institution of higher learning, the University of Nevada, opened there in the fall of 1873 (before relocating to Reno), and, in 1885, Elko opened the state’s first high school.

Today, the city of more than 18,000 remains a hub for ranches throughout northeastern Nevada and is the center of the state’s gold-mining industry. Elko’s casinos and hotels provide ample Nevada-style entertainment, as do lounges of every description from cowboy and sports bars to brew pubs.

Cowboy culture and history are the theme at Western Folklife Center, where concerts, exhibits, and special events celebrate the ranching lifestyle. The Northeastern Nevada Museum honors the same traditions with exhibits such as the Will James Western Art Collection and offers visitors a look into the ancient history and geology of Elko County. The downtown Elko Railroad Park commemorates the important role the town played in our country’s railroad history.

The region’s rich Basque history is on display—and the menus—at numerous Basque family-style eateries, including the world-famous Star Hotel and Dining Room.

As though the day-to-day offerings in Elko aren’t reason enough to plan a visit, the city also hosts some of the state’s most unique and universally loved events, including the National Basque Festival on July 1-3, the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival in September, and January’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.

Outside the city limits, Elko offers outdoor adventures as big as Cowboy Country territory. Some of the state’s best hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, and wildlife-watching await in such places as the Ruby Mountains, Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and South Fork and Wild Horse State Recreation Areas.

CONTACT
Elko Convention & Visitors Authority
700 Moren Way, Elko
exploreelko.com
800-248-3556

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JACKPOT

After Idaho outlawed casino gaming in the early 1950s, Peter Piersanti and Don French opened small casinos on U.S. Highway 93 just across the Nevada-Idaho border. Piersanti’s Cactus Petes took over French’s Horseshu Club in the 1960s, and the town of Jackpot has been Nevada’s primary casino-resort destination for Idaho visitors ever since.

Today, the town of about 1,200 is anchored by the 300-room Cactus Petes, the Horseshu, Barton’s Club 93, Four Jacks Casino, and The Pony Express Casino. In addition to accommodations and entertainment on par with anything offered in Nevada’s larger destinations, Jackpot is home to an 18-hole golf course and small airport.

Outside of the casinos and resorts, Jackpot is also popular among hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, and its proximity to Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir makes it one of the region’s best fishing destinations. Like West Wendover on the Nevada-Utah border, Jackpot observes Mountain Standard Time.

CONTACT
Jackpot Nevada Tourism
2395 Progressive Rd., Jackpot
jackpot-nevada.net
775-755-2653

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JARBIDGE

Jarbidge was born following the 1909 discovery of gold in northeastern Nevada. By 1911, the town boasted a population of 1,200, and, by the 1920s, Jarbidge was Nevada’s most productive gold-mining district. By the end of the ’20s, the boom busted—today, about 20 people call Jarbidge home.

The town’s modest size belies its draw to tourists, and a number of local businesses, including North Star Mine Gas and Gifts, Outdoor Inn, Red Dog Saloon, the Trading Post, and Tsawhawbitts Ranch B&B cater to residents and visitors alike. Events such as the Memorial Day party (May 28-29), Fourth of July celebration, Jarbidge Days (August), Labor Day Weekend and Harvest Dance (September), and Halloween pig feed (October) are legendary in Northern Nevada.

Jarbidge’s location amid some of Nevada’s most striking and pristine wilderness makes it a paradise for campers, backpackers, horseback riders, off-roaders, mountain bikers, anglers, hunters, wildlife-watchers, cross-country skiers, and snowmobilers. Photo: Dave Quandt

CONTACT
Cowboy Country Territory
cowboycountry.org
877-626-9269 x.650

WORTH A CLICK
jarbidge.org

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LAMOILLE

Lamoille is the gateway to “Nevada’s Alps”—the Ruby Mountains—and breathtaking Lamoille Canyon. The charming community of about 400 is 20 miles southeast of Elko via State Route 227 and among the region’s most beloved locales. The town owes its glowing reputation to its picturesque location amid tree-lined country roads and century-old farms and ranches set against a backdrop of typically snow-clad peaks.

Lamoille Grove park in the center of town is a popular picnic destination. Visitors who prefer to have their food prepared for them needn’t look further than the town’s two restaurants, The Bitter End and The Pine Lodge.

Popular events in the burg include the Lamoille Country Fair on June 26 and Autumn’s Lamoille Harvest Festival. Dedicated on November 5, 1905, The Little Church of the Crossroads is a popular photo stop, an active Presbyterian Church, and a lovely setting for wedding ceremonies.

If one day in Lamoille isn’t enough, The Pine Lodge and Hotel Lamoille offer a handful of rooms. For a taste of adrenaline-fueled adventure, Ruby Mountains Heli-Experience, operated out of Reds Ranch, offers some of the best heli-skiing on the continent.

CONTACT
Cowboy Country Territory
cowboycountry.org
877-626-9269 x.650

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LOVELOCK

“Lovelock: Where Your Love Remains Locked” reads the title page of the town’s tourism website. Making use of its name and a centuries-old Chinese tradition of symbolically locking love by latching locks on a “never-ending chain,” the town unveiled its Lovers Lock Plaza in 2006. The strategy paid off, and the site has been a major tourism draw ever since.

Like many other Cowboy Country communities, Lovelock owes its existence to the Central Pacific Railroad, which established the town site in 1868. When Pershing County was created in 1919, Lovelock was named its seat, a distinction it has held ever since.

Today, the town of almost 2,400 relies primarily on mining and agriculture. Hotels, casinos such as Sturgeon’s, restaurants, bars, and shops occupy Lovelock’s business district in greater abundance than many might assume for a town of its size. The historic Pershing County Courthouse, designed by influential Nevada architect Frederick J. DeLongchamps, is renowned nationwide for its distinct round design.

Nearby attractions include the artifact-laden Lovelock Caves, Rye Patch Reservoir State Recreation Area, and Lovelock Speedway. Events such as Frontier Days in July and Valentine’s Day celebrations focused on Lovers Lock Plaza attract locals and tourists alike.

CONTACT
Lovelock/Pershing County Chamber of Commerce
350 Main St., Lovelock
loverslock.com
775-273-7213

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MONTELLO

On a strip of land clinging to the edge of the Union Pacific Railroad and lightly traveled State Route 233 sits charming Montello. Born as Bauvard in 1904, the town was a division point for the Southern Pacific Railroad. At its height, Montello was home to about 800 people. A fire in the 1920s crippled the business district, and the town never recovered. The introduction of diesel trains in the 1950s spelled the end for the town’s importance to the railroad.

Today, Montello is home to a few hundred residents, two bars with restaurants, a small motel, a post office, an elementary school, and a convenience store. The homemade fries, Cowboy Burger, Internet jukebox, and hospitality at the Cowboy Bar and Café are worth the visit alone.

CONTACT
Cowboy Bar and Café
775-776-2466

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PARADISE VALLEY

To anyone not familiar with Paradise Valley, the name might seem an overly flattering moniker, but one visit to the quaint burg nestled among farms and ranches at the foot of the Santa Rosa Range will prove the name is apt.

About 40 miles north of Winnemucca, picturesque Paradise Valley was born in the 1860s as Paradise City, a unique community that was equal parts agriculture and mining. When the Santa Rosas stopped producing silver by 1890, ranching and farming kept the town alive. Today, about 100 people live in Paradise Valley.

Many original (some vacant) buildings dot the tree-lined main street, and the Paradise Mercantile Co. Bar and Saloon (or JS Bar) provides supplies and refreshments. The Stonehouse Country Inn Bed and Breakfast has six charming rooms and offers home-cooked meals for guests.

CONTACTS
Cowboy Country Territory
cowboycountry.org
877-626-9269 x.650

Stonehouse Country Inn Bed and Breakfast
nevadabandb.com/stonehouse
775-578-3530

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SPRING CREEK

Testament to the substantial growth of Elko in the last three decades, the bedroom community of Spring Creek is home to about 17,000 people. Though very much tied to its neighbor 11 miles to the northwest, Spring Creek offers all the services to be expected in a city of its size, including grocery and convenience stores, restaurants, banking services, a post office, and four schools.

The city’s proximity to the Ruby Mountains and other outdoor attractions such as South Fork State Recreation Area make it an outdoorsman’s paradise. For relaxing outdoor recreation, Spring Creek Marina is a 32-acre spring-fed lake surrounded by a park and the setting for fireworks on the 4th of July, and the nearby 18-hole golf course is refreshingly light on golfers. Spring Creek’s equestrian center, the Horse Palace, has a 65,000-square-foot indoor facility, an outdoor arena, and hosts numerous events and rodeos. Photo: Dini Esplin

CONTACT
Spring Creek Association
451 Spring Creek Parkway, Spring Creek
springcreeknv.net
775-753-6295

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WELLS

It’s hard to mention Wells these days without sparking discussion of the devastation wrought on the town by the 6.0-magnitude earthquake on February 21, 2008.

Residents likened the sound to a sonic boom and a train derailment, and the tremblor decimated the town’s prized historic Front Street district. While the partially toppled historic buildings remain closed and fenced off, the community—in true Nevada spirit—has bounced back.

Wells was founded in 1868 by the Central Pacific Railroad, but the nearby Humboldt Wells springs were a favorite spot of American Indians thousands of years earlier. Today, the town of about 1,300 is the crossroads of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 93. Belying its modest size, Wells is home to many businesses including hotels, casinos, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, repair shops, schools, and a golf course.

While the earthquake marred many of the sites along the historic walking tour, it is still an interesting look into the town’s history and a haunting reminder of how fragile our historic treasures are. The nearby East Humboldt Range is among Nevada’s most breathtaking collections of peaks and home to abundant wildlife and the locally popular Angel Lake, accessed by State Route 231, a scenic byway.

CONTACT
Wells Chamber of Commerce
436 6th St., Wells
wellsnevada.com
775-752-3540

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WEST WENDOVER & WENDOVER (UTAH)

Wendover was born in the early 1900s as a railroad stop for steam locomotives to fill up on water before and after the long dry stretch across the Bonneville Salt Flats. During World War II, the Wendover Air Field and adjacent Army Air Corps Base housed more than 20,000 soldiers and were the headquarters for the B-29 Bomber unit assigned with the unenviable task of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Historic Wendover Airfield Museum is among the town’s top attractions and hosts the Wendover Air Show on June 25.

Straddling the Nevada-Utah line, the community of about 7,000 is actually two municipalities, Nevada’s West Wendover and Utah’s Wendover. The city relies on visitors primarily from the Salt Lake City area. The city’s five resorts—Montego Bay, Peppermill, Rainbow, Red Garter, and Wendover Nugget casino-hotels—are on par with anything found in the major gaming centers of Nevada. West Wendover’s shining star is the Peppermill Concert Hall, a 1,000-seat, $21-million venue that attracts top performers such as Merle Haggard (May 14), Ron White (July 1), Bill Engvall, and Tanya Tucker.

Outside of the resorts, West Wendover is home to the iconic, 40-foot-tall neon statue Wendover Will (see page 22) and one of few places on the planet where travelers can observe the curvature of the earth thanks to its location overlooking the flat expanse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. The salt flats play host to the area’s most popular event, Bonneville Speed Week in August. Visitors interested in outdoor recreation without G-force speeds will enjoy the 18-hole Toana Vista Golf Course, hiking on nearby Pilot Peak, or even scuba diving in geothermal Blue Lake.

CONTACT
City of West Wendover
1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, West Wendover
westwendovercity.com
775-664-3081

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WINNEMUCCA

The area occupied by modern-day Winnemucca has long been a crossroads—fur trappers of the early 1800s frequently camped there near the Humboldt River, as did California-bound emigrants during the Gold Rush. In the 1850s, a trading post was established at Graveley Ford, which later came to be known as Frenchmans Ford, and was renamed for the last time in 1863 in honor of Chief Winnemucca of the Northern Paiute Tribe. The arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad later that decade heralded substantial population growth. At the intersection of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 95, Winnemucca remains a vital crossroads today.

The city of nearly 8,000 is the seat of Humboldt County and one of the largest rural communities in Northern Nevada. With more than 1,100 hotel rooms, five major casinos, and myriad dining options, Winnemucca offers everything a visitor could want from a Nevada city. Its historic Bridge Street is lined with enough quirky pubs and shops to occupy most of a day, and three Basque restaurants—The Martin Hotel, Hotel Winnemucca, and Ormachea’s Dinner House—offer unparalleled food and culture. The Humboldt Museum honors the area’s rich history, as far back as the Ice Age.

Winnemucca is convenient to many outdoor recreation opportunities, from fishing, boating, and windsurfing at Rye Patch State Recreation Area to hunting, rock hounding, and geocaching around Humboldt County and off-roading at Winnemucca Sand Dunes. The legendary Bloody Shins Trail offers mountain biking for riders of all levels.

Crowd-pleasing events include the Run-A-Mucca Motorcycle Rally (May 27-29), Mule Races and Show (June 3-5), July’s Silver State International Rodeo, and the Tri-County Fair and Stampede in September.

CONTACT
Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority
50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca
winnemucca.com
800-962-2638

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CRESCENT VALLEY

Crescent Valley is one of the only towns in sparsely populated Eureka County. Its 300 residents include workers from the nearby Cortez Gold Mine and a large percentage of retirees. The tight-knit community, 20 miles south of Interstate 80 via State Route 306, is home to a convenience store, two bars (one of which also serves food), an elementary school, medical clinic, and a senior center.

CONTACT
Eureka County
co.eureka.nv.us
775-468-0466

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GOLCONDA & MIDAS

The former mining town of Golconda, about 16 miles east of Winnemucca, was home to a train depot, hotels, and numerous other businesses during its heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, a post office with a collection of historical photos and the quirky, friendly Watering Hole #1 bar, restaurant, and general store are about all that is left in the town. The historic former school has been restored and is used for local meetings and events.

Midas, about 44 miles past Golconda on State Route 789 and a well-maintained dirt road, was founded around the same time Golconda was born following the discovery of gold. At its height, the Midas area was home to nearly 2,000 people. Today, the “living ghost town” is home to the Midas Saloon and Dinner House and a handful of old buildings.

CONTACT
Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority
50 W. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca
winnemucca.nv.us
800-962-2638

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IMLAY & MILL CITY

The towns of Imlay and Mill City lie about four miles apart, midway between Lovelock and Winnemucca along Interstate 80. Both towns owe their existence to their proximity to the railroad. Today the towns combine to house a couple hundred residents amid a truck stop, fast-food restaurants, and convenience stores. The primary draw to the area is the quirky, enigmatic Thunder Mountain Monument, a jumbled, rambling three-story outpost built by an eccentric WWII veteran in the 1960s and ’70s.

WORTH A CLICK
Thunder Mountain Monument
thundermountainmonument.com

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MCDERMITT

Fort McDermitt was established in 1865 to protect the Virginia City-Quinn River Valley-Oregon Road from hostile bands of local American Indians. Originally called Dugout, today’s town of McDermitt was established nearby to support the outpost. The fort was in operation for 24 years, making it the longest-tenured Army post in Nevada.

Today, the town of about 300 on U.S. Highway 95 at the Oregon border supports nearby farms and ranches and the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation. The Say When Casino, two motels, bars and restaurants, and a gas station make up the town’s business district. Local attractions include hunting, fishing, outdoor recreation in the surrounding wilderness, and two popular rodeos: the Indian Rodeo in June and July’s Ranch Hand Rodeo, Nevada’s longest-running rodeo at more than 100 years old, also called the Twin State Stampede.

CONTACT
Cowboy Country Territory
cowboycountry.org

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VALMY

Valmy was established in 1910 as a water and fuel stop for steam-era trains on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Today, a handful of residents, a post office, small motel, and gas station with an adjacent restaurant and bar comprise the tiny town about 16 miles west of Battle Mountain.