Windshield Overview
Let's Hit the Road
Stretching well to 700 miles down the length of ol' Battle Born, US 95 is the very spine of the Silver State - a vital backbone for connecting the state's two metropolitan areas of Reno and Las Vegas together with inseparable link across hundreds of miles of open desert. Nicknamed the "Silver Trails Highway," the mostly two-lane 95 crosses into the state from Oregon and seemingly hightails it to the very southern "point" of Nevada, crossing into California 72 miles south of Las Vegas. For such a one-dimensional travel corridor, it's no wonder few people have bothered to discover its secrets.
Will the real Nevada please stand up? There are those who contest that Nevada is ONLY Reno and Vegas, separated by the hundreds of miles of barren wasteland. Then again, is all that beautiful openness in between Reno and Vegas the REAL Nevada? Which side do you take? In many ways, it's US 95 that catalogs the Silver State at its very best.
Unlike "America's Loneliest Road," or even Interstate 80, US 95 is an all-desert drive, never once retreating into the great ranges of Nevada! Compared to many other routes in the state, US 95 might come on as a bit of chore. Anybody who's made the drive from Reno to Vegas is familiar with its test of endurance. It's not surprising that most people who "drive the 95," write it off as mostly monotonous with nothing to see in between here and there. In this case, Reno and Vegas. While this might be true, the highway certainly represents the REAL Nevada in many ways. Thus, it remains a matter of perspective.
1. Introduction & Lovelock
2. Fernley
3. Fallon
4. Yerington
5. Schurz
6. Walker Lake
7. Hawthorne
8. Tonopah
9. Goldfield
10. Rachel
11. Beatty
12. Amargosa Valley
13. Indian Springs
14. Pahrump
15. Death Valley
"Come Alive on US 95" is a CD that was made possible by a grant from the Nevada Commission of Tourism in 1998. It can still be occasionally found at some of Nevada's Welcome Centers, but due to state budget cuts, it is becoming exceedingly rare to find. Fortunately on my travels, I picked up a copy in, of all places, a secluded welcome center in Big Smoky Valley (in the absolute middle of nowhere) and I have ripped the entire CD for your enjoyment.
I've inserted these clips where applicable within the roadtrip, but feel free to play or download these at your convenience. Happy travels!
Credits:
• Introduction by Lorraine T. Hunt, Former Lt. Governor, State of Nevada
• Narration and some guitar by John Tyson, Nevada resident and TV personality
Begin: McDermitt, OR.
End: Bullhead City, AZ.
Recommended Driving Time: 7-8 days
Counties: Humboldt, Pershing, Churchill, Lyon, Mineral, Esmeralda, Nye, Clark
COMMUNITIES ON THIS TRIP:
McDermitt (OR), Paradise Valley, Winnemucca, Unionville, Imlay/Mill City, Lovelock, Fallon, Schurz, Hawthorne, Luning, Mina, Tonopah, Goldfield, Goldpoint, Beatty, Stovepipe Wells (CA), Furnace Creek (CA), Shoshone (CA), Amargosa Valley, Indian Springs, Mt. Charleston Village, North Las Vegas, Blue Diamond, Las Vegas, Henderson, Nelson, Searchlight, Cal Nev Ari, Laughlin, Bullhead City (AZ)
One final word of note: After the city of Searchlight, US 95 continues its final leg south, passing through Cal-Nev-Ari and entering California some four miles later. Just before this lonely border crossing, US 95 passes by State Route 163, a vital crossroads to Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City. I like to think of this as a "last chance" junction before leaving the Silver State.
For the sake of continuity, our roadtrip will follow this path to Laughlin and Bullhead. I felt that this is important there's really nothing of interest on this four-mile segment of US 95.
Total Mileage (One-way loop with spurs): 201 miles
• SR 374 from Beatty to Stovepipe Wells
• CA 190 to Badwater Basin
• Badwater Basin Rd/CA 178 to Shoshone
• CA 127/NV 373 to Amargosa Valley and Devil's Hole/Ash Meadows
Total Mileage (One-way loop with spurs): 63.4 miles
• Las Vegas Strip to Springs Preserve (north to SR 159)
• SR 159 (loop from Las Vegas to SR 160)
• All spur roads within Red Rock NCA
• SR 160 from Blue Diamond to Mountain Springs & Potosi