Traveling Americas Loneliest Road: A Geologic and Natural History Tour through Nevada along U.S. Highway 50

Highway 50 crosses the heart of Nevada. It follows sections of trail first marked by John C. Frmont in 1845-1846 and early government surveyors in 1859. Pony Express riders raced over parts of the route in 1860, and the Lincoln Highway, the nation's first transcontinental highway, came this way in 1913. Today's traveler on what some call "America's loneliest road" will sample almost every aspect of Nevada's complex and exciting geology, will pass through historical mining towns that are evidence of Nevada's legacy as "The Silver State," and will cross the new Nevada gold belt where producing mines help make Nevada the number three gold producing region in the world. Several side trips explore ghost towns, petroglyph sites, rock collecting localities, and wildlife viewing areas along the way.