On the Ely\u2011to\u2011Fernley leg of US\u202fRoute\u202f50, service stations disappear, phones fall mute, and the Great Basin sky swallows every other sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you crave a road so empty it echoes, Nevada has you covered. The 500\u2011mile middle section of Route\u202f50\u2014dubbed The Loneliest Road in America by Life magazine back in 1986\u2014still challenges motorists to bring their own wits, water, and willingness to be utterly alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The headline that once read like an insult became Nevada\u2019s biggest dare. State officials leaned in, printing \u201cI\u202fSurvived Highway\u202f50\u201d passports for travelers who collect stamps in the few towns dotting the route. The remoteness, however, is no marketing gimmick. You can drive an hour without spotting another set of headlights\u2014spooky or soothing, depending on your mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Small desert towns offer ghostly charm\u2014and precious fuel\u2014every hundred miles or so. Before the desert swallows you whole, tiny mining settlements provide a breath of history\u2014and a chance to refuel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n