Area Map
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- Take a 14-mile ride through historic ghost towns and mines on one of two turn of the century trains owned and operated by the Nevada Northern Railroad Museum.
- Just South of Ely, see the Ward Coke Ovens, six of the best preserved steam engine coal cookeries in the West.
- Enjoy a lightening round at ehe White Pine County Public Golf Course.
- Fish, camp, or hike Cave Lake and take in the natural beauty of the Great Basin.
- Check out the original path of the incredible Pony Express.
- Visit the old Cherry Creek Mining District now famous for wild cherry tree groves and great hiking. The area was a top gold and silver producer between 1872 and 1883.
- Tour the youngest National Park in America, the Great Basin National Park, featuring breathtaking mountain views and the subterranean wonders of the Lehman Caves.
- Take a summer hike or cross-country ski excursion into the Ward Mountains.
The Art Bank, run by the Ely Renaissance Society
The same organization that has installed the dozens of murals throughout Ely. Its website includes a comprehensive map with details on each of these beloved pieces of art that capture various pieces of the area’s rich history.
Cottage Industry – KNPR Desert Companion
Nevada Northern Railway Museum
One of Ely’s greatest treasures. The museum experiences starts at a lovingly restored depot built in 1907 and includes tours and rides on the rails through Steptoe Valley throughout the year.
White Pine Public Museum
Learn more about the Shoshone Indians who were the first people settled in what is now White Pine County, through the first gold rushes of the late 1800s and early 1900s to the present day at the White Pine Public Museum. All kinds of interesting artifacts and information on the Pony Express are included in the museum experience.
McGill Drugstore Museum
The year is 1979 all the time at the McGill Drugstore Museum. Museum staff keeps the premises originally built in 1908 by the Steptoe Mining Company to service its employees who live nearby. The experience includes a soda fountain and products still on the shelves.
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historical Park
Best known for its six still standing pristine coal ovens crafted by Italian artisans around 1876 out of volcanic and latite stone, the park is a terrific place to take in the great outdoors.
Cave Lake State Park
Anglers from around the west flock to Cave Lake State Park throughout the year. It’s a petite gem and a great entrance or exit from a drive through Success Loop.
The Success Loop Scenic Drive
Success Loop is a 38 mile adventure through the pristine Schell Creek Mountain range. The journey can begin at Cave Lake and take you out through McGill. Or you can drive it from McGill to Cave Lake. Either way, you will be surrounded by White Pines, stands of Aspens as wildlife while you drive through the loop and its sweeping uninterrupted views of one of Nevada’s most picturesque spots. Success Loop also includes several turnouts and campgrounds for picnicking and overnight trips.
Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park was added to the national park system in 1986. The park includes incredible and diverse offerings for any outdoor enthusiast. Popular attractions include Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak and an ancient Bristlecone Pine forest. It’s also known as one of the world’s darkest places, which makes it a popular spot for stargazers.
Basin & Range National Monument
In 2015, 704,000 acres of remote and undeveloped land near Ely became Basin & Range National Monument, Nevada’s first national monument. This area was selected because it is one of the most pristine parts of the broader Great Basin region that spans from the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the Nevada California border to the Colorado Plateau towards the east. It includes many geological wonders along with 4,000-year-old rock art. It is also home to land artist Michael Heizer’s ‘City’, an art complex that is set to open to the public in 2020.
Five things to know about Nevada’s newest national monument – LA Times
A Monument to Outlast Humanity – The New Yorker
Michael Heizer’s Big Work and Long View – New York Times
Hotel Nevada Press
Michael Heizer’s Big Work and Long View – Las Vegas Review Journal
Column: Gaming Chips – Las Vegas Review Journal
A Little Relief – Las Vegas Review Journal
Plenty of room to stretch in Ely
– Las Vegas Review Journal
Ely uses historical attractions to focus on the future – Las Vegas Review Journal
Other helpful links
White Pine Chamber of Commerce