Overview
Ely is in eastern Nevada near the Utah border at the intersection of US Highways 50, 93, and 6.
4 sights · 3 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Ely
Nevada Northern Railway Museum
Museum operating historic trains. Two train routes are run, each of which takes an hour and forty five minutes. Call to listen to recorded schedule information or visit their website.
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park
Cave Lake State Park
Ely's Central Theatre
Ely Renaissance Society
Take the "Art Walk" sponsored by the Ely Renaissance Society and enjoy over twenty murals and sculptures by world famous artists. Ride the train to the Renaissance Village and step back in time as you visit the shot gun …
White Pine Public Museum
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Apr and Feb. (climate data from nearby Great Basin National Park)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- EKO Elko Regional Airport, Elko — 119 mi away. Directions
- CDC Cedar City Regional Airport, Cedar City — 144 mi away. Directions
- SLC Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City — 186 mi away (major hub). Directions
U.S. Routes 6, 50 and 93 converge on Ely. To the north is Highway 93, which connects to Interstate 80 at Wells, I-84 at Twin Falls and I-90 at Missoula. Highway 50 heads west from Ely, eventually making its way to Fallon and Carson City on the other end of Nevada. This highway has an alternate route between Fallon and Fernley for easy access from I-80. Highway 6 travels southwest of Ely and connects to Tonopah and the Sierra Nevada region of California. Southeast of Ely there is a concurrency of all three highways; Route 93 quickly branches off south toward Las Vegas, while Highways 6 and 50 share the road all the way to Delta in Central Utah, not far from Interstate 15.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Nevada Northern Railway Museum, White Pine Public Museum, Ely's Central Theatre
- Lunch Racks Bar & Grill
- Afternoon Ely Renaissance Society, Garnet Hill
- Dinner Hometown Pizza
- Evening Shooter's Bar and Grill
Day 2
- Morning Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
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Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
U.S. Routes 6, 50 and 93 converge on Ely. To the north is Highway 93, which connects to Interstate 80 at Wells, I-84 at Twin Falls and I-90 at Missoula. Highway 50 heads west from Ely, eventually making its way to Fallon and Carson City on the other end of Nevada. This highway has an alternate route between Fallon and Fernley for easy access from I-80. Highway 6 travels southwest of Ely and connects to Tonopah and the Sierra Nevada region of California. Southeast of Ely there is a concurrency of all three highways; Route 93 quickly branches off south toward Las Vegas, while Highways 6 and 50 share the road all the way to Delta in Central Utah, not far from Interstate 15.
The leg from the west of Route 50 is called the "Loneliest Road in America" because of the remote areas it goes through.
By train
There is no local train service.
By plane
The nearest large commercial airports are in Salt Lake City, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada.
See
See Ely Renaissance Society
Take the "Art Walk" sponsored by the Ely Renaissance Society and enjoy over twenty murals and sculptures by world famous artists. Ride the train to the Renaissance Village and step back in time as you visit the shot gun houses decorated to represent the diverse ethnic groups which came to Ely to work, and live. Participate in workshops and retreats or the yearly 4th of July activities. Visit the Farmer's Market or the Holiday Village which are all yearly activities hosted at the Ely Renaissance Village.
Do
Ely has several small casinos that offer slot machines if you want to try your luck, and the Hotel Nevada has live gaming with blackjack and poker tables. At the east end of the city there are a few legalized brothels that will give visitors free tours. Photographers will want to take a stroll downtown for shots of a pretty little park, old buildings and signage, and the magnificent neon prospector on the Hotel Nevada's Nevada Club. Surrounding the city are mountain ranges that offer the adventure of driving a 4-wheel drive vehicle over beautiful mountains, up canyons, and remote valleys. Mountain climbers can find many peaks over 11,000 feet in elevation.
Eat
Drink
Drink Shooter's Bar and Grill
2 pool tables and karaoke.
Sleep
Go next
Ely is at the crossroads to several destinations throughout the western United States. Idaho is accessible via US 93 north, while US 50 and US 6 lead to points in California, Utah and Colorado. The section of US Highway 50 heading west out of Ely is known as "The Loneliest Road in America." Central Nevada is filled with desert valleys between sets of mountain ridges. As Highway 50 crosses each of these gently curved valleys in a perfectly straight course, you can often see 20 or 30 miles of completely empty road ahead of you. You just must make sure that you have a car in good working condition as there are basically no services for more than 50 miles at most times and summer temperatures can easily reach 110°F, and winter temperatures getting well below 0°F.
Las Vegas is approximately four hours away on US 93 southbound, but one can take a shortcut via Nevada State Highway 318, which begins at an intersection with US 6 about 30 miles outside Ely. Taking this route shortens the trip to Vegas by about 60 miles (100 km), but the road is extremely desolate with nearly nonexistent cell phone coverage and no services to speak of apart from the small town of Lund. Don't try it unless you trust your car and you have emergency supplies.
Nearby
My experience
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