Overview
Northern Nevada consists of dry, mountainous, sparsely populated landscapes. Most of the towns are dotted along the Humboldt River, Interstate 80, and the railroad, all of which cut across this part of Nevada from west to east, running next to each other for much of the way.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Summer highs reach about 100°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: May and Apr. (climate data from nearby Battle Mountain)
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 — 57 mi away. Directions
- RNO Reno Tahoe International Airport, Reno — 182 mi away (major hub). Directions
Elko Regional Airport (EKO)
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Elko — Western Folklife Center, Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, Wild Horse State Recreation Area.
- Day 2: Winnemucca — Humboldt Museum, Thunder Mountain Monument, Winners Inn Casino.
- Day 3: Jackpot — Salmon Falls Creek, Jackpot Golf Club.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Photos
Places in Northern Nevada
Understand
The emigrants who plotted their way across the vast expanse of present day Nevada and the makers of the Central Pacific Railroad and Interstate 80 that followed probably weren't thinking too much about scenery, because hoo-boy, the cut Interstate 80 makes across the state will probably have you twitching in your seat from boredom by the time you get from Wendover to Reno. But thankfully, there are towns or shells of towns to keep your mind in focus just as it's about to go into a state of mindlessness.
Actually, as you snake along the path of the Humboldt River that so many have followed over the past 150 years or so, you at least have the reassurance of knowing that you'll be somewhere safe and sound in a few hours, not stranded in your Conestoga Wagon in the 40-mile desert with a broken axle.
Vegetation mostly consists of the high desert favorite child, sagebrush, with some saltbrush and rabbitbrush thrown in, and sometimes you'll see a mining or mill relic fly by.
Cities
- Battle Mountain
- Carlin
- Elko
- Jackpot
- Lovelock
- Wells
- West Wendover
- Winnemucca
- McDermitt
Other destinations
- Black Rock City - A city of 70,000 people during the annual Burning Man festival at the end of August, wide open desert during the rest of the year.
- Rye Patch Reservoir - A state park hidden in the Nevada desert between Lovelock and Winnemucca. Conditions are good for swimming.
Get in
Elko Regional Airport (EKO)
The California Zephyr train route, between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area via Salt Lake City and Reno, passes through northern Nevada with stops in Elko and Winnemucca.
Do
Some places in northern Nevada have more going on than others.
My experience
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