Every August, Baja trucks rip through 550 miles of terrain through the remote and rugged reaches of the Great Basin. And while the official race course changes annual, the track is generally referred to as the Vegas to Reno race course. The Silver State 500 encapsulates the spirit of the Vegas to Reno course, traversing many of the same roads and trail along the California-Nevada border.
Route Overview
Trip Length & Season
Adventure Rating: Epic Trip Length: 551 miles, 4-6 days Season: The shoulder seasons of spring and fall are typically the best time to run this route. It's recommended to avoid this track after/during periods of moderate to heavy rainfall, which can make travel extremely dangerous. It may be possible to do portions of the route in winter depending on current conditions. Summer travel is not recommended given the high likelihood of triple digit heat. Beware of mud in spring, which can make travel treacherous.
Digital Maps & GPX Files
Technical Ratings & Terrain
Recommended Vehicle / Moto / Adventure Vans
Fuel, Provisions, and Recommended Gear
Alternative Routes
Camping Recommendations
Discovery Points
Land Managers & Other Resources
Permits & Papers
Route Details
Mention the phrase "Vegas to Reno" to anyone from the world of off-road racing, and they'll immediately tell you this is one of North America's most infamous truck courses. The Best of the West Vegas to Reno race course snakes through 550 miles of the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, connecting Las Vegas and Reno. The Silver State 500 has been modeled around the Vegas to Reno track, incorporating many of the roads and trails used in years past (the course changes every year).
While the route can be driven in either direction, the route guide follows the classic direction of traveling from Vegas to Reno. The official track begins a little over 20 miles north of Pahrump. Here, the Silver State 500 traverses through the northern reaches of the Mojave Desert. As you travel northward, the mountains rise on your west, an impressive natural boundary that denotes the presence of Death Valley National Park only a dozen or so miles away. You may also see a series of dunes rising to the west near the Lathrop Wells Cone; this is Big Dune (discovery point), which is also a great place to camp.
Within the Basin Range province, the varied geology has led to an abundance of precious metals and minerals like gold, silver, and lithium. Hugging the western boundary of the province, many of these impressive geological features are on full display. And while you may have the inclination to blast through the desert, we highly encourage adventurers to take the time to check out the dozens of discovery points along the route. The Lathrop Wells Cinder Cone (discovery point) is part of the larger Death Valley volcanic field. As the Great Basin is being stretched apart, the crust fractures and magma escapes to the earth's surface. The crustal extension also explains the many north-south faults within Nevada, which have led to dozens of mountain ranges, or Basin Ranges.
Continuing northward, the track passes through the outskirts of Beatty (discovery point). Like many towns in Nevada, Beatty is intimately connected to the world of mining. Be sure to check out the town, where burros regularly congregate. Just a few miles west of town is the famed Rhyolite ghost town, one of the better-preserved ghost towns within Nevada. Within the old ghost town, you'll also find the Goldwell Open Air Museum (discovery point) and Tom Kelly's Bottle House (discovery point).
The Bullfrog Hills (discovery point) north of Beatty were once teeming with lava flows, which has led to a rather unique and colorful landscape that changes from black to green to red and desert khaki. After traversing the Bullfrog Hills, the track straightens out considerably, but you'll want to slow down to check out one of the desert's oddities, the Bonnie Claire House of Quotes (discovery point). Part of the disappearing Bonnie Claire ghost town, this quirky attraction features quotes on signs that cover a wide range of themes, from philosophical to comical. Nearby playas (dried lake beds) also provide for some fantastic camping when the ground is dry.
Beyond Bonnie, the track snakes through the mountains, passing through the Tokop ghost town (discovery point) and volcanic ash flow tuffs (discovery point). After zigzagging through the Montezuma Range, the track arrives in the once-bustling town of Goldfield (discovery point). If you'd like to learn more about mining in the area, the Florence Hill Mining Co. Museum (discovery point) is a must-visit. The track heads north towards Tonopah only to cut westward with a mixture of high-speed straightaways and slower-speed sections through the hills and mountains. You've now entered the reaches of the Great Basin desert, where Joshua Trees are replaced by an endless sea of sagebrush.
Not far from the Coaldale ghost town (discovery point), you'll encounter the Pilot Mountains, which present the highest elevation mountain pass along the track (approximately 8,015'). On the horizon, the massive Gabbs Valley comes into view. Parts of the valley remain a dried lake bed, while some of it is used for agriculture. Once you've reached Gabbs Valley, the final leg of the track comes into view. You'll pass through the volcanic basalt flows of the Cocoon Mountains while traveling past the Salt Wells Basin, which is a hotbed of geothermal activity. Now south of Fallon, Carson Lake appears on the northern horizon, which is where the Carson River goes to die (or to sink into the ground!).
The final stretch of the journey passes through a series of low-lying hills and mountains featuring more andesite and basalt lava flows (discovery point). As you close in on Dayton, the track follows the bumpy and rock-strewn trails past Como and the old Palmyra Mining District. To reach the end of the track, you'll need to follow the pavement as it winds through the canyon that leads to Nevada's most infamous mining town, Virginia City.
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