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the USA🇺🇸 | regionsNevadaNeon Strip, Valley of Fire, Great Basin darkness, ghost mining towns | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Nevada
🌟 Highlightregion ranked #12
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Nevada is mostly empty desert and mountain range, not a wall-to-wall casino strip, and the Las Vegas Strip is a tiny fraction of the state. It sits in the western United States, between California and Utah. Basin-and-range ridges, ghost towns, Great Basin National Park and Lake Tahoe all reward a car, though a rental costs time and money. Buses are slow and cheap, a car is pricey but gives a backpacker the most. The highway out of Ely once filled my open window with sage smell after rain, sharp and clean. Fill the tank at every town, because the next one is far away.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #12 region in the USAWhat makes it a must-see region

Nevada gives backpackers a rare mix of extremes within one state. You can walk among 4,000-year-old bristlecone pines below Wheeler Peak, then soak in a hot spring a day later. The long, empty stretches of U.S. Route 50, nicknamed the Loneliest Road in America, link old mining towns like Eureka and Austin, so you see real Western history without crowds. Skies here are among the darkest in the country, and Great Basin National Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park. Slow travel suits it: pick one cluster of the state, drive it unhurried, and you meet ranchers, miners and rangers rather than tour groups. Las Vegas serves as a cheap gateway for flights and car rentals.

💡 HighlightsDon't-miss highlights and experiences

  1. Las Vegas Strip: the neon corridor everyone searches for, best walked at night for the fountains at Bellagio and the free spectacle of the casinos.
  2. Valley of Fire State Park: red Aztec sandstone, petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock and the Fire Wave trail; entry is a modest fee per vehicle.
  3. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: a 13-mile scenic loop with sandstone cliffs and easy scrambling right beside the city.
  4. Hoover Dam: a 1930s concrete giant on the Arizona border, impressive from the bypass bridge walkway, which is free.
  5. Lake Tahoe, Nevada shore: Sand Harbor’s granite boulders and clear water make it a swim and kayak favorite.
  6. Great Basin National Park: Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak and the bristlecone grove, with some of the darkest night skies in the country.
  7. Virginia City: a Comstock silver-boom
… read more 👉
  1. Las Vegas Strip: the neon corridor everyone searches for, best walked at night for the fountains at Bellagio and the free spectacle of the casinos.
  2. Valley of Fire State Park: red Aztec sandstone, petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock and the Fire Wave trail; entry is a modest fee per vehicle.
  3. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: a 13-mile scenic loop with sandstone cliffs and easy scrambling right beside the city.
  4. Hoover Dam: a 1930s concrete giant on the Arizona border, impressive from the bypass bridge walkway, which is free.
  5. Lake Tahoe, Nevada shore: Sand Harbor’s granite boulders and clear water make it a swim and kayak favorite.
  6. Great Basin National Park: Lehman Caves, Wheeler Peak and the bristlecone grove, with some of the darkest night skies in the country.
  7. Virginia City: a Comstock silver-boom town with wooden boardwalks and saloons that still pour drinks.
  8. Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park: a remote ghost mining town beside giant fossil ichthyosaurs, rarely visited.
  9. Black Rock Desert: a vast dry lakebed, home of Burning Man and hot springs near Gerlach, lonely and wide open.
  10. Rhyolite ghost town: crumbling bank walls and the Goldwell Open Air Museum’s odd sculptures near Death Valley.
Nevada’s Lehman Caves tours at Great Basin National Park sell out in summer, so book ahead.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

⌛️ 5 daysHow to make the most of Nevada

Day 1: Las Vegas: A city day, and a short one. Land, pick up a rental car and walk the Strip at dusk, then sleep early. Every route here depends on driving, since public transport thins out fast beyond the metro area and highways run for long stretches without services.
Day 2: Valley of Fire: Head northeast at dawn, before the sandstone gets hot. Hike the Fire Wave and see the petroglyphs, then return for a second night in town or continue north.
Day 3: Ely: Take the long drive north on US-93 and settle in Ely, the gateway for Great Basin. Distances are big, so fuel and snacks come first, and you earn the quiet.
Day 4: Great Basin National Park: Join a Lehman Caves tour, then drive the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and walk to the bristlecone grove. Stay for the stars.
Day 5: Berlin-Ichthyosaur State … read more 👉
Day 1: Las Vegas: A city day, and a short one. Land, pick up a rental car and walk the Strip at dusk, then sleep early. Every route here depends on driving, since public transport thins out fast beyond the metro area and highways run for long stretches without services.
Day 2: Valley of Fire: Head northeast at dawn, before the sandstone gets hot. Hike the Fire Wave and see the petroglyphs, then return for a second night in town or continue north.
Day 3: Ely: Take the long drive north on US-93 and settle in Ely, the gateway for Great Basin. Distances are big, so fuel and snacks come first, and you earn the quiet.
Day 4: Great Basin National Park: Join a Lehman Caves tour, then drive the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive and walk to the bristlecone grove. Stay for the stars.
Day 5: Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park: This is the detour: a ghost town and fossils reached by gravel road off US-50, adding a lot for modest extra driving. Continue on the Loneliest Road toward Reno afterward.
If I had to keep one day, I would keep Day 4. Cave, summit road and a sky full of stars make the whole drive worthwhile.

🌤️ When to go?Seasonal considerations and timing

  • Spring (April to May): Daytime highs of 15 to 27°C (59 to 81°F) in the basin towns, with cold nights near freezing. Wildflowers bloom, and high mountain trails stay snowy into June.
  • Summer (June to August): Las Vegas hits 40 to 46°C (104 to 115°F), while Great Basin highs sit near 25 to 30°C (77 to 86°F). Days run about 14 to 15 hours. Vegas rooms can be cheap midweek, and Lake Tahoe peaks in price.
  • Fall (September to October): Highs of 18 to 30°C (64 to 86°F), golden aspens, thin crowds and lower prices.
  • Winter (December to February): Highs of 5 to 15°C (41 to 59°F) in the south and well below freezing up north. Tahoe ski season brings the highest rates.
Book Vegas on a Tuesday night rather than a Saturday, and expect the price to drop by half or more.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: below average for travelingAUGAugust: below average for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
united-states-region-nevada
© Google | Neha Kankar

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🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

Las Vegas is the easiest base for most backpackers. Hostels cluster downtown near Fremont Street and just off the Strip, so you meet other travelers easily, and the city has the state’s only real transit network. Midweek beds are cheap, roughly US$20 to 45 a night. Downtown feels livelier and more walkable at night than the Strip, though stick to busy blocks after dark.

Reno is the second choice. The riverside downtown and Midtown district have a younger crowd, craft bars and cheaper rooms than Vegas, with Lake Tahoe an hour away for hiking and skiing. Carson City is quieter and handy for the … read more 👉
Las Vegas is the easiest base for most backpackers. Hostels cluster downtown near Fremont Street and just off the Strip, so you meet other travelers easily, and the city has the state’s only real transit network. Midweek beds are cheap, roughly US$20 to 45 a night. Downtown feels livelier and more walkable at night than the Strip, though stick to busy blocks after dark.

Reno is the second choice. The riverside downtown and Midtown district have a younger crowd, craft bars and cheaper rooms than Vegas, with Lake Tahoe an hour away for hiking and skiing. Carson City is quieter and handy for the Sierra foothills.

For desert and mountain access, small towns like Ely, Baker (near Great Basin National Park) and Beatty (near Death Valley) offer motels and campgrounds rather than hostels. They are quiet, but the stars make up for it. Camping is free on much of the public land.
Best hostels in the USA


Best quality hotels in the USA

🚌 Getting aroundTransportation options and practical tips

Nevada’s most common ride is a Las Vegas RTC bus, which costs about US$2 for two hours or US$6 for 24 hours, and you pay by tapping a card or phone, or with cash on board if you carry exact change. Outside the cities the bus map goes blank, and that is where Nevada gets honest about distances. Towns sit two or three hours apart with nothing but sagebrush and the odd sign promising a casino.
  • Las Vegas buses: The Deuce on the Strip and routes to downtown run every 15 to 20 minutes. It is slow in traffic and perfectly comfortable, so for this city it beats a taxi by a wide margin.
  • Intercity coaches: Greyhound and FlixBus link Las Vegas, Reno and Ely-area gateways, with Las Vegas to Reno costing roughly US$50 to 110 and taking 8 to 10 hours. Cheap, but you will watch a lot of desert. Fine for one
… read more 👉
Nevada’s most common ride is a Las Vegas RTC bus, which costs about US$2 for two hours or US$6 for 24 hours, and you pay by tapping a card or phone, or with cash on board if you carry exact change. Outside the cities the bus map goes blank, and that is where Nevada gets honest about distances. Towns sit two or three hours apart with nothing but sagebrush and the odd sign promising a casino.
  • Las Vegas buses: The Deuce on the Strip and routes to downtown run every 15 to 20 minutes. It is slow in traffic and perfectly comfortable, so for this city it beats a taxi by a wide margin.
  • Intercity coaches: Greyhound and FlixBus link Las Vegas, Reno and Ely-area gateways, with Las Vegas to Reno costing roughly US$50 to 110 and taking 8 to 10 hours. Cheap, but you will watch a lot of desert. Fine for one long haul, tedious for more.
  • Rental car: From about US$40 to 80 a day plus gas, it is the only way to reach Great Basin, Valley of Fire or the Extraterrestrial Highway. It costs the most money and saves the most time. Split it with two or three people and it becomes the best value in the state.
  • Rideshare and taxis: Uber and Lyft cost US$10 to 25 for most Vegas hops. Convenient at 2 a.m., silly for daily use.
  • Amtrak Thruway and California Zephyr: The Zephyr stops at Reno, Winnemucca and Elko, though usually at odd hours. Pleasant, scenic, and rarely on time.
Fill the gas tank whenever you pass a station on rural highways, since the next one can be 100 miles (160 km) away.

🍲 FoodEating & Drinking in Nevada

Nevada’s signature is the Vegas buffet, now pricier at about US$25 to 60, so go once for brunch and skip the rest. The older tradition is Basque cooking in Elko, Winnemucca and Gardnerville, where family-style dinners of soup, beans, bread, red wine and lamb or steak run about US$25 to 35. Strangers share long tables, and the garlicky smell hits as you walk in.

Cheaper options include taco trucks, Asian food along Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas, and diner breakfasts in small towns, where pie and coffee cost US$8 to 15. Casino cafés sell cheap steak-and-egg specials, often under US$12, as a hook to get you inside.

Drink a local craft beer in Reno, or a Picon punch, the Basque bittersweet cocktail. Tip 18 to 20 percent. Open-container laws are relaxed in Vegas, but not elsewhere.

FAQFrequently asked questions about Nevada

Nevada needs about 5 to 7 days for a focused trip, such as 2 days in Las Vegas, 1 at Valley of Fire or Red Rock Canyon, and 2 to 3 around Reno and Lake Tahoe. Add 2 more days if you want Great Basin National Park, about 4.5 hours north of Las Vegas. Two weeks lets you drive Highway 50 and the Extraterrestrial Highway.
Getting around Nevada without a car works only in Las Vegas and Reno, where buses cost about US$2 per ride or US$6 for a day pass in Vegas. Between cities, Greyhound and FlixBus run Las Vegas to Reno for roughly US$50 to 110 over 8 to 10 hours. Amtrak’s California Zephyr stops in Reno, Winnemucca and Elko. For national parks and desert sights, split a rental car at about US$40 to 80 a day.
Nevada is known for Las Vegas, with its casinos, shows and Strip lit up all night, plus legal gambling statewide. It also has Lake Tahoe skiing, Great Basin National Park with 3,982 m (13,065 ft) Wheeler Peak, and Valley of Fire’s red sandstone. Add Black Rock Desert, home of Burning Man each late summer, and Area 51 lore along the Extraterrestrial Highway.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other American regions near Nevada

Explore more nearby:

  • California—Sierra granite, redwood coast, Mojave basins, Highway 1| 394 km away
  • Utah—Five national parks, Zion Narrows, Delicate Arch, red-rock hoodoos| 432 km away
  • Idaho—Sawtooth lakes, lava fields, Hells Canyon, Boise Greenbelt| 565 km away

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We 💚 feedbackFinal thoughts on visiting Nevada

Nevada hides its best moments in the gaps between towns, where Highway 50 runs 100 miles with barely a gas pump and the sky does the entertaining. Most first-timers rush that stretch to reach Reno or Las Vegas. I would fill the tank early, pack extra water, and pull over at every dirt-road turnoff that looks like nothing.

✈️ When did I visit the USA?
In January 2023 I visited New York. Many years before, before digital cameras existed, I discovered most of the national parks in the West.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in the USA, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

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