Elko County

Heart of Nevada

The Markers Statistics

The name "Elko" is said to mean "white woman" -- said to be spoken by a Native American chief upon his first glance at the region's first white female settlers. Others believe that the name was given by a man who enjoyed putting the letter "O" after certain animal names. Rambunctious? It's in Elko's nature after all.

While the origins of Elko's name remain unclear, its growth and history remain absolute. This town began its life as a railroad town in 1868, having served as an important temporary terminus for both the Central Pacific and the first portion of the Transcontinental Railroad between California and Utah. When the railroad crews moved on Elko survived as a ranch and outpost before changing status as a mining and supply post. A courthouse was built a year later and with it the creation of a massive county with that same elusive name in 1869.

The railroad has since moved on and nobody knows how or why mining became the city's main trade. The massive Getchell Mine (technically in Eureka County) funds every bit of this old cowboy town. Bits of tourism, as well as continuous traffic from the interstate helps to top off Elko's steady and bustling economy. However, a lingering fear settles that once "the Mine" has petered out, Elko will soon fall victim to the typical boom and bust cycle of so many other Nevada communities. Nevada's own mini city is nestled in a broad valley just a few miles from the massive ramparts of the Ruby Mountains, located 368 miles east of Reno and more than 250 miles west of Salt Lake City, Utah. Elko enjoys its freedom and spaciousness in the far open expanses of northeastern Nevada. In fact, Elko relishes its seclusion and seems to get by just fine. This "The Heart of Nevada" writes its own rules.

The Great Escape
This place backs itself up on much more than gold. Geographically, Elko County comprises a massive chunk of Nevada that encompasses the entire northeast corner of the state. It even prides itself with a few superlatives. Elko is home to at least a dozen mountain ranges, including its own crown jewel - the Ruby Mountains, the most well-watered range in the Great Basin. It's also the birthplace of the Humboldt River, the longest waterway in Nevada and in addition to the Humboldt, hundreds of miles of streams tumble down its ranges. Here, it's simple to feel like a player in the county's sprawling outdoor arena. The typical Elko tourist may be interested in only a day's adventure, or they may feel the need for something deeper. Either way, Elko County welcomes everyone.

The Markers
Much like its scenery, road time in Elko County is also worthy of superlative status and you should expect more than their fair share of time behind the wheel. In fact, allow me to go down fighting and say this is the best county for conquering and one of the most difficult to tackle effectively! Elko's markers are widely distributed and visitors should not expect to conquer them in one day. I recommend spending an entire week to effectively capture these markers ...

With a little planning we found ourselves doubling back only once the entire trip during the fall of 2008. We began the week by tackling [151] Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee where one single pesky marker requires a long day's trip from any direction and ninety one miles from Elko. Immediately next, we made the slow ride up to capture two of the most difficult markers to obtain in Nevada. After spending two lovely days in Jarbidge we spent one whole day on US 93, conquering the two remote stragglers in Jackpot while making our back to the interstate and Elko's center of action. After meeting back up with Interstate 80 we made two trips including the necessary double-back to [46] and the 23-mile detour to lonely [73] in Montello.

In all, we had covered the eastern portion of the county in three and a half days, including the trip to Jarbidge thus completing an enormous circle back to Elko and spending a full day working the markers in and around the city. Finally, we cruised through the western portion of the county - tackling [48] and outward toward Carlin [112] and Palisade [65]. For those of you who wonder about such things, we we racked up a total of $125 in fuel over a five-day period at Elko's average price of $3.89/gallon (September 2008)! How's that for thinking ahead?