Camp McGarry

"Seems like the weather has put a halt on our original itinerary. We stopped at the Soldier Meadows Ranch and met with Jim and Lisa, the long-time owners of the ranch, who saw us photographing the marker in front of the ranch. Our original plan was to connect back to Denio, but Jim warned us that Summit Lake has completely flooded the road. There was no way to get through, "unless you have a winch." I'd never seen such serious, yet calming eyes before. He gave us a few alternate routes to get back "to civilization" (as he put it), but in every direction, we would be on our own. Perhaps I took this region for granted. In this very isolated patch of America, I have never seemed so small and so helpless amidst such a vast quadrant of Great Basin. In a way, Jim and Lisa were the guardians of this region. No. Not just guardians. Activists. Caretakers. Advisors. Strangers, converted to instant friends." -- June 2011

[162]       

CR 208, Soldier Meadows Ranch, 58.8 miles north of Gerlach

Humboldt
  41.395060, -119.165610

Original Date Visited: 6/4/11
Signed: No

Marker History: Actually, the Soldier Meadows Ranch is not the site of Camp McGarry, but due to the remoteness of the area, placing the marker here made more sense. The site of Camp McGarry is actually located ten miles to the northeast, right at the foot of the North Black Rock Range. However, the Ranch is the closest we can get to the actual site. Marker 162 is kind of an oddball in the system because it's so remote. Locating a marker out here was no easy feat, as you have to survey the land in front of the ranch, hire contractors to come all the way out here to install, and obtain permissions from both Humboldt County and the Ranch owners. Today, the marker is a proud representation of Camp McGarry, a piece of history that is actually quite obscure. If it wasn't for Marker 162, we'd likely never know about this obscure outpost.

Also, if the SHPO took the time, expenses, and effort to locate a marker all the way out here -- 60 miles from the nearest paved rad, why haven't they installed other markers like this more often? I'm referring specifically to the actual site of old mining towns? This was done in a few rare cases, such as - 6 - Nelson, - 102 - Goodsprings, -105 - Ione, and - 138 - Belmont, but the rest I feel are sorely disappointing, leaving hunters and history seekers with a lot to be desired. Check out my Marker Rankings page below and see all of the cases where the SHPO missed this fantastic opportunity statewide. Will you be as shocked as I am? Tell me what you think.

Notes: Before venturing to this marker, we highly recommend visiting our Trip to Soldier Meadows at the link below. This trip is designed to elaborate and emphasize on the extreme remote factor of this marker. There's a reason we had to wait two full years to start our grand finale. Marker 162 is approximately 171.3 miles north of Reno.

Take that in for a second. This amounts to 64 miles from the nearest paved road and a thousand miles from neon-norms of Nevada! There's no such thing as a casual drive to Soldier Meadows because the SHPO placed this marker right in the heart of Nevada's "forgotten corner" -- a vast 200-square mile area with a population of less than 200 people, truly, the most remote spot in the lower 48. The only form of services within a one hundred square mile radius will be the the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch, Summit Lake Reservation, and the few hardy vagabonds traversing the area at BLM campgrounds. Conquering any patch of this wild country requires a bit of dedication. As such, we've painstakingly catalogued our trip using milemarkers to ensure accuracy to the marker with no detours or diversions. To this day, I receive more emails about Marker 162 than any of the other 273 in the entire system -- from curious seekers like yourselves who find the trip a bit too intimidating.

OUR TRIP TO MARKER 162

   Marker Superlative

- 162 - is the state marker furthest from services (most remote)!

Exact Description:
Here on the old Applegate Trail was an army fort manned from 1865 to 1868.

Troops protected the Idaho-California Mail and Stage Roads and the nearby trails in Nevada and Oregon.

Officers' quarters, mess hall, barracks and a 100 horse stone barn were constructed 12 miles south of the fort.

In 1866, Camp McGarry was made headquarters of the District of Nevada. In autumn 1868, troops moved to Camp Winfield Scott, north of Paradise, Nevada, and Camp McGarry, largest military reservation in Nevada, comprising 75 square miles, was abandoned.

In 1871, the land was relinquished for use as an Indian reservation.

By whatever direction you choose, you're in it for the long haul!

Humboldt County Conquered, 2011

As you can see, the marker itself is less exciting than the trip itself. Despite this, #162 is our favorite one in the entire system!

Next Marker

CHINATOWN (EARLY NAME OF DAYTON)

Related Links & Markers:

 Our Trip to Soldier Meadows   - 49 - Applegate-Lassen Trail Emigrant Cutoff   - 89 - Paradise Valley   Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch  Marker Superlatives  A Visit to the Area (Not My Video!)   Alvord to the Black Rock (Branded in Ink) 

Have you been to this marker? Tell us all about it here!