Soak that in for a second.

These are the nearest "cities" in proximity to the marker. Except for Winnemucca, we're bending the term "city" a bit. By Nevada standards, 60.2 miles (from Gerlach) isn't all that bad. The challenge isn't so much the distance, but rather the complete lack of fuel and cell service. You won't find any. People new to the region are taken away by the area's immediate loneliness upon leaving any of these points on the map, the most common of which is Gerlach or Cedarville. You'll find a few routes into the region, but the safest of them enters from the south on County Road 208, known locally as the "Soldier Meadows Road." This is a long gravel path that cuts right into the heart of the Northwest Corner, but there's a reason why it's also nicknamed, "the Forgotten Corner."

Three ways to Soldier Meadows:

First, a word of note!

To levy this shock to the system, there is a bit of relief. The BLM has scattered towers, primitive campsites, and weather-tight cabins (available on a first-come-first-serve basis) throughout the 200-square mile region to alleviate a bit of unease. You read that right. 200 hundred square miles. People come to the area to commune with nature herself and aside from your completionist soul, it'll probably be this reason why you'd find your way out here.

Yep. Ma Nature is pretty decent company, but keep in mind that she's in complete control up here: despite all of the measures and safeguards, despite the knowledgeable folks who service the region.

Aside from a handful of ranches and BLM backcountry rangers, the Northwest Corner is definitely one of the last places left where society hasn't quite taken hold. This is natural grandeur. No secondary ingredients or preservatives. Perhaps this addage applies better to this area than anywhere else in Nevada: You are on your own! Do not expect help around the corner. Do not take things for granted. The towers that I mentioned above will not provide mobile coverage! These towers are more SAT-link in nature. They receive feedback on atmospheric conditions, and transmit to both broadcast stations and local sheriffs in the event that BLM officials have to close roads, or transmit requests to local authorities (such as county sheriffs) for emergency breakdowns. Even with this, don't expect speedy rescue.

To this day, the best resource in this region is your own. Visit the region well-prepared, well-stocked, and fully-versed that this is not your average Nevada outing.

From Cedarville, CA.
  Old State Route 8A -

The first route to Soldier Meadows that we're listing is by far the wildest of them all. This one demands a great deal of study, preparation, and knowledge in backcountry travel. Before you even begin this route, dive into rabbit holes to do your homework here. Travel (more like slugging) on SR 8A is not a spur of the moment deal. This is Nevada at its most raw and unfiltered.

This journey skirts from the west out of Cedarville, California -- a pretty little hamlet of about 350 people on the east side of the Warner Mountains. This little nook of northeast CA, specifically Modoc County, is considered the "Outback of California" and you can see why. It's actually more in common with Nevada and Oregon than to Sacramento. The vibe up here is a unique Nev-oregon mix. Grab a bite to eat and stock up at the Cedarville Grocery Store before following CA 299 east across Alkali Valley.

Upon leaving town, you'll be greeted with the sign below.

The Stolpa Family
This precursor warns you well in advance, yes? Nope, CalTrans isn't jumping the gun here, in fact, kudos for including "Winter Travel Not Advised." The most famous story to date of the Northwest Corner concerns the Stolpa Family who became trapped on Old SR 8A in December of 1994. Snow had hindered their travel plans on holiday vacation and the Stolpas thought they found an alternate route to Idaho via Old SR 8A. Just forty five minutes into the trip upon leaving Cedarville, the Stolpas truck became trapped in over two feet of snow, and miles from help. Two days later and hours from death, the family was lucky to be rescued by a Washoe Sheriff who just happened to wander by: at the right moment, at the right time. This is not the first story of this ever happening either. This is just the most publicized.

So, at the risk of sounding dramatic: you can say that to this day CalTrans continues to save lives with this sign.

For seven miles, 299 cuts lazily across the valley toward a lofty mountain range until the seven mile mark hits you like a brick with the photo below!

It really is something. The immediate boundary, knowing that you're immediately done with civilization, is pretty stark. Anything east of this line is left to your own self-sufficiency. 299 ends immediately here at the Nevada state line giving way to an unpaved gravel path signed as "Nevada State Line, Washoe County Line, SR 8A."

If that wasn't enough, the most disconcerting part at this point is the lack of any mileage. What was once a nice and lazy paved highway turns into a dirt road stretching up and into nowhere for miles. No pavement. No mileage signs. No taco stands. Nothing. Who needs transition? All you're greeted with is the photo above. Even eight miles well into Nevada you still won't find a single mileage sign! This is the Washoe County most people don't know exists. You know to do and what not to forget. Welcome to Nevada at its wildest!

Did You Know ... Believe it or not this remote area used to be its own county? Around 1960, three counties -- Roop, Lake, and Ormsby -- were relinquished for various reasons. The largest of these was Lake County, which comprised this area entire area from the Oregon state line south to Gerlach, with Washoe taking over to Reno. However, Lake only had a total population of less than 200 residents and the state legislature decided that its low population didn't warrant its own county. Instead the State extended the borders of Washoe County all the way to Oregon and eighty-sixed Lake for good. Today, this makes governing extreme northern Washoe County a true challenge for Sheriffs who can rarely get up to this part of the county! About once a month a Washoe Deputy Sheriff is assigned to do a pass through of the area, or usually in assisting in towing out stuck vehicles more than anything else! Most of the time though, governance up here is left to a combined effort of three state county sheriffs: Harney (OR) out of Lakeview, Modoc (CA) out of Alturas, and a combined effort of Washoe and Humboldt Counties (NV). If you get stuck in the mud, your call to help will be routed to any one of these three bodies and whatever body is closest to your location. See all 274 Nevada Fun Facts here

- Seven miles later, you'll come across this intersection with County Route 34.

Continue straight, young Padawans.

What you see is probably the most important crossroads in this remote sector of the country. This junction determines your journey in four directions: west to California, north into Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, back south to Nevada's urban population, or further east into the outback. Of course, we're treading east, my friends!

While you're up in these remote parts consider heading south for forty minutes to survey the site of - 149 - High Rock Canyon -- a long-lost marker that stood all by its lonesome at another road junction into High Rock Canyon. By turning south, CR 34 will take you back to Gerlach in about four hours. After contemplating a bit, continue straight (east) for 1.3 miles to this final road junction ...

Zoom in to notice the battered BLM sign pointing the way! Old SR 8A turns east here while CR 34 continues straight toward "Vya," the most notable "community" (if you can call it that) in this remote sector of the US. Vya is little more than a cluster of ranches, a Washoe County Maintenance Yard, and most notably, the Old Yella Dog Ranch. "The Dog" is a unique experience where you can book a secluded wooden cabin that sleeps up to six guests. Other than that, this is only semblance of civilization you'll get for awhile. If you continue past Vya, CR 34 will spit you out onto Highway 140 just shy of Adel, OR. in about fifty miles.

Considering the Northwest Corner is laced with a spiderweb of dirt roads, the BLM has done an excellent job in signing the region.

If you use Google Maps to plot your way from Vya to Soldier Meadows, it'll recommended these three possible routes ...

Notice the shortest recommendation (the bolded route on the map above) uses CR 34 south. This directs you back to Gerlach anyway then using our third option north to Soldier Meadows. The other two routes head east from this junction. As such, use this shorter recommendation as your safer back-up plan in case the other two routes become impassable ... which is an everyday possibility.

NOTE!
As you'll see in a few minutes, the route through High Rock Canyon is recommended for four-wheel-drive vehicles only! Some of the hardiest four-wheel-drives have even found themselves stuck in High Rock. So, before continuing east from the 34/8A junction, do not risk the journey if you are in any doubt about your rig, driving ability, or weather conditions. This particular stretch of 8A is the site where the Stolpas broke down. If this happens to you, help is almost always days away! We are not kidding.

Comfortable with your decision? Let's make a right at the junction toward "High Rock Canyon." From this point you face a daunting 50-mile trek to the Soldier Meadows Road.

This is the sign that greets you after turning right at this junction. This is the last time you'll see reassurance for "8A" out here.
You're now left to navigating by BLM road names.

Therefore, if you take anything at all away from these pages ... we recommend starting the trip with the Nevada Benchmark ("Black") Atlas towed beneath your seat. Yes, before the internet there was a groundbreaking thing called a paper. This atlas doesn't ever break down. Best of all, the Black Atlas color codes the many BLM routes recommended for making the trip by difficulty. In fact, I wouldn't ever venture into the Nevada outback without this atlas.

This atlas never lets you down. Check out the link below to purchase your copy!

A Home Away From Home
About halfway along the route (Mile 24 from CR 34/Vya), you'll find a narrow track leading to a weather-tight cabin known as "Stevens Camp," one of several backcountry cabins the BLM has installed throughout the region. Stevens is a popular site with four established camping areas near the free-use cabin. The cabin itself comes stocked with a few conveniences including ...

• - Picnic Tables
• - A vault toilet
• - Fire pits (bring your own firewood)
• - Running water (must be treated prior to drinking)
• - A twin-sized bed
• - A wood stove (please replenish any precious firewood that you use!)
• - A propane grill
• - Running shower
• - Partially stocked food pantry
• ... and even a solar-powered refrigerator and water heater!

The generator that provided valuable light and power fell victim to the elements in 2021, so maintenance here is left mostly to docents and good samaritans. Stevens Camp provides a solid base camp for exploration of the area and it's no wonder that this valuable bit of shelter in this lonely land is full most of the summer. If you happen to use up any of the valuable food amenities and bottled water here please re-stock them as best you can. Ordinarily, if you see a vehicle parked in front of the cabin, wave hello, be courteous, and let them enjoy their stay. Utilize one of the four camnpgrounds instead and enjoy a bit of camaradarie in the middle of nowhere. Check out the link above to prep your stay at Stevens Camp.

After Stevens Camp, the brunt of this trek slugs on through the one and only, High Rock Canyon, with a crawling speed of 10mph. The one-lane path courses on and throws plenty of blind hills and curves your way with only one or two patches to turn around. The road cuts through chest-high grass with very few shoulders on the path. Pretty much once you're in you might as well carry on.

© Travel Nevada

In fact, the road through High Rock isn't really a road at all, but actually the original California Emigrant Trail! It's here that emigrants passed beneath these towering basalt walls to California in 1850. In some places the canyon walls still hold their graffiti and the very road traces the ruts that their wagons and oxen left behind.

The BLM has done practically nothing to improve the road's driveability the myriads of off-road vehicles, instead preferring to keep the path as it is for generations to come. The good news is that you'll find about four spots where you can car camp in here if things get dicey. One of the safest spots is, ironically, near the middle of the canyon. The BLM's only rule is for you to park far enough away from the seasonal stream that flows through here. The myriads of mysterious wildlife in this area are vitally dependant on this trickle of water. High Rock is truly one of the Seven Wonders of Nevada.

Upon leaving the canyon, "High Rock Road" levels out onto several plateaus and cuts through the Soldier Meadows Conservation Area before it finally meets the Soldier Meadows Road, 82.7 miles from our starting point in Cedarville!

All you have to do now is make the turn north onto "Soldier Meadows Road" for the final two miles. What better way to do Nevada than this?

"Winnemucca to the Sea Highway" - State Route 140
  From Winnemucca and Denio, Nevada

The "backdoor" into Soldier Meadows might be the easiest route into the area because most of the journey will be on paved highways. Head north on US 95 from Winnemucca for 31 miles to SR 140. As the sign states, there are no services on 140 for 65 miles. Bring it on. The speed limit here will be a posted 75mph and it's not uncommon in these parts to see plenty of herds of Pronghorn and Wild Horses.

Plenty of fast, open road on the way to Soldier Meadows!

Keep an eye out around the Leonard Creek junction (halfway to Denio) as the highway cuts through a ten-mile-long valley near Bilk Creek Reservoir. Welcome to Nevada at its wildest.

"The Junction"
- At Mile 65, you'll be greeted by this sign above.

Welcome to Denio Junction. Commonly referred to by the locals as "The Junction," you'll find some pretty decent necessities in this sparse region. It's pretty much become an oasis out here with expensive fuel, bar and restaurant, a small motel, as well as a slot room to serve that Nevada fix. People as far as Lakeview and Burns normally make this pilgrimage to have a roll at the slots. Most importantly, the lush green lawn and huge shade trees provide a bit of a respite from the road!

Northbound Sidetrip!
Heading north on SR 292 leads you to Denio, Nevada's smallest border town, and Fields, Oregon, another 24 miles further. Denio (population 27) lives well off the radar with no services for commuters. Rather than Denio, we recommend carrying on north past the state line to Fields, a town not much bigger than Denio, but famous for some of the tastiest burgers and milkshakes in the Great Basin! (Seriously, people from Central Oregon make it a weekend trip just for a Fields milkshake.) From Fields, you can continue north to US 20 at Burns, the largest city in southeast Oregon -- a stunning day-trip that traverses the impeccable beauty of Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert.

Fill up here while you can because you'll be hardpressed to miss the huge blue sign that says "Next Gas 82 miles." Remember, there is no fuel anywhere heading west on SR 140 until you get to Adel, Oregon!

Continue west on 140 toward "Lakeview" for another 23 miles to a crusty road on your left. This is what you'll see.

© Looking for Detachment

The ambiguous pointer to "Cedarville" and "Game Refuge" doesn't give you much information, but this is the "backroad" to California. This is the north end of the Soldier Meadows Road and our first route -- Old State Route 8A. This is where our first route spits you out if you're coming from Cedarville. The owners of the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch have plans to place a sign at this junction to help guide travelers here, but nothing has been done yet. The pandemic likely knocked that plan out, so the photo above is all you get.

The following website, Looking for Detachment, covers this road better than I ever could. Give it a visit here!

To make this more confusing, this road is officially signed as "Knott Creek Road" (as you can see on the Street View above), yet the Nevada Black Atlas names it "Soldier Meadows Road/CR 208." Make a left here and prepare for about a 40-minute run to the ranch. Humboldt County Officials do a great job every year maintaining the road with a posted 35MPH. Thankfully, the BLM has posted destinations with mileages at necessary road junctions throughout its length, so getting lost out here is a tall feat. There have been enough people losing their bearings out here that these signs became mandatory post pandemic. However, the weather is the factor that we all cannot control. Despite its beautifully maintained structure, the road is often nasty during the wet season or after recent snows.

Therefore before you make your trip out here, always call the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch or the BLM Station in Gerlach to find out the latest in road conditions! We are not kidding. According to a 2021 BLM survey, 63.4% of vehicles that were pulled out or needed rescuing occurred during the months of March through June.

Continue south on Knott Creek Road and ignore all the other routes signed toward "Onion Valley," or "Knott Creek, Blue Lakes." At about 22 miles south of SR 140 you'll find this important crossroads ...

© Looking for Detachment

It seems that the BLM used "Cedarville" is the control point out here, so don't expect mileage to "Soldier Meadows!" This is a common mistake and where a lot of people get confused. Always follow in the direction of Cedarville. If you called the Guest Ranch or BLM prior to your trip, good for you and continue on, my friends! If you didn't, shame on you because this might be your last chance to turn around.

- From here, the road (now officially designated at "CR 208") winds up and over a steep steppe on its way closer to the Summit Lake Reservation. Why the change in designation, we don't know. That's why having that Nevada Black Atlas is so crucial!

Ever needed proof how remote you are? Look at far the nearest hospital services are!

The road makes a sudden swing left to caress the southern shoreline of Summit Lake for about two miles. The absurdly clear water of Summit Lake is plenty inviting and that's exactly what gets people in trouble. Summit Lake is completely off-limits to the public as stated by the liberally posted "No Trespassing" signs above. There's a sign every half mile clearly making sure the public knows this. Post pandemic, cameras were installed to alert Washoe and Humboldt County deputies in the event that throwback idiots wanted to ignore the signs.

Summit Lake is fascinating and I've spent days down a rabbit hole in learning about this ancient place. Summit Lake and its inlet, Mahogany Creek, are the nuclei of the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Natural Area. What does this mean? This is the official birthplace of the Lahontan Cutthroat, the last natural stronghold where the Cutts have bred naturally and have grown undisturbed for eons. In fact, Mahogany Creek and Summit Lake are the only places left in the entire Great Basin that are completely unimpacted or undisturbed by the public -- the only two dependable and natural watersheds that provide natural spawning (not artificial!) of the endangered fish. After five years of natural spawning, the tribe then transplants fish all over Nevada and SE Oregon, including Mann, Marlette, and Pyramid Lakes. Yup. The giant 20-pounder you caught in Pyramid last season probably came from Summit Lake.

I highly recommend you visit the website below to learn about the tribe's efforts ... and a little more insight to this hugely unknown place.

- For the weary traveler like yourself, Summit Lake can also hugely impact your trip. Remember my word of advice earlier?

"... Therefore before you make your trip out here, always call the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch or the BLM Station in Gerlach to find out the latest in road conditions! We are not kidding."

Well, here's why. In especially wet years, Summit Lake completely floods the road creating an impassable barrier out of the area. (My own personal story coming up!) If this happens, you have no choice but to turn around and head back to SR 140, a long and wasted 34-mile run. Do not, under any circumstance, try to cross this road if its underwater. It'll take at least six hours for Washoe or Humboldt Sheriffs to reach you, and the nearest tow truck is in Lakeview, three hours away. Don't expect help from the ranch either. You will be on your own and completely trapped.

Case in point: a simple phone call to the Soldier Meadows Ranch or BLM will not only save you time, but will save you from a $2,000 tow out of the area. The towns of Lakeview (and sometimes Adel) own the only reliable tow trucks in the area for a hundred miles. Yes. Even the Nevada Sheriffs call Oregon for towing people out of here. Do your homework!

- If the road is clear, straggle on for another twelve miles as the road skirts away from the lake and officially enters Soldier Meadows. Pat yourself on the back.

Soldier Meadows Surprise!
You'll pass Marker 162 before arriving at the entrance gate to the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch. This is a working cattle ranch that also happens to serve up huge meals and guest lodging at decent prices! In short, the ranch provides a tiny pocket of community and civilization in this sparse region. After the long, dusty drive in 2011, we stopped at the ranch for a hardy meal and some even hardier conversation which opened up onto Owner Lisa preparing us for our trip out. Having arrived from Gerlach, we intended to follow the road north out to SR 140, but that was quickly felled. Lisa stated that the lake had flooded the road and was completely impassable to even the most hardcore four-wheel-drive rigs. In this case we had to either turn back the way we came or head out using the High Rock Canyon route (the first route listed on this page).

Damn. Now that's how you Nevada!

Update!
Sadly, the Soldier Meadows Guest Ranch is under new ownership after the passing of Bob, the former guest ranch owner in 2016. The Ranch's official site was shut down shortly after his passing, now with very little places to book a stay at the ranch. Post pandemic, we dove a little deeper. Except for rare emergency situations, such as vehicle trouble or health concerns, the ranch no longer accepts visitors without a reservation. The Ranch no longer has a tow truck, so do not rely on them for pulling you out of the area. You can book a visit, a stay, or a meal via the links I've provided above.

From Gerlach, NV.
   CR 34 and "Soldier Meadows Road"

This third route will most likely your way into Soldier Meadows, the route that we chose for our conquering of Marker 162. Though it's a bit more tame, this journey is an equally long one, and no less spectacular that the other two we've listed. "Soldier Meadows Road" (noted as County Road 208 on the Nevada Black Atlas) is mostly gravel with a few patches of gnarly washboard as you near Wagner Spring. Your main concerns will be a two-mile section of nasty sandpits nearer the Black Rock playa, along with the regular wet-season troubles.

Use extreme caution during the months of March to June. CR 208 is maintained road graders from Washoe, Pershing, and Humboldt Counties, but not all of them work together. It's whatever county gets up there first, and that's not often until Memorial Day. We recommend saving this marker until mid-June at the earliest.

After leaving the playa, the road itself becomes a boundary line to a handful of awesome wilderness areas (which I've also provided links throughout the trip.) Here, hikers can park directly off the road and just start walking into a few side canyons on the wilderness boundaries. If you plan it right, you can have an entire mountain range to yourself.

First step is getting to Gerlach, shall we?

One of my favorite signs in Nevada!

- From Reno/Sparks, use Exit 43 ("Wadsworth") from Interstate 80, and head east for 1 mile to SR 447. Turn left here to begin your long 77-mile haul to Gerlach! (Be sure to conquer Marker 68 and Marker 148 on the way!) (For "Reno-ites" keeping track, this rounds out to 107 miles north of Reno, not Sparks.) At Mile 16, you'll enter the town of Nixon, and the main nucleus of the massive Pyramid Lake Reservation. I've covered most of the ins-and-outs of this reservation pretty well on my I-80 Roadtrip.

After leaving the security of Nixon and Pyramid Lake, consider yourself on your own for the next 61 miles. At Mile 23, just past the hill from Pyramid Lake, SR 447 makes a nice coast down into Winnemucca Valley. For close to 20 miles, SR 447 parallels the massive playa of Winnemucca Lake (right center) to grant a nice reminder of days gone past along the way. Thanks to the Newlands Irrigation Project and a re-routing of the Truckee River's plumbing, Winnemucca Lake finally dried up in 1939. The drive to Gerlach alone is pretty immense and intimidating ... truly, an impressive step into some very primal landscape. When we went in early February, the temperature was fantastic at only 43 degrees and the lake shimmered with a thin blanket of water courtesy of melting snows. Truly, hauntingly beautifuL!

Center of the Known Universe!
Gerlach coins the nickname, "Where the Pavement Ends and the West Begins." And well ... one trip out here and you'll see why.

Here's the cold hard truth. This tiny outpost of 154 people is the largest settlement in this 200-square mile region east to Winnemucca, north to Lakeview, and west to Cedarville! Therefore, we highly recommend you pick up a spare gas can, top off your tank here, and well ... prepare to head north: WAY NORTH. If you've been paying attention this means this tiny burg provides the only services in this vast and sparsely populated region. Don't worry. (We'll sink more into the Gerlach rabbit hole on our trip.) Of course, Gerlach is celebrated as the gateway to the famed Black Rock Desert and home of the annual Burning Man Festival. During Labor Day week, Gerlach locals cater services to over 50,000 visitors every year, although Burning Man has slated a bit of controversy post pandemic. SR 447 officially ends at the Shell Station when you enter town, but a paved highway, Old SR 81 (Washoe County Route 447) continues northwest to connect with Eagleville, just south of Cedarville.

NOTE: Google Maps and the Nevada Black Atlas still refer to this route as "447," even though the route is not an official state highway. You'll notice the typical pentagon-shaped shield denoting a county route, yet Washoe decided to keep the same number for continuity. Every now and then you might see circle reassurance shields for "81" along the way as well. Confusing? Yes, but mostly irrelevant in such a remote part of the world.

If you haven't done so already, this gives you perfect opportunity to bag the two Gerlach markers here: - 24- Olinghouse and - 152 - Gerlach. For those of you keeping track, this run on SR 447 alone would've provided you with five historical markers. This is important because getting to Gerlach alone isn't exactly a "hit-it-quick" trip. Considering it's one-way run of 77 miles (149 round trip) those you visit Gerlach do so with intention. Once you're out here - you're in it for the long haul!

- Head north through Gerlach for 1 mile to a well-signed road fork of two paved highways.

- The left fork lists mileages to "Cedarville, Alturas, and Squaw Valley" via Washoe County Route 447. The right fork provides mileage to "Vya, Denio" and of course, "Soldier Meadows." Your decision here should be obvious. From this point the mileage to Soldier Meadows is "60" while the "Pavement Ends 24 miles" away.

So many numbers! So many places! So little time!

- Make the right turn here onto County Route (CR) 34. All you gotta do now is take in the view for 12 miles as the highway hugs the lakebed of the Black Rock playa. A handful of access points cruise down to the lakebed for recreational use to "Twelve Mile Access." We'll cover these in detail on our trip! Here, the road bends north away from the playa to yet another obvious road fork.

This was taken in 2011 before the ranch's new ownership. This sign may or may not be there today.

The sign above was courtesy of the owners and man, what a great invitation into this wild country! This wide gravel path will be your route for the next three hours. An over-ominous sign on your right will warn of "Minimum Maintenance, Travel at your own risk." Fear not. Bring extra water, food stuffs, a full gas tank, a spare tire, and a mind filled for exploration!