Onward to Ione!
There's no such thing as a casual drive to Ione. EYE-own. Yes, that's how you pronounce. It is not "eye-OWN-ee."
Got that? By whatever name, conquering any patch of this wild country will require a bit of dedication. No worries. We'll get there in style.
First, let's lay it out for you. We pain-stakingly took notes during our trip to bring you these mileage markers to ensure accuracy. This was done using odometers because Google Maps does not have an approximation on these specific points due to the area's isolation. We chose the traditional method of getting to Ione by route of SR 361 east out of Fallon, then south from US 50. As such, we've painstakingly catalogued each milemarker below for accuracy to the marker with no detours or diversions. (Don't worry. We saved those for last and outlined a few for you later on!) Therefore, all mileage plots you see below are approximate distances from the intersection of US 50 and SR 361 (the Gabbs Valley Highway).
As a bonus, we've linked every mile marker below with its corresponding GPS per Google Maps so you can do your own reference at home ... or maybe, even on the road if you're lucky enough to get service out here! However, we highly recommend you have a traditional Nevada Black Atlas in your vehicle, and do not rely on Google Maps for this trip. *
Be prepared for a long way off the beaten path! Marker 159 is one of the most remote markers in the system -- one that requires a long drive from almost every direction. Fortunately, the marker can also be readily accessed from almost any town. Expect to travel an average of ....
1 1/2 hours from Tonopah
1 hour from Austin
1 hour, 15 minutes from Fallon
1 hour, 5 minutes from Hawthorne
Despite its isolation, Ione can be accessed by three good routes - the most popular of which comes from the Reese River Valley by way of unpaved County Road 21. CR 21 leads south from Austin and crosses over the Shoshone Range through Ione Canyon popping you right at the east entrance to town. The second route (also unpaved) is via Union Canyon leading west from SR 376 in Big Smoky Valley. This good two-lane dirt road leads to Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park where it connects to CR 21 in Ione Valley just south of Ione.
| US 50 and Middlegate Station
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However, the most convenient route will be on pavement by way of SR 361, the Gabbs Valley Highway. This long two-laner makes a long beeline up the valley linking US 95 near Luning (east of Hawthorne) to US 50 at Middlegate (east of Fallon). Again one man's treasure can be another man's monotony and SR 361 will not disappoint in either case. To get here, we traveled east out of Fallon on US 50 for a long 47 miles to the outpost of Middlegate, where you'll see the Street View below ...
Notice there is no mileage listed to either destination! It's here at this far outpost where we turned south onto SR 361. This is how we Nevada!
Upon turning south on SR 361, you'll see the ever-popular and hoppin' Middlegate Station. (Why this one isn't an historic marker in itself I just don't know.) Middlegate was founded in 1857 by James Simpsonas one of the most active stations on the Pony Express Trail. The station was named by its unique location between two gate-like gaps in the mountains—known as Eastgate and Westgate respectively. The station remained open after the Pony died, and has since been a waypost for just everybody ... from miners to weary travelers as a roadside eatery on the Lincoln Highway.
© Atlas Obscura
Today, you can use Middlegate to fill your belly with one of its coveted burger specials before you continue on. SR 361 is used to connect US 50 and US 95 together with only one stop in between. That means, absolutely nothing but long waves of sagebrush ocean.
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| Mile 3 |
This is a typical arrow-straight view on SR 361 after passing Middlegate.
Mileage to ...
Gabbs, 30
US 50, 61
Again one man's treasure can be another man's monotony and SR 361 will not disappoint in either case.
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| Mile 16 |
SR 361 cuts through the narrow salient of Mineral County. Cartographically, we're not sure why Mineral has this "tail," but it's interesting nonetheless. We'll only be in Mineral for about five minutes before we enter the grand daddy of Nevada's counties. Carry on, friends.
Since there's not much to see along SR 361, we're celebrating these momentous occasions.
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| Mile 17 |
In Nevada, even ghost towns are control points from the highway! (Actually, I don't know any other state that does this.) Broken Hills and Quartz Mountain are interesting sites worthy of a quick trip since you're out in these neck of the woods. Hardly anything remains of either camp, but both cemeteries provide a nice and soothing stroll among the sage.
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| Mile 18 |
Entering Nye County! The next time you have a moment, take a look at this giant county on our state map. Nye is an interesting beast, being the largest county in size (3rd largest in America in fact!) Its size allows it to creep all the way up into this far northern nook of the state. It's mind-boggling to think that this same county is so large that it also kisses the outskirts of Las Vegas!
See the cold deserts of Northern Nevada and the sunstroked Joshuas of southern Nevada in one county. Pretty cool!
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| State Route 844
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After a forty-minute run from US 50, Mile 30 marks the first of a few interesting crossroads on this journey! If you need some expensive fuel, the tiny burg of Gabbs sits just 2 miles further on SR 361. From this point, US 95 is just another 40 minutes to the south if you're connecting between both US routes.
It seems like we're *ahem* ... "EYE-owning" this road. Laugh later, and turn left here.
There are only a few reasons why a person finds their way onto lonely State Route 844. The primary reason is Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park. The only purpose of SR 844 is linking the state park to the rest of society. Ione is the afterthought. Even during the peak tourist season of June through August, SR 844 is lucky to receive an average of 84 cars per day (as of 2022). In fact, according to Nevada State Parks, Berlin-Ichthyosaur and Elgin Schoolhouse are tied with receiving the least amount of visitors to any Nevada State Park.
So if you seek solitude with your state park experiences, Berlin-Ichthyosaur will not disappoint. We'll cover a bit of Berlin-Ichthyosaur later.
Again, NDOT failed in the mileage sign department. All we get is the brown sign for Berlin-Ichthyosaur posted for 20 miles. So, here you go.
Mileage to ...
Berlin-Ichthyosaur S.P. -- 20
Ione -- 23
Austin -- 57
Notice the Nevada State Parks sign on the right (behind the 844 shield).
Without this sign, not many people would think a state park exists out here! The scenery's gonna change quick in the next three miles.
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| Mile 33 |
SR 844 begins a pretty little ascent over the Little Shoshone Range. This is a surprisingly steep run, so don't be in such a hurry and enjoy the view.
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| Green Springs Summit (6,947')
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If you arrive here in October, this little mountain range harbors some of the more prolific pine nut harvests in the state. In fact, I'd rank easily as one of my top five favorites locations statewide simply because of its the area's isolation. Typically, the further away you are from a population center, the better the harvest. This summit is approximately 8.3 miles east of the turnoff with SR 361.
Immediately, SR 844 begins its last bit of mileage descending back down the mountain range into Shoshone Valley.
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| Mile 39 |
After a long three mile descent, SR 844 drops into Ione Valley for its last mile of pavement. This section is where we were lucky enough to spot a huge herd of wild horses.
This is a surprisingly steep descent and horses regularly migrate across this valley two and from both mountain ranges (Little Shoshone and Shoshone Ranges). Throw it in neutral and coast down to enjoy the view!
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| Mile 40 |
At the end of the valley, the official designation of SR 844 ends. What you're seeing is the last segment of paved road and state highway.
In approximately one mile, you're greeted with this sign. Now the fun begins!
On our conquering of Marker 159, we didn't see any pointer signs whatsoever. Apparently, NDOT and the Nye County Road Department figured people would find their way on their own out here. However, a sign was eventually installed and this is what you'll see today ...
As you can see, it's not much ... again, following in the tradition of not posting mileages. Upon arriving at the sign (Street View) above, you have three very important choices to make -- a dubious, unsigned three-way road junction.
"Gabbs-Pole Line Road"
The right turn here is the "Gabbs-Pole Line Road," a long and dusty sixty miles to US 95. For convenience purposes the Pole Line Road drops you off about 5 miles outside of Tonopah. Again, here are the numbers since mileages seem to be out-of-style out here.
Mileage to ...
Crescent Dunes, 56
US 95, 60
Tonopah, 64
This is a popular route regularly frequented by locals who use this as a shortcut to get to Tonopah (and the rest of Nye County administration) rather than have to drive all the way to SR 361. You won't find too much in the way of interest except for the 10-acre Crescent Dunes as you near US 95. The county keeps the Pole-Line well-graded year-round, so you can easily reach 45-50 mph on this road.
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
The road straight ahead (climbing up the bajada) is "Berlin Rd." This one doesn't get you Ione, but rather an opportunity to visit a little pocket fairly unknown to most Nevadans. Basically, if you're headed for Ione, a trip to Berlin-Ichthyosaur pretty much comes with the territory. Let's do this.
As you can see, the county takes special care of this path year-round primarily for its service to a Nevada State Park. And this is a unique one! Berlin-Ichthyosaur combines two completely opposite things: an old mining town and the fossilized remains of ancient "fish lizards" called Ichthyosaurs. Truly, a two-for-one special! Due to the park's relative isolation from Reno, even on mid-summer weekends, consider 3-4 cars a busy day out here.
Part 1: Berlin
Well despite popular belief, the town never prospered to the same extent as other boom towns in the area. Other towns in the region, specifically Grantsville, Union, and Downieville, surpassed it quickly. For one, Berlin was a company town, arranged in the shape of U; the town essentially opened to the east to provide easy access to its "suburb" of Union. Although Berlin witnessed extensive mining activity, the town had about 75 buildings, but only 300 residents. This low population partly accounts for its excellent state of preservation today. The Berlin Mine had three miles of tunnels, but produced less than $1 million worth of gold and silver during its lifetime. The Diana mine connects to the Berlin Mine at the fourth level and is preserved as a mining museum.
Sadly, guided tours of the Diana Mine were permanently shut down due to state budget cuts. However, this also opened a rare opportunity to spot the innards of a stamp mill, where you can walk around inside the giant structure to your heart's content. Peer into the windows and see things as they were over a hundred years ago. This is easily a place where you could spend hours filling up a memory card. Come here at sunset with a wicked sky to grab some very compelling images of a Nevada ghost town.
Part 2: Ichthyosaur
The Ichthyosaur portion of the park is a quick ten minute drive east of Berlin and there's a reason for this. You'll be greeted by the huge "Fossil House," a giant metal canopy that contains the original specimens as they were found by UNR in 1974. Not a plastic representation. These fossils are the real deal. As an added bonus, NSP installed the Ichthyosaur Trail, a giant mural that depicts a real-to-lifesize representation of an Ichthyosaur. Stand here and have the obligatory selfie to see just how small you really are compared to a giant fish lizard. The trail canters on a short, but lovely 1.3-mile walk through the pinyon forest beginning and ending at the Fossil House.
Check out the links I have below for camping options and videos of this very underrated state park!
This backroad beauty makes a great choice if you're headed east to conquer the northern Nye markers (42, 96, 97, 138, 217) in Big Smoky Valley, or bagging "The Big Three" (mining camps) in one day: Berlin, Manhattan, and Belmont! Ione Valley is the midpoint where you can head north instead to Austin. So many options ... so few people, and so little time!
After the state park, don't expect much in the way of mileages. But then again ... are you surprised by now? So here you go.
Back at our road junction it's the left turn we want onto County Route 21 to find the elusive Marker 159. Finally, our destination lies only 7 miles up this well-graded dirt highway!
CR 21 is the backcountry alternative to SR 361 in Gabbs Valley. With this, you can directly connect from US 50 to US 95 without your tires ever meeting pavement! CR 21 officially begins at SR 722 (the Old Lincoln Highway) about thirty miles south of Austin, and beelines it to the foot of the Shoshone Range at the very southern end of Reese River Valley. Here, wave at the folks on the Yompa Reservation before the road climbs over the Shoshone Range where the road plops you right at Ione. CR 21 is one of Nye County's pride and joys and expect to see a road grader here or there during the early summer. We buzzed down this road at 50 mph!
This is classic backcountry Silver State! The hugely weathered BLM sign here points the way to Ione along with the mileage to US 50. In case you were curious, Burnt Cabin Summit isn't much. Just a typical mountain pass carpeted in silence and pinyon pines.
Soaking in the silence for a moment, it's here we turned right following in the course of CR 21.
This is just past the BLM sign. CR 21 begins its climb over the Shoshone Range and with it, the final two miles before arriving at ...
After 44 miles, we're greeted with this poignant sign designed to leave you speechless ... truth, one of Nevada's still-beating hearts.
Did you remember that it's pronounced "EYE-own?"
I mean, BOOM! "The town that refused to die." Pure attitude.
The stubbornness of Ione is also it's best trait. Frankly, I find it amazing that this little town has persevered for over 150 years. The biggest event to hit Ione in the past century was the arrival of pavement. Yes, pavement. The Nye Road Department thought it was a cute idea to celebrate Ione's 150th birthday by paving the main street in 2006. A rural Nevada oddity, but quirky Nevada at its best.
What you're seeing is practically the entire town, but what a stately one it is. The last census in 2020 almost forgot about the 22 residents in this tiny mountain hamlet! Later that year, Nye County recorders from both Pahrump and Tonopah were sent up here to verify the town's present population along with the outlying members of the Yompa Reservation. (Yes, a tiny blip of the reservation spills over the Nye/Lander line.) What you'll see today is mostly private residences scattered among the distinct ruins of the town's former days.
As you enter town, you'll notice this unassuming one-room ramshackle in the photo above. This is rumored to be the first ever courthouse in present-day Nye County, constructed in 1863! State historians have never able to verify this, but it's not too far fetched. If this is true, Ione would wipe Genoa and Dayton clean off the board with an awesome state superlative -- the first courthouse building in Nevada. If verifiable, Ione could unexpectedly, and forever snatch that coveted title of "Oldest Community."
(Ioneites?) Residents don't mind visitors, so feel free to wander up and down to your heart's content as long as you obey any and all "Private Property" signs scattered around town. If you're a cemetery fan, don't expect to find it easily. It's actually on the outer limits of town, so you might need to inquire with a local to find it.
Of course, the center of any town is the trusty saloon, and this one is no exception! The stately Ore House Saloon is open for only two months out of the year ... and only by the owner's discretion, whose name is ... *wait for it* ... Fly.
The saloon was closed when we arrived, and with absolutely nobody in sight, I used the opportunity to rendition the saloon in my own little photographic take. Before conquering the marker, we left a note on the door and caught up with Fly on a phone call when we got back home. It turns out that Fly actually arrived in Ione from Virginia City, seeking even more "peace and quiet." He fell in love with Ione during a visit and decided to somehow find his way back here. When I asked whether he'd ever be interested in selling the place, his response was firm and non-chalant:
Classic Nevadan.
Jokingly, he described Virginia City as having "too much flare," and "too many ice cream shops:" a nice tap to the arm in semblance to the Comstock's hokeyness and overly touristy fluff. It takes a special breed of person to live in Ione. Hell. It takes a special kind of person to visit Ione.
There is absolutely way too much to cover on this page and I haven't even touched on the outdoor samplings of the area. At the start of building this page, we thought about bringing you a return trip out of here, but we opted against it. Instead, with so much info we've thrown at you, it's best that you sample the other links I've also provided below. What you're getting here is far beyond an adventure. Nevada is a state, but it's certainly more a state of mind.
Be careful not to choke on all these links! We've prepared you the best we could.
Ione, Towns & Lodging
Middlegate Station
Ione (Travel Nevada)
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park (Official Site)
Camping at Berlin-Ichthyosaur (The Dyrt)
How to Visit Berlin (Inked in Wanderlust)
Travel Nevada
How'd we do? Have you been to Ione? Leave your footprint here!
Berlin probably provides the most ideal image of a "ghost town," and this is precisely what Nevada State Parks was going for when they acquired the park in 1970. To this day, Berlin is the most well-preserved ghost town in the state, forever preserved in a state of "arrested decay." The preserved buildings in Berlin include the mine supervisor's house (now the park office), the assay office, the 30-stamp mill (one of the best in Nevada), and the widely-photographed machine shop (the photo above). How is Berlin so well preserved?
© Inked with Wanderlust. See the link below!
In 1970, Nevada State Parks decided to bring in both the towns of Berlin and Union, as well as the Diana Mine into the park. That was the highlight ... until they decided to combine the Ichthyosaur fossil area into the park! This is home to the largest concentration, and largest known remains, of Ichthyosaurs, an ancient marine reptile that swam in a warm ocean that covered central Nevada some 225 million years ago. Excavations from the University of Reno were conducted through the 1960s, and the remains of approximately 40 ichthyosaurs were found throughout this area. Until 2004, these remains included the largest ichthyosaurs ever discovered.
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As an added bonus, the Nye road graders maintain Berlin Road for about 2 miles past the state park, until it degrades to Forest Service Road standards. At this point, the Nevada Black Atlas recognizes this road as "Forest Road 992." This beauty is still fully traversable by the family sedan as it courses over the Shoshone Range, a distance of about 10 miles. Once crossing the range, the road will skirt across Ione Valley, and lace around the southern end of the Toiyabes -- officially ending at SR 376 in Big Smoky Valley!
Mileage to ...
Ione Valley (Old SR 21), 8
Austin, 56
SR 376, 64
"County Route 21", Ione-AustinNOTE! For all you road nerds, the Nevada Black Atlas lists this portion of backcountry highway as simply "21," not "Gabbs Pole-Line Road." This is important for continuity reasons if you're coming south from Austin. Unlike CR 8A, 34, or 447 in the Northwest Corner, you won't find any reassurance shields denoting "21" anywhere along the route.
Mile 41
Mile 42
Welcome to Ione
Mile 44
"No way. There's too much here!"
No worries. No stress. Do as the locals do ...
Where to Next?
Welcome to Gabbs
What Happened to Ione?
Exploring Berlin
BERLIN-ICHTHYOSAUR STATE PARK & Camping
Camping with Jurassic Fossils