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Elko County
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Whatever the case, most Nevadans know Elko County, but only a few people REALLY KNOW Elko County. Save for some dedicated outdoors enthusiasts, buckaroos and local ranchers, this northeast corner of Nevada still remains relatively unknown to the typical Nevadan. In fact, Elko County residents like it that way and in fact, you can tell with their independant mind-sets and proud way of standing. Elko is here to stay, but it wasn't always that way...
...Elko began as a railroad town, first inhabited in 1868, when it was at the east end of the railroad tracks built by Central Pacific Railroad. This first portion of tracks was the first on the Transcontinental Railroad built from California to Utah, and it was Elko that served as an important, but temporary terminus. When the railroad crews moved on, Elko remained, surviving as a ranch and supply center, as well as a mining and supply post. The next year, a courthouse was built, officially designating a massive county with the same name. Today, the railroad has since moved on from Elko, but for some reason, mining became the main trade. Nobody is really sure why or how mining became the primary economy for Elko, but residents aren't complaining. The massive Getchell Mine (technically in Eureka County) funds every bit of this cowboy town, along with tourism and scraping money from the Interstate. Many people fear that once the mine is petered out, Elko will soon fall victim to the typical boom and bust cycle of so many other Nevada communities. In a sense, everyday Elko is hanging by a lowly string, a string that may or may not prove that heart is greater than gold.
Fortunately, this county has much more to back itself on besides gold. Elko is a MASSIVE chunk of Nevada, comprising the entire northeast corner of the state. In fact, Elko is the 2nd largest county in size and covers many mountain ranges, hundreds of streams and lakes, thousands of acres of untouched wilderness, miles of backcountry emigrant trails and the very birthplace of the Humboldt River herself. It's no doubt, Elko County is quickly becoming 'Nevada's Escape', a true paradise for all outdoor enthusiasts! The county's highlight are the Ruby Mountains, a massive chain of peaks stretching roughly 50 miles north to south just south of Elko. In these peaks, you'll find the dubbed, 'Yosemite of Nevada', AKA, Lamoille Canyon, one of the most scenic areas in all of Nevada. Backpackers delight when they flock to the Rubies. Over 20 alpine tarns await exploration, a true alpine tundra in the middle of nowhere. The Rubies also come with something even more exclusive in Nevada: winter Heli-skiing! Other places that delight Elko's visitors are its handful of mountain ranges, including the Jarbidge Mountains and Wilderness, East Humboldt Range and Wilderness, the Independance Mountains, Maggie Summit and Bull Run Basin areas, and the Owyhee River country, just to name a few. Needless to say, one could spend his entire life just exploring the massive backcountry and wildlands of Elko County. Where do you begin?
The Markers
In terms of services, there is nothing to worry about. Elko is in fact, a mini-city in the middle of nowhere, full of proud, rowdy residents who like it just the way it is. It's complete with everything you could possibly need. From high dollar to hole-in-the-wall casinos, fine dining or a Big Mac with fries, Elko's got it, with most of everything found along Elko's bustling main street (Old US 40 for all those keeping track). In other words, if it's not in Elko, you probably need too much! When conquering the markers, we had to stop into Elko only twice on our week long trip. We covered the eastern portion of the county in 2 days, including the trip to Jarbidge, working our way back to town along the Interstate and covered the markers in and around Elko in 1 day. The next few days were spent in the western portion, covering the SR 225 corridor and outward toward Carlin. In 5 days, we spent only $125 in gas with Elko's average price in August of 2008 at $3.89/gallon! However way you plan to tackle this wild piece of Nevada, you'll have lots to see and hopefully, lots of great stories to bring home with you. Saddle up cowpokes!
Historical Markers of Elko County (19)
As for Elko's markers, it is without a doubt the BEST county for conquering, period. Elko is a blast because its markers are widely spread out. However, don't expect to conquer them in one day. A visit to Elko County is wasted without splendoring in some of its awesome beauty. Therefore, I recommend spending an entire week just to capture them, allowing you to split the county up into parts and to see at least some of Elko's fascinating countryside at the same time. A game-plan could be valuable too. As an example, there are 2 markers along the expanse of SR 225. One of them alone is 91 miles from Elko. The other is 46 miles from Elko, but also 35 miles in the opposite direction from Owyhee. How do you conquer these? Or take #46, that will send you reeling all the way toward Wendover, where as 2 others will force you up to Jackpot, 70 miles in the OPPOSITE direction!
Conquering Elko's markers requires a bit of strategic planning if you wish to maximize your gas mileage, while securing markers so you don't have to go back and forth so much. We found ourselves only going back and forth ONCE the entire trip for Elko's markers and this was to conquer all of I-80's roadside markers. The week long excursion I recommend would also allow you plenty of time to capture the 2 found in Jarbidge, the toughest to obtain in Elko and some of the most remote markers in Nevada. Doing it this way will allow you a great couple of days in Jarbidge!
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