Like most roads in Nevada, one man's treasure can be another man's monotony. SR 447 lives up to that name. If you can't stand desert driving then SR 447 may be the longest you'll ever drive. There are a still only a few reasons why a person drives SR 447. If you don't know the reasons, maybe you needn't conquer this marker.
Just outside of Wadsworth, Mile 6 is a nice introduction to our 77 mile journey to #152.
After leaving the security of Nixon and Pyramid Lake, hunter can consider themselves on their own for the next 61 miles.
Just past Nixon and Pyramid Lake. Only 61 more miles to go! |
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- At Mile 23, just past the hill from Pyramid Lake, SR 447 makes a nice coast down into Winnemucca Valley. The white playa of Winnemucca Lake (right center) gives a nice reminder of days gone past. Thanks to the Newlands Irrigation Project and a re-routing of the Truckee River's plumbing, Winnemucca Lake finally dried up in 1939.
At Mile 30, the scenery doesn't disappointment. The drive to Gerlach is an impressive step into some very primal landscape. For close to 20 miles, SR 447 parallels the massive playa of Winnemucca Lake. 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.
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At Mile 42: a little over halfway there! Notice that the only control destination is "Gerlach." I guess NDOT doesn't want people to know that they can take this road past Gerlach to many points northward!
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At Mile 52, and having past the north shore of Winnemucca Lake. The scenery has only just begun!