Reno & northern Nevada · from $100/night

Elko

Northeast Nevada mining and ranching town with a strong Basque heritage — the Ruby Mountains rise 20 miles south. Elko is 289 miles east of Reno on I-80, population 20,500. It exists because of the transcontinental railroad, then the ranches, and now the gold mines — Barrick and Newmont both have major operations north of town, which is why hotel rates stay high midweek even when the tourist count is zero. The downtown along Idaho Street has three casinos (Stockmen's, Commercial, Red Lion), Basque restaurants that pour Picon punch, and the Western Folklife Center that hosts the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering every January.This is real working Nevada, not tourist Nevada. At 9pm on a weeknight the sidewalks are quiet and the pickup trucks outside the Star Hotel are actual ranchers eating family-style Basque dinners. Come for the Ruby Mountains — a 20-mile spine of granite peaks up to 11,000 feet, 20 minutes south with lakes and hiking on par with anything in Colorado. Skip Elko if you want a resort experience. Rooms are $100-$180 midweek at the Red Lion or Ramada, cheaper on weekends.

Ely Winnemucca Jackpot

Elko

American inn

4.0/5 guest score

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