Fallon

Farming town and home of Naval Air Station Fallon (Top Gun) — 60 miles east of Reno with hot springs and petroglyphs. Fallon is 60 miles east of Reno on US-50, population 9,000. It exists because of irrigated farming (the Newlands Reclamation Project of 1902 brought water from the Truckee and Carson rivers) and Naval Air Station Fallon, home of TOPGUN since 1996. The downtown along Maine Street is a few blocks of small businesses and the Depot Casino. At 9pm it's quiet — the Depot bar and one or two restaurants are still going. Rooms are $90-$150.Fallon suits military-family visitors, US-50 road-trippers doing the Loneliest Road, and anyone curious about the petroglyphs at Grimes Point or the sand dunes at Sand Mountain Recreation Area. Sand Mountain is a 600-foot 'singing' dune 25 miles east — free access, ORV heavy. Grimes Point (10 miles east) has some of the most accessible ancient petroglyphs in Nevada, a short interpretive trail. Skip Fallon for tourism unless one of those things is on the list.

Towns & villages

Where to base yourself

Carson City Reno Tonopah

Good to know

Questions, answered

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Can civilians tour NAS Fallon?

No — active naval air station, closed to the public. You can see F/A-18s in the pattern from the town, and the base occasionally hosts an open house (usually announced with 4-6 weeks notice). The Naval Air Station gate is off Union Lane southeast of town.

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Is Fallon worth a US-50 stop?

For an hour at Grimes Point and a cantaloupe from Lattin Farms in summer, yes. For an overnight, only if you’re military-connected or doing the full Loneliest Road drive with stops at Sand Mountain and Middlegate.

Where to stay