Genoa

Nevada's first non-Native settlement — a village of 900 in the Carson Valley with hot springs and the oldest bar in the state. Genoa (pronounced juh-NO-uh, not Genova) is a village of 900 people at the base of the Sierra Nevada in the Carson Valley, 15 miles south of Carson City. Mormon settlers established it in 1851, making it Nevada's oldest non-Native settlement. The four-block downtown has the Genoa Bar (Nevada's oldest, 1853), the Genoa Courthouse Museum, and David Walley's Hot Springs Resort a mile south. At 9pm the bar is warm and loud on weekends, otherwise the village is silent by 8pm.Genoa suits couples, hot-spring travelers, and anyone doing a weekend from Reno or Tahoe wanting quaint over glitz. The wedding trade here is real — the Genoa Bar, the historic churches, and the hot springs resort all do small ceremonies. It does not suit anyone wanting nightlife, shopping or restaurant variety. Rooms are $165-$300 — the highest per-night average in this guide relative to town size, driven by Walley's and the David Walley's mineral pools which fill on weekends.

Towns & villages

Where to base yourself

Carson City Lake Tahoe Reno

Good to know

Questions, answered

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Is Genoa really worth staying two nights?

Yes if you’re using David Walley's hot springs, doing a small wedding, or want a base for both Carson City / Virginia City to the north and Lake Tahoe (Kingsbury Grade) to the west. One night is enough to see the village itself.

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