This 38-mile loop is one of Nevada’s prettiest, according to the marketing brochures, offering “panoramic views of craggy mountains, rugged canyons, and forested highlands.” The aspen groves with the wildflowers in full bloom took our breath away. The dirt road was rough for most of the way, but it also kept us going slower so we could enjoy what we were seeing. This is my most favorite view.
The loop starts out just north of McGill and swings down to south of Ely, or the other way around.
aspens and flowers
At the summit of the loop, we saw this sign. A plan started to develop in 1999 to save the Deer Creek Basin from the new roads being created by off-road vehicles. In 1997, the Basin had about 2.1 miles of road per square mile. But this is a hunting area, and by 2001, the Basin had a average of 3.6 miles of road per square mile, an almost 65% increase! A plan has been put in place, and hopefully all are abiding by it.
When we finished our drive, we were close to Ward Charcoal State Historical Park, so off we went.
First we saw this historical sign about the ghost town of Ward was 8 miles from here. Its silver mining boom was from 1876 to 1882. At its peak, the population was 1500, and it was a lawless mining camp. While killings did occur, a vigilante committee meted out justice with a hanging rope.
The next post will be about the Ward charcoal ovens; so interesting!
