Austin General Store

This weathered storefront on US-50 serves as the unofficial headquarters for overlanders tackling the remote Toiyabe and Monitor ranges. The shelves hold the basics — canned goods, batteries, camping fuel, ice — plus local intel on road conditions and water sources. Gas pumps out front, propane fill station around back, and the kind of atmosphere where locals still argue about mining claims from the 1800s.

Open daily but hours can be erratic in winter. Cell service is spotty but the payphone works. Stock up here before heading into Kingston Canyon or the Pony Express route — it’s genuinely the middle of nowhere once you leave town.

Last stop before the real backcountry begins.