Cherry Creek Range Road

The Cherry Creek Range Road climbs from Ely’s copper smelter ruins toward 9,000-foot summits, following old mining tracks that connect Nevada’s loneliest highway stretches. This 45-mile cross-range route passes through the Cherry Creek mining district, where weathered headframes mark claims that produced silver and lead for decades, then descends through Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park with its beehive kilns that once fed the smelters below.

This difficult route requires experienced drivers and capable 4WD vehicles for steep grades, loose rock, and narrow shelf roads with serious exposure. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms that turn clay surfaces treacherous, making late spring and early fall optimal. Carry tire repair gear, extra fuel, and emergency supplies — you’re 50+ miles from help in either direction. What you earn is genuine Nevada high country solitude, panoramic basin-and-range views, and the satisfaction of crossing terrain that challenges both machine and driver in equal measure.