Tonopah, Nevada. Silver, stars and clowns.

Tonopah sits where US 6 meets US 95 in Nye County, the largest county in Nevada. Just under 2,000 people live here.

• From Las Vegas: about 211 miles north on US 95, roughly four hours.
• From Pahrump: about 167 miles, north on Nevada 160 and then US 95, a little over three hours.
• From Beatty: 93 miles north on US 95.
• To Reno: about 240 miles.

Drive times are from a routing service, rounded.

The Mizpah Hotel

Built in 1907, the Mizpah was once the tallest building in Nevada. It closed in 1999, and Fred and Nancy Cline bought and restored it in 2011. Today it has 47 rooms, two restaurants, a casino and a ghost story about the Lady in Red.

The Clown Motel

Thousands of clowns, 31 rooms and the Old Tonopah Cemetery next door. “America’s Scariest Motel” is exactly as advertised.

Tonopah Historic Mining Park

More than 100 acres of the original mines. The Burro Tunnel ends at a viewing cage hanging over a 500-foot stope. Open every day, 9 AM to 5 PM, except federal and state holidays. The gate fee is $5 for adults; the visitor center and movie are free, and guided Polaris tours run by reservation.

Central Nevada Museum

Free admission, Tuesday through Saturday, with mining, ranching and the people of central Nevada. It opened in 1981.

Tonopah Brewing Co.

Twenty-six house-brewed beers on tap, from the same owners as the Mizpah, and a pizza called the Area 51.

The Belvada

The 1906 Nevada State Bank & Trust building, restored as a boutique hotel.

USA Today rated Tonopah the number one stargazing destination in the country. On a clear night at the Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park you can see up to 7,000 stars.

Do not follow Google Maps to the park; turn by Tonopah High School. Free star parties run May through September, no reservation needed.

Crescent Sand Dunes

Northwest of town. On the open, unvegetated sand you can ride anywhere; everywhere else, stay on existing roads and trails. Paddle tires are recommended for motorcycles. Dispersed camping and staging are allowed, with no fees.

From US 6/95, turn onto Poleline Road between mile markers 55 and 54, go about nine miles, then two miles on an unimproved road.

Clayton Valley Sand Dunes

Near Silver Peak. The same rules: open riding on bare sand, existing roads and trails elsewhere. Closed to competitive events, with a 14-day stay limit.

Staging in town

Tonopah’s OHV staging area next to the rodeo grounds is open around the clock. Nye County is off-road friendly: off-highway vehicles can ride county roads, so you can ride from town to the dirt. State and federal highways are the exception. More on our Pahrump OHV page. The Bureau of Land Management’s Tonopah Field Office is on South Main Street.

We are planning a two-day ride to Tonopah and back: the Tonopah Turnaround, coming soon.

Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs, a little over an hour west of Tonopah, is a free concrete tub around 105°F, run by Esmeralda County and open year-round. It is about 20 minutes from Dyer on a county dirt road, with a vault toilet and primitive campsites. Camp at least 100 feet from the spring.

Farther south, see every place to soak at Tecopa Hot Springs.

• Jack Dempsey Room at the Mizpah: dinner.
• Pittman Café at the Mizpah: breakfast.
• Tonopah Brewing Co.: house beers and pizza.
• El Marques: Mexican, closed Mondays.
• Hometown Pizza: lunch buffet.
• Stage Stop Café at Tonopah Station.
• Beans and Brews: coffee.

Gas and food are at the Love’s truck stop on US 95. There are eight Tesla Superchargers at Patriots Park on North Main and a ChargePoint station on South Main.

The Town of Tonopah lists these:

Hotels and motels

• Mizpah Hotel: the restored 1907 landmark on Main Street.
• Belvada Hotel: a boutique hotel in the 1906 bank building.
• Clown Motel: 31 rooms, thousands of clowns, cemetery next door.
• Tonopah Station Hotel, Casino & RV Park.
• Jim Butler Suites, Best Western Hi Desert Inn, Comfort Inn, Star Inn and Dream Inn.

RV parks and camping

• Tonopah RV on US 95 North.
• Tonopah Station RV Park on South Main.
• BLM dispersed camping around town; the Tonopah Field Office is at 775-482-7800.

Jim Butler found silver ore here on May 19, 1900, and filed eight claims that August, the Mizpah among them. The camp was first called Butler; its post office opened in 1901 and took the name Tonopah in 1905.

From 1900 to 1921 the mines produced almost $121 million, with 1913 the biggest year. Wyatt Earp opened the Northern Saloon in 1902. In World War II, Tonopah Army Air Field trained B-24 bomber crews.

Long-term averages from the Tonopah airport weather station:

• January: highs around 44°F, lows around 19°F.
• July: highs around 91°F, lows around 57°F.
• All year: about 5 inches of rain and 13 inches of snow.

Tonopah runs cooler than Beatty: summer evenings are pleasant and winter nights are cold.