Austin
Understand
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Austin is an unincorporated town in Lander County, Nevada. In 2010, the census-designated place of Austin had a population of 192. It is on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of 6,605 feet (2,013 m). U.S. Route 50 passes through the town; this section of Route 50 is considered to be the "Loneliest Road in America".
Get in
[edit]U.S. Route 50 is the main road that goes through the town, and it connects Carson City and Fallon with Ely. However, the U.S. Route 50 is known for being the loneliest road and the drive from any major city to Austin is several hundred miles of mountainous terrain.
Get around
[edit]Most of the restaurants and other services are along the Main Street, which is also U.S. Route 50.
See
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- 1 Austin Summit, U.S. Route 50. This pass near the town of Austin is in the juniper forests abundant in this part of Nevada.
- 2 Stoke's Castle. It is a three-story stone tower located near Austin, Nevada. It was built by Anson Phelps Stokes, a mine developer, railroad magnate, and banker. Intending the building as a summer home, Stokes began building the castle in 1896, completing it in 1897. The castle is patterned after a tower that Stokes had seen and admired in the Roman Campagna in Italy, and the castle is built of hand-hewn native granite, and the stones were hoisted into place with a hand winch and held in place with rock wedging and clay mortar. Eventually, however, the castle fell into disrepair until Molly Magee Knudsen, a cousin of Stokes, bought the castle in 1956. The tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The "Castle" is owned by HW Trapnell of Austin and Dunsmuir, California.
- 3 Visitor Information Center, U.S. Route 50 (near the intersection of Main Street and Virginia Hill). This is a simple visitor information center with billboards and a map including the history of Austin.
- 4 Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park.
Do
[edit]- 1 Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, U.S. Route 50 (the main national forest entrance near Austin is the Bob Scott Campground, which is located along U.S. Route 50 southeast of Austin). Summer months only. From the Bob Scott Campground, there are several hikes into the juniper-covered, mountainous forests that are located east of Austin. $10.
- 2 (important to have a good map or GPS). A rustic hot spring part of the Spencer Hot Springs location in the middle of the Big Smoky Valley, averages around 100 degrees supposedly.
Buy
[edit]There are no shopping malls in Austin, so any stores are individual shops along the Main Street.
- 1 Austin Trading Post, 96 Main Street, ☏ +1 775 455-7299.
Eat and drink
[edit]There are a couple places to eat and drink in Austin, but for more choice of restaurants you will have to go to Fallon or Ely.
- 1 International Cafe & Bar, 59 Main Street.
- 2 Toiyabe Cafe, 150 Main Street, ☏ +1 775 964-2220.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Cozy Mountain Motel, 40 Main St, ☏ +1 775-346-1566.
- 2 Lincoln Motel, 60 Main Street, ☏ +1 775 964-2698.
Go next
[edit]- Carson City - Nevada state capital in the west of the state
- Ely - larger town to the east
- Fallon - town to the west with several restaurants and motels
| Routes through Austin |
| Carson City ← Fallon ← | W  E |
→ Eureka → Ely |