Scenic trails, historic rails in small Nevada town — PHOTOS

Scenic trails and historic rails add to Ely’s quiet charm, making the small Nevada town and its surroundings a worthy weekend escape.

About four hours north of Las Vegas, Ely offers visitors plenty of walking opportunities graced by colorful murals and connections to bygone mining days.

Strolling along downtown’s main drag might mean spying a copper-domed cupola atop the county courthouse, learning bits of history at the White Pine County Museum, enjoying the shade of mature cottonwood trees or cashing in on the promise of supersized hospitality at the historic Hotel Nevada.

Getting to know Ely is best done on foot, especially for those looking to add steps during their Silver State escape.

Visitors could add an extra 40 minutes of exercise to their trip by taking a nearly 2-mile walk from the state’s onetime tallest building, the six-story Hotel Nevada at 501 E. Aultman Drive, to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and East Ely Depot, 1100 Avenue A. Driving the same route takes less than 10 minutes.

Along the way, public art emphasizes Ely’s pride of history and heritage, but shuttered businesses are a reminder of continuing economic struggles following the closure of the area’s largest copper mines more than 40 years ago.

Built in the early 1900s, Nevada Northern Railway facilities now play the role of museum, sharing the story of how the railroad connected the copper mines and smelters that turned Ely’s rich copper deposits into a marketable commodity. Kennecott Copper’s mining operations ceased in 1978, and smelting shut down in 1983. Around that time, company-owned railway equipment, buildings and tracks were donated to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, and the town of Ely has turned those gifts into a top tourist attraction.

Riding Ely’s historic rails gives visitors insight into railroad and mining history. In addition to year-round passenger excursions, visitors can book special Halloween and Christmas train rides for $45 for adults and $20 for kids. Regular excursions that highlight the history come with an optional docent-led tour after a return to the depot and rail yard, which were designated a National Historic Landmark as an acknowledgment of the museum’s contribution to preserving turn-of-the-century steam railroading.

On an early morning in late July, my family traveled north on two-lane U.S. Highway 93 to get our train tickets punched by a Nevada Northern Railway conductor and take our seats for a 1 p.m. departure. The destination was Robinson Canyon. Originally, our trip was to be led by a steam locomotive, but the railway’s steam engines had broken down and were being repaired on-site. The job of pulling our train then fell to an antique diesel engine that had recently been painted red, white and blue to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026.

From our vintage passenger car after the train departed, we got to see important railroad buildings that have changed very little since 1907. After our train left the rail yard, farms and downtown Ely came into view. Tunnels followed, and a narrator shared details of the area’s mining past on a route that was built more than a century ago to support the mines.

Pungent, pleasant smells of sagebrush wafted through open windows. Nature-made hills and giant mounds of tailings — an open-pit mine’s waste product — rose skyward a short distance from our train.

Once back at the depot, passengers got off the train for an optional tour of the rail yard’s storage sheds and repair shops, where workers tend to trains in need of expert care. That included Engine 93, a steam locomotive known as the Ghost Train. The smell of mechanic’s grease filled a space replete with tools and towering engines and equipment, including a rotary snowblower that quickly clears winter’s white stuff from railroad tracks. Around every corner at the Nevada Northern Railway facilities were glimpses of yesteryear, when the iron horse ruled the American West.

Ely makes for a terrific base camp for additional exploring, including to nearby Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Cave Lake State Park and Great Basin National Park (about an hour east of Ely). There are plenty of overnight accommodations and eateries in Ely to match the needs of anyone visiting this slice of rural Nevada.

Ward Charcoal Ovens

Among the most iconic Silver State photographs is that of the Ward Charcoal Ovens, and what fun it is to step right into that picture. The ovens are a curious collection of what looks like six giant beehives about 20 miles south of Ely off U.S. Highway 93.

Visitors to Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park can walk inside the 30-foot-tall kilns, which represent a chapter of Nevada’s rich mining history. From 1876 to 1879, the ovens turned cords of pinyon and juniper wood into high-temperature fuel for smelting silver from ore mined in the nearby Ward mining district.

Additionally, the state park has trails winding through black sagebrush and pinyon-juniper forest past Willow Creek, which supplied water to those operating the Ward Charcoal Ovens. Other trails offer big-sky solitude and impressive views of the Schell Creek Range, Steptoe Valley and, in the distance, 13,065-foot Wheeler Peak.

Cave Lake State Park

Reopened in 2025 after a yearslong closure due to dam repairs, Cave Lake State Park’s 32-acre reservoir welcomed back fishermen, swimmers, picnickers and paddleboarders to cool off and enjoy outdoor activities this summer. About 15 miles from Ely off U.S. Highway 93 and state Route 486, Cave Lake has multiple trails for hiking and mountain biking in the surrounding hills of the Schell Creek Range. The paths range from the easy — Cave Springs and Steptoe Creek trails — to the moderately challenging — Overlook Trail Loop and Square Top Discovery Trail, each with impressive overlooks for the price of 1,000 feet in elevation gain.

Anglers catch rainbow trout and German brown trout, which had been stocked before the reservoir reopened for fishing. The park also gets winter visitors for ice fishing as well as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Great Basin National Park

For leaf peepers in search of stunning fall foliage, Great Basin National Park is reliable most years from mid-September to early October.

Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is lined with aspens that will begin turning gold this month. At the end of the paved scenic drive, at 10,000 feet in elevation, aspens are also found along trails that lead to subalpine lakes, ancient bristlecone pines and Nevada’s only glacier.

Another route taking drivers through Great Basin National Park aspen groves is the unpaved Snake Creek Road.

The park also offers tours of Lehman Caves (reservations recommended) and astronomy programs at its visitor center.