The Atlas Obscura Guide To Austin

7 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Austin, Nevada

Updated July 20, 2022

Unusual Attractions in Austin

Close-up of elaborate petroglyphs by campground.

Austin, Nevada

Hickison Summit

This rest area is also home to a remarkable petroglyph site.

Looking toward Eastgate on old US-50 (NV-722), from near its west junction.

Austin, Nevada

Nevada State Route 722

US-50 in Nevada is known as "the Loneliest Road in America," but this earlier iteration of the route is even lonelier.

Austin, Nevada

Toiyabe Crest Trail

This little-used trail winds through the highest mountain range in central Nevada with sections around 10,000 feet.

The pictographs use several pigments and line the cave walls

Austin, Nevada

Toquima Cave

This central Nevada cave is the spiritual home of ancient and enigmatic pictographs.

Austin, Nevada

Stokes Castle

This railroad magnate's 19th century tower is more than a little bit out of place in the Nevada desert.

Austin, Nevada

U.S. Route 50

Officially named the "Loneliest Road in America," this barren stretch of Nevada road offers almost nothing but sky and open fields.

A giant concrete Ichthyosaur beckons you to explore the park.

Austin, Nevada

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

Only intact Ichthyosaur skeleton in the United States and an abandoned gold mine and ghost town all in one place!

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11 Wholesome Spots in Nevada

Here at Atlas Obscura, we have a fondness for the forbidden, a hunger for the hidden, a gusto for the grim. (You get the point.) But it wouldn’t be so intrepid to simply highlight Nevada’s underbelly, would it? There’s more to the state than extraterrestrial-themed brothels and nuclear bomb test sites. Kids and grandparents might enjoy enormous Ferris wheels, unusual geysers, or pristine parklands. Even Nevada—home to Sin City—has a family-friendly side.

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