A Great Place To Visit

White Pine County Is A Great Place To Visit!

Welcome to the White Pine County Tourism & Recreation website. It is our goal to provide everything you need to enjoy a visit with us. We help sponsor many great events throughout the year and also take care of the Bristlecone Convention Center, a place where you can have meetings, events or dinners. Anything that you would need - a beautiful building with all the amenities to provide you with a successful event.

It is also our goal to make Ely and the surrounding area a fun place to live as well as visit. So next time you planning a trip, take a few days and see all that we have to offer in beautiful Ely, Nevada and White Pine County. For more information, please contact us at the Bristlecone Convention Center. Phone: 1-800-496-9350

Sunset from Mt. Moriah

Scenery & Surroundings

Mt. Wheeler — Great Basin National Park

There is little question why White Pine County chose "Experience The Unexpected" as the slogan for it's Visitor's Bureau. The basin and range topography produces mountain ranges which rise from 8,000 to 13,000 feet above the valley floor at 6,000 feet. The terrain takes you from desert sand and sagebrush through bands of pinion and juniper forests to sub-alpine Bristlecone Pine, and mountain peaks well above the sea level. Winter's snow covered mountains give way to a blanket of crimson, yellow, and purple wild flowers in the spring, brilliant sunsets and clear , starry skies on summer nights, and hillsides of golden quaking aspens in the fall.

Natural Attractions

Great Basin National Park, World Famous Lehman Caves; Web Site

Great Basin Park is located 60 miles southeast of Ely, and 5 miles west of Baker. It is the home of the ancient Bristlecone Pine, Lehman Caves and Mt. Wheeler, the crown jewel and sentinel overlooking the park. Cave tours open year-round. Summer: Camping, hiking, fishing and more. Winter: Cross-country skiing, camping, cave tours and more. Phone 775-234-7331.

Cave Lake State Park;

Located 8 miles south and 6 miles east of Ely, this is a magical recreation area. Cave Lake boasts the largest fish ever caught in Nevada and holds the State Record for a 27 pound, 5-ounce, German brown trout. Phone 775-728-4460

Natural Features
Shoeshone Ponds Natural Area
Swamp Cedar Natural Area
Garnet Hill – naturally faceted garnets
Pinyon Tree - pine nut crop
Goshute Canyon Natural Area
Scenery and Wildlife Sites:
Success Loop	Elk Viewing Area
City of Rocks	Wild Horse Viewing Area
North Creek Scenic Area	Ruby Lake Wildlife Refuge
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Historical Attractions

Nevada Northern Railway Museum; Web Site

Come ride the Ghost Train of Old Ely. This is an operating railroad museum. Train rides on the steam engines of No. 40 and No. 93 are available from May through September. These Queens of Steam played a very important part in our mining history. Phone 775-289-2085

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historical Park;

Six 35-foot high beehive-shaped brick ovens built to produce charcoal for the smelter serving the gold and silver mines at Ward. They were built around 1876 and are very well preserved. Phone 775-728-4460.

Pony Express Territory

Some of the original Pony Express Trail and Stage Stops were located in White Pine County about 60 miles north of Ely. The most famous of these is Schellbourne Station. Each year the national Pony Express Association stages a re-enactment with riders retracing the original Pony Express route from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri. They still follow the trail through northern White Pine County and pass the "mochilla" (mailbags) at Schellbourne Station.

Ghost Towns

Too numerous to name them all, White Pine County lays claim to some of the most famous ghost towns in Nevada. Hamilton (the former county seat), Osceola (the largest gold nugget in the state was found here) and Cherry Creek.

Baker Archaeological Site

The Baker Archaeological Site is located about 1 mile northeast of Baker, NV on the way to the Great Basin National Park. Here you'll find the remains of a 700-year-old Fremont Indian village. The site was excavated in the early 1990's by a team from Brigham Young University. They found many artifacts and the remains of numerous structures. Administered by the BLM, the site has restrooms and a shade pavillion and you can see where the walls of many of the structures were located.

Pictographs – Painted Symbols

A few of the locations of pictographs are Tunnel Canyon, Loties Canyon and Christmas Wash. Some of the areas may require a short hike.

Petroglyphs

The most famous area for these is Windy Peak. It will require a 4-wheel drive vehicle plus a hike. Please take a guide.

American Bakshir Curly Horse

Ely is the world’s capitol for this once almost extinct horse. It is the only kind of its species that can have its coat used like lamb’s wool. Phone 775-289-4999

Things to Do

McGill Swimming Hole

McGill Swimming Pool Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, this public outdoor swimming pool is where many of the youth from Ely, McGill and Ruth spend their summers. You can stretch out on the sandy beach, play on the slides or diving board, or catch guppies in the shallows. It is located near the McGill park at the north end of town.

Drugstore Soda Fountains

18 Hole Golf Course - White Pine County Golf Course

Great Basin Raceway

Central Theater

East Ely Railroad Depot Freight Barn

Nevada Northern Railway Ghost Train

Garnet Hill

Annual Events

Silver State Classic Open Road Race - May & September

Planes, Trains & Automobiles - Parade & Show - Labor Day Weekend

Arts in the Park Festival - First weekend in August

White Pine County Fair - Third weekend in August

Lund Rodeo - Third weekend in July

Museums

White Pine Public Museum – Preserving Local History Web Site

Some of the many displays include 19^th century transportation pieces, a Hesselgesser doll collection and a model of a pre-historic cave bear found in a local cave. Over 300 types of minerals and rocks are also displayed, including gold and silver. Phone 775-289-4710.

East Ely Depot Railroad Museum Web Site

This truly takes one back in time when you view the old telegraph office. The old freight barn with the original boardwalk is under current renovation. A must see for any visitor. Phone 775-289-4710

McGill Drug Store Museum – a True Past Preservation Web Site

Pre-World War II appliances and products from the 50s and 60s still sit on the shelves. The old soda fountain is also a link to the past. Phone 775-235-7082

White River Valley Museum

Located in Lund, about 25 miles south of Ely. This museum is filled with relics of one of the last colonization efforts of the Mormons in the American West.