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Back to Loyalton

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Voykit pocket guide · United States

Loyalton

Skip unless you want to see the 'loneliest town in America' for a photo stop: 30 minutes off Highway 49, no full-day reason to stay.

Loyalton (population ~770) calls itself the loneliest town in America, with about 11 visitors a day. It sits on Highway 49 in Sierra County, 40 miles from Reno and the interstate. There's a small museum and a bakery; most travellers pass through in under an hour.

New YorkAbbeville, LouisianaAbbeville, South Caro…AbercrombieAberdeenAberdeenAberdeenAberdeenAbernathyAbilene, KansasAbileneAbington TownshipAbiquiuAbita SpringsLoyalton500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
United States
Best months
May–Oct
Avoid
Dec–Feb (snow possible on Highway 49)
Stay
0 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
USD
Money
Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
Daily spend
Budget $50–80 excl. bed · Mid $80–120 excl. bed · High $120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
Emergency
Police, fire, ambulance 911
Plugs
Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
Water
Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
Toilets
Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Roast beef sandwich at Vicki's Blue Moon Bakery$8–12
Coffee$2–4
Motel room (Golden West Saloon)$70–120

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

RNO · Reno-Tahoe International
About 40 miles; rental car needed

Typical fares

Reno airport to Loyalton by car
about 40 miles, 45 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Car required. Highway 49 runs through town; no public transport.

See and do

Known for

  • Self-proclaimed loneliest town in America
  • Loyalton Museum (Milton-Gottardi Museum)
  • Vicki's Blue Moon Bakery
  • Highway 49 route

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Sierra CityHighway 49 south, about 20 min30 min
Lake TahoeHighway 49 to Truckee, then I-80 east, about 1 h1.5 h
RenoHighway 49 to I-80 east, about 40 min1 h

Sleep

Golden West Saloon
14 motel rooms above the saloon; basic, no frills

Language

English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).

  • Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
  • Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
  • Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
  • Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
  • Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
  • Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned

Scams and watch-outs

  • No gas station in town? Check before you arrive.
  • Museum hours are irregular: call ahead or check the website.
  • Highway 49 can be snowy in winter; carry chains.

Very safe; the main risk is winter driving on Highway 49.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Loyalton yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Self-proclaimed loneliest town in America
  • Loyalton Museum (Milton-Gottardi Museum)
  • Vicki's Blue Moon Bakery
  • Highway 49 route

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Loyalton

To this address, please

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

English only; no phrase list needed.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/loyalton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.