Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · United States

Austin, NevadaAustin

Stop for one night on US-50, not a base: see Stokes Castle and the summit, then drive on. Two nights only if you want the hot springs.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (afternoon heat and monsoon storms), Dec–Mar (snow and ice on the pass)
Airports
RNO · LAS
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Austin is a near-ghost mining town of about 190 people on US-50, the Loneliest Road in America, at 2,013 m on the west slope of the Toiyabe Range. There is one street of services, one stone tower, a campground and a hot spring. It works as a single overnight between Fallon and Ely, or as a fuel-and-coffee pause on a long drive.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Austin, Nevada, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a diner breakfast$8–18
  • Street or quick mealBurger or plate at a Main Street diner$12–22
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Budget bedFree dispersed hot-spring camping, a night, per roomUS$0
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room on Main Street, a night, per roomUS$110
  • High-end bedMotel double room on Main Street, a night, per roomUS$160

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$120 · High US$200

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Stokes CastleUS-50, the Loneliest Road in AmericaToiyabe Range and Austin SummitSilver-mining history
Airports
RNO Reno–Tahoe International (About 4 h 30 min by car via US-50 east; the nearest large airport.) · LAS Harry Reid International, Las Vegas (About 7 h by car; a long detour unless you are crossing the state.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Austin, Nevada: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−9°C

6 rd

Feb

6°C

−7°C

6 rd

Mar

10°C

−4°C

7 rd

Apr

14°C

−1°C

6 rd

May

19°C

3°C

6 rd

Jun

25°C

7°C

4 rd

Jul

30°C

11°C

4 rd

Aug

29°C

10°C

5 rd

Sep

24°C

6°C

4 rd

Oct

17°C

1°C

5 rd

Nov

9°C

−5°C

6 rd

Dec

4°C

−9°C

6 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. Everything in town is on Main Street, walkable in 10 minutes end to end. The castle is a short uphill walk west of Main Street; the summit and the national forest are a drive. Fuel up in Fallon or Eureka before you commit to this stretch.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Eureka, Nevada

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

US-50 east over Austin Summit and Pinto Summit, about 70 mi

Better-preserved opera-house main street; a natural next overnight east.

Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park

caution

Door to door: About 2 h 30 min

US-50 east, then graded dirt roads south of Gabbs; the last stretch is unpaved

Check road and opening status first; a ghost mill and an ichthyosaur fossil shelter.

Fallon, Nevada

go

Door to door: About 2 h 30 min

US-50 west via Middlegate and Sand Springs

The last full-service town west; good place to refuel and eat.

Ely, Nevada

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h 30 min

US-50 east through Eureka

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in Eureka or Ely.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Main Street (US-50)

The only real option: motels, the trading post and the visitor board sit on this one strip.

Bob Scott Campground

US Forest Service site southeast of town on US-50; summer months only, fee per night.

Big Smoky Valley

Rustic hot-spring camping east of town; no services, bring water and a good map or GPS.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$110–180 excl. bed
High
$180+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room on Main Street1 × 1 night × US$110US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$120US$240
Fuel top-up, one tank1 × US$60US$60
Campground fee, one night1 × US$10US$10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$45
Trip total≈ US$248 per person per day, bed includedUS$495

2026 estimate in US dollars; fuel and car rental excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or a diner breakfast$8–18
Burger or plate at a Main Street diner$12–22
Motel double room$70–160
Campground fee, Bob ScottSummer months onlyabout $10
Fuel, per gallonHigher in remote stretches$4–5
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are the drive, the altitude and the heat. Snow and ice on US-50 in winter, 30 °C+ afternoons in July, and no services for 60+ mi in either direction.
  • Long gaps between services on US-50: carry water, and fill the tank at every chance.
  • Cell coverage is patchy outside town; download offline maps before you leave Fallon or Ely.
  • Winter snow and ice close or slow the pass; check state road conditions before driving.
  • Hot-spring pools are on open range land with no lifeguard, no shade and no phone signal.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire and ambulance
911
Nevada road conditions (NDOT)
511

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Austin, NevadaAustin

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire and ambulance911
  • Nevada road conditions511

Embassy

No consulates in Austin; nearest consulates-general are in San Francisco and Los Angeles, embassies in Washington, D.C.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Drive Fallon → Austin, US-50: about 2 h 30 min, 110 mi
  • Drive Austin → Eureka, US-50: about 1 h 30 min, 70 mi
  • Drive Austin → Ely, US-50: about 3 h 30 min, 170 mi

Say or show

  • Where's the gas station? — Where is the gas station?
  • Do you have a room for tonight? — Is there a room for tonight?
  • How far to the next town? — How far to the next town?
  • Do you take cards? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is the road over the pass open? — Is the pass open?

Fuel, food and lodging are limited and seasonal: call ahead before committing to a night here.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Austin, Nevada. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (afternoon heat and monsoon storms), Dec–Mar (snow and ice on the pass) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for RNO and LAS: drive times, last fuel stops and a winter-pass fallback.
  2. Walking cluster on Main Street with verified anchors: Stokes Castle, the visitor board, the trading post, both motels.
  3. Place pages for Stokes Castle, Austin Summit and Bob Scott Campground with access and season notes.
  4. Hot-spring and dirt-road fixtures so the Big Smoky Valley option can go green or be cut.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources