I-95 in NV

[funkill]

Hey all! I have very limited access to the internet since turning-in my laptop after my layoff.... should have purchased a laptop or even a smart phone before departing FL for NV. However, I've made it to Albuquerque NM! Today I experienced the elevation and grades that I was concerned with.... knowing almost nothing about mountain driving or any practice with (down) shifting. Suppose I'll figure it out though...

So, the AAA trip tick (?) takes me through CA to arrive in Reno. I was looking at the map and notice I-95 heading up from Las Vegas into the Reno area. It's marked as a secondary road...

Can anyone advise me on taking this route (I-95) north? Are there horrible grades? Crazy switchbacks? Anything that is concerning for a newbie?

Laura - who WILL get back on a computer later to check your responses!!

[Gene]

US 395—maybe the AAA route—has many high passes. US (not I) 95 may be better. There's a long grade just before Tonopah. Somewhere on every road in the west there are long grades.

Gene

[Mike Leary]

State route 95 from Las Vegas to Reno is a great road. Fuel up in Las Vegas. As Gene says, you'll have a pull to Tonapah and a pull out of Hawthorn towards Fallon, where there's a nice county park on the left as you come into town at the four-way stop.The grades are no big deal. A nice, free overnight layover just down the hill from Tonapah is:

[Mexray]

I agree, Hwy-95 north of Las Vegas is a great tour of Nevada's back country...It's a good road, easy motoring, with several unique small towns along the way...Beatty (say 'Baity' to the locals)... http://www.beattynevada.org/ Goldfield, not much today, but a booming mining town in the early 1900s...etc., etc.. http://www.goldfieldnevada.org/

I would suggest you take a 'left' on Hwy-50 when you reach the small cross roads of 'Silver Springs' - which will take you west though Dayton (some of the film, "The Misfits"-Gable, Monroe, Montgomery, etc. was shot there in the old saloon, which is still open)... http://daytonnvhistory.org/history.htm

Then into Carson City (just 'Carson' to Nevadans), the state capital, with a neat RR museum, http://museums.nevadaculture.org//in...412&Itemid=123 and the old Carson Mint... http://museums.nevadaculture.org/ind...27&Itemid=1The one old main casino in town is the Carson Nugget - check out their cafe in the back for some good, down home cooking at great prices....

You'll then hit Hwy-395 north to Reno from Carson, a sort pleasant drive...close by is the old mining town of Virgina City, up in the hills, but you'll have some grades to deal with up there, but still a fun place to visit - check out our favorite saloon there, 'The Bucket of Blood'...!http://www.bucketofbloodsaloonvc.com/

Every name place in Nevada has an old story to tell...if you have to time check out some of the places along your route on the Net for more info and fun facts...

We always like to check out some of the smaller business' in these remote places, and striking up a conversation with local residents will usually reward you with 'The rest of the story'...

When you do get to Reno, check out the 'Awful Awful' burger at the Little Nugget Diner, downtown...It's been rated as one of the very best burgers in the country! Onion bun, garlic fries, usually more that you can eat in one setting...pig out yummy! Inside "Little" Nugget Diner | Yelp

[funkill]

Geeze guys - again I am thankful to be part of this community. I'll move along to US-95. (I tried searching I-95 and didn't come up with much .... maybe the problem was that I had the WRONG road for NV!)

My next 2 searchs will be (a) shifting on grades and (b) low oil after towing in the moutains. Always something....

But I am thinking of finding a good hotel in Flagstaff to drop the trailer this afternoon so I can see the Grand Canyon. This trip was intended to be a "speed run" but I'm losing speed.

Laura

[bryanl]

Yes, it is U.S. Highway 95 as a major north south route from Canada to Mexico. The stretch in Nevada is well maintained and doesn't have any major grades (like US 395).

re: "You'll then hit Hwy-395 north to Reno from Carson, a sort pleasant drive" -- yeah, CC does have some nice tourist places to visit but traffic and roads are a bit of a pain. I take US95 to Fallon and then to Fernley and I80 to Reno as a preferred route if just getting there with minimum fuss is the goal.

The rest area north of Tonopah that Mike pictures has a big parking lot for RV's up to 18 hours, no trucks, and a seasonal dump station. Some also do Casino parking in Tonopah or hit the Fairgrounds in Fallon.

Now that they have the Hoover Dam bypass in, the biggest headache is just getting past Kingman.

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by bryanl

Now that they have the Hoover Dam bypass in, the biggest headache is just getting past Kingman.

We did the bypass on our way north this year, nice new road and bridge, but getting through Boulder City was a major traffic nightmare, a example of bad planning where the bypass (93) intersects with 95. We prolly spent a hour or more in stop-and-go traffic.

[Phoenix]

Just a suggestion, but why not take your rig to the Grand Canyon and camp there? It's a pretty long day trip from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, which is much more leisurely if you just stay there overnight.

If you take Hwy 89 north out of Flagstaff, towards Cameron, you can make a big loop that enters the Canyon from the east, follows along the rim and then returns to I-40 near Williams (and the Grand Canyon Railway station). There are KOAs near both ends of this loop, in Flagstaff, near the Flagstaff Mall (I think that's the name of this shopping Center), and two KOAs near Williams. However, there is a really nice National Forest campground at the entrance to Sunset Crater, at the pass just north of the Flagstaff city limits, called "Bonito" campground (no hookups, showers or dump station, but very clean with flush toilets; all paved, flat and lots of space).

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/rec...ito-camp.shtml

Then, when you get near the Grand Canyon, coming from the east on Hwy 64, the first campground you'll come to is Desert View, which has showers and a dump station; also very nice.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm

The Grand Canyon Visitor Center and overlook is very crowded most of the time. However, driving along the rim road, you'll find lots of overlooks that have similarly great views of the Canyon, and no crowds, often no one there at all.

Camping in the Grand Canyon Village can fill up quickly, though it might be easier now that most kids are back in school. However, there is a great campground just south of the southern park entrance at the far west end of the park, which is similar to Desert View, but much larger. Checkout "Ten-X" campground on the link above. Or, if you prefer hookups, the two KOAs are in the vicinity of I-40 (and Hwy 64 south).

One note: Be careful at the rim road pullouts. Most have no handrails, so stay on the paths. That dropoff a few feet off the path is exactly that, usually a couple of hundred feet straight down. There are deaths at the Canyon every year from people not paying attention, or trying to get the once in a lifetime photo.

Also, since you seem concerned about grades, this area is relatively flat with rolling hills; and there are no extreme grades or unusually winding roads -- an easy, though slow drive.

[Mike Leary]

We were up at G.C. last year, and there was a sign on the Ranger Station that said, "No refunds due to fog in the Canyon."