5 places you have to see between Las Vegas and Reno

Despite the sweltering heat, Nevada was named the sixth best state for a summer road trip, for the drive from Las Vegas to Reno.

The ranking from WalletHub was determined by driving and accommodation costs, traffic conditions and safety, weather conditions as well as fun and scenic attractions.

There are two main routes one can take to visit the “Biggest Little City in the World,” but the road most traveled is a 450 mile, 7 hour drive on the U.S. 95 winding up Nevada’s western border. Think about making these stops along the way:

Rhyolite

A ghost town just outside of Beatty, there are actually just a few buildings left standing in the 111-year-old town. One building was made out of 10,000 beer bottles. If you were just passing through the “Gateway to Death Valley,” you might be surprised by the Giant Pink Woman. She’s a 25-foot tall cinder block art installation titled “Lady Desert: The Venus of Nevada.” Another installation is a ghostly variation of “The Last Supper,” by sculptor Albert Szukalski from 1985.

Scotty’s Castle

A castle 115 miles north of Las Vegas off route 267 in Death Valley is a little bit off the main route, but worth checking out. The massive desert mansion is run by the National Park Service, where guided tours are held for $15. The lavish mansion cost more than $2 million (in the early 1900s) to build.

Goldfield Hotel

Three hours away from Las Vegas you’ll reach a small town called Goldfield, where the supposedly haunted Goldfield Hotel is. The town was at one point one of Nevada’s largest, but was hit by a period of flash floods and fires, including a 1923 fire that destroyed much of the city. The hotel is said to be the home of several ghosts, including a woman with a grisly tale that can be read here.

Tonopah

If you’re taking a night drive to Reno, it’s recommended that you stop overnight in Tonopah, a little more than half way there. The town was once named the no. 1 stargazing destination in America by USA Today for their dark skies. Maybe you can catch a glimpse of those UFO things people talk about.

Walker Lake

If on your drive you don’t feel like detouring to the beautiful Lake Tahoe, but want to stop for a picnic, the main highway passes right by Walker Lake, just north of Hawthorne. The lake offers the same as Lake Mead — boating, swimming and camping — except with more natural history. The lake was once a part of the prehistoric Lake Lahontan, which covered most of northwestern Nevada during the ice age.

Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva