Tonopah, Nevada, has a lot going for it: the Mizpah Hotel, the Clown Motel, the Tonopah Mining Park, the seat of government for Nye County (third largest county, by area, in the United States), and so much more. But Tonopah does not have a campground.
Millers Rest Area (courtesy of Google Street View)
So, on our trek down Highway 95 last year, after dining at the Mizpah, Rick and I pulled into the overnight parking area (a de facto campground) 14 miles west of Tonopah, in Big Smoky Valley, at Millers Rest Area. The scenery was great (telephoto lens helpful), the traffic fairly minimal, the night sky dark, the facilities simple but adequate, and the price very reasonable ($0.00).
Lone Mountain and the Millers Substation
A well furnished campsite
Sunset over the Monte Cristo Range
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
Sunrise—east side of the White Mountains (mid-April)
An unexpected morning visitor (Yellow-headed blackbird)
A forgotten visitor
Copyright © 2020 Tim Messick. All rights reserved.
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I love it, Tim! You captured the essence of the place. That must have been a great trip. I like seeing details like the Santa, blackbird, and picnic table interspersed with that scenery – it’s just the way one might experience it, scanning back-and-forth between near and far. Beautiful light!
Thanks, Lynn. We were lucky to have cloudy skies and lingering snow on the peaks.
I concur, Tim, you really captured the place. An interesting optical illusion can be seen with the santa shot, the top fence wires are bent in such a way so as to give the impression that the photo is warped at the top, especially when you scroll up and down the page. I’m so glad you’re gettin’ out there, my Friend, lots to see.
🙂