Cold Springs, NV Opens Up An Experience Like No Other
Words and Photos: Betsy Fessler
Many are probably aware of where Sand Mountain is in Nevada. But I bet that most are not aware of the vast miles of terrain to explore outside of Sand Mountain…
Early in my off-road days, I spent a lot of time riding that area. Recently, I returned and set up base camp at Cold Springs Station http://cssresort.com/.
Cold Springs Station is located 37 miles east of Sand Mountain off of Highway 50. In the 1860’s, Cold Springs was a Pony Express stage stop. Now Cold Springs offers RV sites, motel rooms, a bar and restaurant and a gift shop.
Even though dry camping spots were also available, when making our reservations with the owner, George, we opted for full hook-ups. Our sites were easy to access and had enough room for our long rigs. During our stay, we had a beautiful view of the snow-capped Desatoya Mountains behind us. The bar and restaurant were within a short walk. There was even live entertainment one evening. I’ve camped at Cold Springs Station before, but it had been many years. Cold Springs has gone through a fire and rebuild, a change in ownership and many other improvements. I didn’t even recognize it.
It had been so long since I visited that when I went into my computer to retrieve GPS tracks for the area, the files I found hardly made sense. The last time I was at Cold Springs, I had just purchased my first GPS and was learning how to use it. Needless to say, I started from scratch and planned rides for this trip as if I had never been there before.
I was anxious to ride there again. I figured we would see much more than our last trip because of my polished GPS skills. Our first ride was 55 miles on the other side of Highway 50, north of Cold Springs. Ahead were scenic trails through hilly terrain to the ghost town of Wonder.
Wonder began in the early 1900’s when a large quartz vein was discovered. Word spread quickly, and Wonder grew and bustled for about 20 years. Today only a few mine shafts, cement foundations and collapsed buildings are left. We walked around, explored and photographed the remains, then meandered our way back to camp for dinner.
The next morning greeted us with a plan to drive through Shoshone Pass to Dixie Valley. I chose this ride on a weekday because there is a Naval Fighter Top Gun training school nearby in Fallon. Top Gun trainees fly during the week, and it is common for them to fly through Dixie Valley. Boy was I right.
While we were laboring through Shoshone Pass, we were first christened. Two fighter jets ripped right past us. We never heard them coming. It was a total rush.
We continued on, hoping to see the jets again. In my experience, once we were located they would return. We descended into Dixie Valley, turned east toward Hole in the Wall and stopped for lunch. Sure enough, the jets flew past us again as we yelled and waved. Then they turned around and buzzed us one more time. I could feel the hair on my arms stand up. During that pass, they tipped their wings, and were gone. What a thrill. Just wow.
On day three, we headed south through East Gate and Buffalo Canyon. Our destination was Berlin and lone. Along the way, we stopped at Ellsworth, which is a well preserved stage station from the 1860’s. There are several buildings and a spring on the premises that were really cool to see.
We were delayed getting to Berlin because I routed us on a trail that was so lightly used it was hard to follow. We prevailed though, and had fun finding our way. Technically called Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park http://parks.nv.gov/parks/berlin-ichthyosaur, with a $5.00 fee, we were treated to a 1890’s ghost town that rivals Bodie in California. We walked in and around its old buildings and artifacts, discovering what it was like to live as a miner during that time.
Within the same park boundaries is a building that houses a 200 million year old, 55 foot long marine fossil called an Ichthyosaur. It is so large that there is a walkway built around it, enabling visitors to view it from different angles. We learned about the ocean and ancient life that once existed in that area.
Our day was dwindling. The town of lone is a short drive from Berlin. We decided to go anyway, knowing we didn’t have much time. Lone was built around the discovery of silver in the 1860’s. It is still home to several residences, so we were careful not to disturb them. My favorite memory of lone is the Ore House Saloon, which sadly has not been open for many years. However, it is a great backdrop for the ghost town. By the end of that day, we logged over 100 miles.
With one more day to ride, I led our group into the Desatoya Mountains behind Cold Springs. We had an unexpectedly great day. We rode through elevation changes that took us up into snow, then down into valleys. We rode through creek crossings. We drove through groves of aspens. Wildflowers were blooming. We found a few geocaches along the way. There was also a spot I had never heard of before called the ammo box house that I wanted to find. Thankfully, luck was on our side and we stumbled into it. It was exactly that – a house that a man built entirely out of wooden ammo boxes. 78 more miles of fun and camaraderie were logged that day. Sadly, it was time to pack up and drive home the following morning.
Cold Springs Station was a perfect setting to share camping and riding with friends. The diversity of the terrain was refreshing. Within the radius of camp we were able to experience desert terrain on one day, and mountain terrain the next. The area is rich in 1800’s mining history, with several great examples of ghost towns within a day’s ride. As an added bonus, we witnessed the awesome power of the U.S. Navy’s jet fleet, flown by Top Gun pilots. All just miles down the highway from the ever-popular Sand Mountain. Highly recommended, perhaps you will make Cold Springs your next destination also.
