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The Loneliest Road in America Bike Tour: Highlights

Join us for a tour of the “Loneliest Road in America.” On this tour we ride Route 50 across Nevada and into Utah, crossing vast basins and numerous mountain ranges while visiting “living 19th century ghost towns” along the way.

The journey includes a visit to the fascinating Great Basin National Park and an optional hike to the summit of Wheeler Peak at 13,065 feet. This is a wild point-2-point tour exploring the vastness of the American West over miles of open terrain and tarmac.

The Loneliest Road in America Bike Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

2026 Tour Dates

• September 24 to October 1, 2026 (Book Now!)

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should You Sign Up Now And OPEN A Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so we can commit to that date.

When you OPEN a date, you get to pick your preferred departure and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets the rider minimum. Don't wait. Just do it!

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour sign-ups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. Even if the website says that the tour is a GO, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

The Loneliest Road in America Bike Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 8-Days Cycling/7-Nights Lodging

Arrival/Departing Town/Airport: Arrive in Reno, Nevada (Reno-Tahoe International Airport – RNO) – Depart from Salt Lake City (Salt Lake City International Airport – SLC)

Meeting/Ending City: The 8-Day tour meets in Reno, Nevada, and ends in Salt Lake City, Utah

Total Miles: 500 miles (8-Day tour). For extra mileage, E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch) options exist on some days for those seeking to truly push themselves.

IMPORTANT: While the distances, elevation gains, and/or average grade percentages may seem intimidating on this tour, every single route can be tailored for each individual rider to “bump” sections in order to decrease overall mileage, reduce elevation gains, and/or to avoid steeper sections. This tour also offers more aid stations on the more challenging days which allows riders to better pace themselves and assess how they feel moving forward. Please DO NOT be afraid of this tour, it is actually very accessible for everyone when tailored to their individual needs.

Ability Level: Upper Intermediate (3) , Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: $3,995 per person. Add $595 per person to this Tour Cost for a private room each night of the tour (includes 5-Nights). Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page for more information on Group Discounts. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Tour Includes: 6-Days of guide service, all meals, park service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and massage are additional.

Lodging for 5-Nights: (subject to change based on availability)

• Night 1: Cold Spring Station Resort, Fallon, NV
• Night 2: Cozy Mountain Motel, Austin, NV
• Night 3: SureStay by Best Western Eureka, Eureka, NV
• Night 4: Prospector Hotel & Gambling Hall, Ely, NV
• Night 5 & 6: Whispering Elms Motel or Stargazer Inn, Baker, NV
• Night 7: Days Inn by Whyndam, Delta, UT

Meeting Hotel and Ending Hotel reservations and costs are NOT included unless specified otherwise. Guests are on their own to make reservations at the Meeting Hotel or Ending Hotel, or other nearby hotels.

Road Bike Rentals

The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs or have any questions about our rental bikes.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent Scott Bikes. The Scott Addict 10 Disc was designed from the ground up with those longer days in mind. With geometry that is less focused on racing and more on enduring, the Addict 10 will be your go-to when you’re looking to put the miles in.

The Scott Addict 10 Disc features: Carbon Frame and Fork, Shimano Ultegra 2x11 Drivetrain, 34x32 Compact Gearing, 30mm Tires, and Hydraulic Disc Brakes. Approx. Weight: 16.89 lbs / 7.66 kg (without pedals)

Road E-Bike Rentals

Click Here for more information on our Road E-Bike Rentals, including pricing. E-Bike rental availability is limited, so please reserve early. Although E-Bikes are great, our tours were originally designed to be ridden without motorized assistance. We keep our cyclists together with a variety of techniques, including staggered starts and "bumps" along the road.

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

☛ Learn more about our Rental Bikes and Equipment

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted), including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and, occasionally, guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guides preparing meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten free, Dairy free, Vegan, or someone who loves it all – we will keep you well-fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepare healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu, including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour, if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days, sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Ability Level: Can I Ride This Tour?

Definition of Ability Levels

= Intermediate (2/3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 1 to 3 times a week for a total of 50 or more miles.
= Upper Intermediate (3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 2 to 4 times a week for a total of 75 or more miles.
= Advanced (3/4) Rides and/or takes spin classes 3 to 5 times a week for a total of 100 or more miles. Has ridden multi-day tours and done a century ride.
= Expert (4) Rides 4 or more times per week totaling 150 or more miles. Rides E.F.I. with regularity. Has done numerous multi-day tours, century rides and races.

How Fit do I Have to Be? If one month prior to the tour, you can ride 2 to 3 times a week, equaling a total of 75 or more miles a week, you'll do just fine. We like to jokingly say that "one is ready for a Lizard Head Cycling Tour when they are finished with the tour" and this is true! The only way to simulate a week-long bike tour is to go on a week-long bike tour.

Our average rider age is 55 years. These are bike tours, not races, so we take our time to stop, take pictures and see the sights. We have all day to reach our destination and most riders take "bumps" at some point. We offer reduced mileage options for each day. Of course, if someone wants to ride E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch), we love to show them all the extra climbs, loops and hidden canyons that can be included!

Do the Bump! Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20-mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time. After the bump, the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Afterward, cyclists can take another bump and/or continue riding.

Seamless Mileage Options. Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour – something we're well known for in our business. This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. 🙂

Slow or Fast? Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike. As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough.

Questions? If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at 970.728.5891, we will be more than happy to guide you!

Please also see this blog post for more information.

Overall Route Map

Below is an example of the daily routes for this tour, which are subject to change based on season, available accommodations, road closures, and other factors. The actual routes will be made available to registered participants before their tour, so please view these routes as a general outline of what to expect.

The Loneliest Road in America Bike Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline of what to expect while on this tour.

Day 0: Arrival in Reno

Day 0 is the day before the official tour begins. Guests should either drive to Las Vegas, Nevada, or fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS). In Reno, guests will stay at the designated meeting hotel that evening. Please note that the Night 0 hotel stay for the 8-Day tour is not included in the tour cost.

Pre-Tour Lodging and Transportation
The tour officially begins early on Day 1 with a shuttle from the meeting hotel in Reno to Fallon, NV, where the first day’s ride starts. If you choose to drive to the meeting hotel in Reno, you may leave your vehicle at the meeting hotel for the duration of the tour. Upon the tour’s conclusion, you can return to Reno via Amtrak from Salt Lake City, flight, or car.

Complete details and instructions will be provided in your tour confirmation documents following registration.

Day 1: Fallon to Cold Spring Station Resort
61 miles with up to 2,500 feet of climbing

We begin our trip with a shuttle from the meeting hotel to Fallon, NV, to bypass the busy section of Route 50 leaving Reno. As the last major town on our journey, Fallon served as an important stop along the Pony Express.

After departing Fallon, we will pass the Naval Air Station Fallon before entering the Great Basin’s range country. As we travel east, you will see Sand Mountain, the largest single dune in the Great Basin at 3.5 miles long and 1 mile wide. This area is the exclusive habitat of the critically imperiled Sand Mountain Blue Butterfly.

We will enjoy a fresh picnic lunch along the route as we head deeper into the basin country. Our lodging for the first night will be in Cold Springs.

Day 2: Cold Springs to Austin
72 miles with up to 4,300 feet of climbing

Leaving Cold Springs, we will backtrack slightly to ride on Route 2, providing a break from Route 50. This road will take us up Carole Summit before descending into another vast basin for the remainder of the ride. At the summit, you can see the remains of the Summit station, a former restaurant, bar, and gas station.

We will rejoin Route 50 shortly before arriving at our hotel in Austin, NV. Austin is a fascinating “living ghost town” with fewer than 200 full-time residents, down from a population of 10,000 in the 1860s. For dinner, we will visit Grandma’s, a favorite local restaurant.

Day 3: Austin to Eureka
70 miles with up to 3,100 feet of climbing

By this point in the tour, we are steadily rolling east across Route 50. After breakfast, we will continue our journey, beginning with a climb out of town to Bob Scott’s Summit followed by a scenic descent on the other side. Once we have completed the descent, we stop and visit the Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area, with petroglyphs dating back as far as 10,000 years ago to a time when major lakes, such as Lake Toiyabe and Lake Tonopah, filled the basins that have since dried up.

After crossing another expansive basin, we will conclude the day in Eureka, Nevada. Eureka is a historic mining town with many beautifully preserved buildings from the late 19th century, including a notable local Opera House.

Day 4: Eureka to Ely
79 miles with up to 4,500 feet of climbing

Today we venture to the “big city” of Ely, NV, a town with a population of nearly 4,000 people. This will be the longest day of the tour so far, covering almost 80 miles and crossing three significant mountain ranges. Along the way, keep an eye out for Nevada Historical Markers that share stories of the state’s ghost towns. Upon arriving in Ely, you may hear the whistle of a steam engine; the town is home to the Nevada Northern Railway, also known as the “Ghost Train of Old Ely.”

Day 5: Ely to the Utah Border!
64 miles with up to 3,200 feet of climbing

Spend the morning listening to the sounds of a real steam whistle as the local train gets rolling before pedaling east out of town. Today’s ride includes two climbs followed by a long, 15-mile descent to the Utah border.

Reaching the border marks the completion of the Nevada segment of Route 50, providing a great opportunity for photos at the state line. From there, we will head towards the entrance of Great Basin National Park and Baker, NV, where we will be staying for the next two nights.

Day 6: Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park
30 miles with up to 5,000 feet of climbing

Today features a climb worth remembering. We will head to the Great Basin Visitor Center and ascend 5,000 feet over 20 miles, reaching an elevation of over 10,000 feet within Great Basin National Park. This location offers commanding views of the vast Great Basin before a rewarding, fast descent through the switchbacks.

Great Basin National Park is home to ancient groves of Bristlecone Pines, which are among the oldest living organisms known, wildflowers, rare plants. Alternatively, you will have the option to explore the Lehman Caves on a self-guided tour.

Upon returning from the caves and climb, we will have time to explore the visitor center before heading back to our lodging for our second night in Baker, NV.

Day 7: Crossing into Utah
100 miles with up to 2,600 feet of climbing

Today we leave Nevada and continue on Route 50 into Utah as we continue through the enormity of basin country on what will be the longest day of the trip. This route offers opportunities for a century ride and a net loss in elevation with only a few shallow climbs.

Be sure to keep an eye out for Elephant Arch Rock and other unique rock formations. To the south, you will see salt beds from ancient lakes, such as Lake Sevier, which once covered much of this landscape.

This evening we will stay in Delta, Utah, where we may have the chance to visit the Great Basin Museum.

Day 8: Follow the Sevier River
50 miles with up to 1,800 feet of climbing

For our final day of riding, we will head northeast from Delta, crossing the Sevier River multiple times. This river originates near Bryce Canyon National Park and feeds Sevier Lake, though it rarely reaches the lake due to local irrigation. As we pass through these agricultural areas, look out for the abandoned charcoal ovens used by the original settlers.

The ride concludes in the town of Nephi. Once we have packed up, we will shuttle north to Salt Lake City and the airport, marking the end of our journey along Route 50 and the “Loneliest Road in America.”

Well Done!

The Loneliest Road in America Bike Tour: Logistics & FAQs

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead