May 2026. Opening my second morning far from the main highway, wrapped in the desert quiet that kept me company all night.
After a quiet, isolated night on the remote side trail where I kept my distance from the off-road vehicles, I started the morning with a brief visit to the official dune area of Sand Mountain.
Over the night, the wind completely erased the tire tracks from the sand dunes, and the view of this massive dune in the first light is simply a spectacular sight. It is only when you see the vehicles parked near the base of the dune that you truly comprehend just how high it stands.
From the dunes, I got back behind the wheel and drove east through the region's main town of Fallon, and from there I continued heading north toward Lovelock, which sits along the I-80 corridor.
Probably like anyone coming here for the first time, I was quite surprised; the arid, bone-dry desert suddenly transforms into a large, lush green agricultural zone flooded with water.
Where does all this water come from in the middle of the wasteland?
The secret of this area is the Humboldt River.
This unique river flows from eastern Nevada and ends right here, in what is called the Humboldt Sink. Farmers in the area established a network of canals and reservoirs, like the Rye Patch Reservoir, utilizing the river water and snowmelt coming down from the eastern mountains to turn this desert land into a fertile agricultural valley.
Near the Lovelock area, I had two main destinations that I had gathered over the years by pinning points on Google Maps, so I drove out to visit them.
The first was Lovelock Cave.
This place is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the region. It is a cave that was used by Native Americans (the Paiute people) for thousands of years. In the early 20th century, researchers discovered incredible treasures inside that were perfectly preserved thanks to the dry environment of the cave: woven baskets, clothing, and even the famous duck decoys made from tules, which are the oldest hunting decoys in the world.
Today, the cave itself is not particularly impressive, as it is small and has no displays, but it is interesting to visit.
After visiting the cave, I drove toward a spot marked on my map that was not far away. I didn’t remember what was at this location—it was just a pin on the map, and I had no idea what was there, so I headed toward it.
I drove the jeep to the top of the cliff near the marker, and from there it was a short hike to the point on the map where I saw the rocks.
The appearance of these rocks is truly special; I have never seen rocks like this before.
The rocks are called Cauliflower Rock.
This is a unique and not very well-known geological site (it doesn't even appear on Google Maps), where nature created amazing rock formations.
The rocks here are made of tufa, limestone deposits formed underwater during the period when the prehistoric Lake Lahontan covered all of Nevada. When the lake water dried up, it left behind these cliffs, which look precisely like giant heads of cauliflower made of stone.
From the cliffs, I continued driving to visit an interesting point from the past.
I stopped to see an Aviation Navigation Arrow.
This is an incredible historical remnant from the early 1920s, when massive concrete arrows were built on the ground so that the first airmail pilots could navigate across America from coast to coast. I know there are many other navigation arrows throughout the West, but this was the first time I actually saw one.
From there, I continued a bit further to see The Tombstone rock, an impressive and prominent rock formation that truly looks like a giant tombstone someone planted in the heart of the desert.
I got back onto I-80 and continued driving north, then exited the main highway and passed through the town of Winnemucca.
From there, I cut left onto the truly remote and lonely roads that lead deep into northwestern Nevada, taking Highway 140 toward Denio Junction, right on the Oregon border.
I arrived at Denio Junction, a lonely intersection that features a gas station and a roadside motel that looks straight out of a 1960s movie.
This place is the final meeting point with civilization. I stopped there and filled my gas tank to the top, because I knew this was my last gas station before leaving the asphalt completely behind and heading deep into the backcountry, into the wild mountains of Onion Valley.
The next chapter (Day 2, Part B) will be entirely dedicated to the second half of the trip's second day: leaving the road and embarking on a long off-road drive into the hidden mountains and lakes of Onion Valley, which stretched through the night and into the following day.
There is plenty to look forward to…
Additional pictures from that day:
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