Winnemucca, NV Road Trips

Winnemucca is the county seat of Humboldt County in northern Nevada, located on the Humboldt River, about halfway across the state on Interstate 80. The center of town is around Winnemucca Boulevard and Melarkey Street, and the downtown historic district is on Bridge Street, which has been Winnemucca's main street since the 1870s. Casinos and hotels tend to be concentrated to the west of town near Interstate 80, and the train station is to the southeast towards more residential areas. The nominal visitor's center is in a convention center at the corner of Winnemucca Blvd and Bridge St, but its posted hours are inscrutably contradictory and in any case not followed consistently, so don't count on getting assistance there. Named after Chief Winnemucca of the local Northern Paiute tribe, the city was established in 1866 and was reached by the first transcontinental railroad in 1868. Numerous Basque and Chinese immigrants found their way to the area; the Basques mostly came to work with livestock and the Chinese to work on the railroad. Winnemucca's once-flourishing Chinatown has disappeared over time (though remnants are displayed at Humboldt Museum), but a strong sense of Basque pride remains, and Basque restaurants and cultural celebrations are a prominent part of the city's identity. The dry air means that temperatures vary considerably over the course of the day. Dress in layers.

The Bridge Street historic district and signage all around clearly show Winnemucca's Old West heritage, and the dry mountain landscapes form a beautiful backdrop. 1 Humboldt Museum, 175 Museum Lane, ☏ +1 775 623-2912, [email protected]. W–F 9AM–4PM Sa 10AM–4PM. Interesting local history museum. Highlights include mammoth bones, a substantial collection of Native American artifacts, and an exhibit on Winnemucca's former Chinatown, established by 19th-century railroad workers. The gift shop has a range of non-kitschy northern Nevada souvenirs, especially books and gemstones. Free, donations accepted. (updated Oct 2023) 2 Thunder Mountain Monument, 800-804 E Star Peak Rd, Imlay (30 mi (48 km) west; take highway 80, exit on 145 and double back east along Frontage Road about one mile). Daily, sunrise to sunset. An unmistakable sight on the way to Winnemucca, a hand-built home covered with concrete sculptures of famous Native Americans and a large white arch meant as a handle, so the home could be picked up and carried away by the Great Spirit, in the end times that the artist was convinced were near. The home itself is closed to entry, but you can walk around it and see many additional sculptures of concrete and found objects that surround it. Free, donations accepted. (updated May 2023)

Winnemucca Raceway, 8201 Jungo Rd. Dirt track racing at Winnemucca Raceway. (updated Nov 2025) Bloody Shins Trail. Fantastic mountain biking. (updated Dec 2019) Off-road vehicles are welcome at the sand dunes just north of town on Highway-95. Trainspotting. If you're into freight trains, this is a good place to see them. They come right by the Amtrak station. (updated Oct 2023) Winnemucca hosts several casinos, including Winners, the Model T, the Sundance, and Legends. 1 Winners Inn Casino, 185 W Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775-623-2511. Boasts 200 slot machines and the only live roulette game in Humbolt County. (updated Nov 2017) 2 Model T Casino, 1130 West Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775-623-2588. 24/7. Mostly slot machines and other electronic screen-based games. Also has an arcade room. (updated Oct 2023) Tri-County Fair: around Labor Day Weekend, check for exact dates. "Winnemucca's Wildest Weekend" including a rodeo and carnival. Basque Festival: June. A celebration of Winnemucca's Basque heritage.

Winnemucca hosts several Basque restaurants, including traditional family-style dining at the Martin Hotel and restaurant-style dining at Ormachea's. Don't pass up the chance for some Picon Punch. Ormachea's is also a great Basque establishment with larger portions. It's easy to find restaurants with a small-town feel. Yes there are fast-food chains (Subway at 936 W Winnemucca Blvd, Burger King at 3220 Fountain Way, Taco Bell at 3475 Construction Way, Jack in the Box at 218 W Winnemucca), but the real dining scene is at local places where the staff seem to have known each other for years and local patrons might happen to run into friends. 1 Chihuahua's. Mexican food. Multiple vegan options. (updated Oct 2023) Dos Amigos. Mexican food. 2 The Martin Hotel, 94 W Railroad St. Despite its name, this restaurant does not offer rooms but traditional family-style Basque dining since 1898. (updated Oct 2016) 3 Sid's Restaurant, 1195 W Winnemucca Blvd (just past the Holiday Inn Express, south of I-80), ☏ +1 775-625-2100. 5:30AM-9PM daily. American-style diner serving fantastic homestyle food. (updated Oct 2023) Model T. Has excellent food and at great prices. 4 China Garden. A good choice for Chinese food. 5 The Griddle, 460 W Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 623-2977. 6AM–4PM. For the breakfast. (updated May 2023) 6 Winnemucca Pizzeria, 139 S Bridge St, ☏ +1 775-625-2700. 11:00am-9:00pm. For pizza 7 Koreana Korean Cuisine, 329 East Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 625-7032. Tu–Sa 11AM–8PM, Su M noon–8PM. Korean food and boba tea.

The Martin Hotel is a fun place to relax and have a few drinks. Great atmosphere.

1 Best Western Gold Country Inn, 921 W Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 623-6999, toll-free: +1-800-346-5306, fax: +1 775 623-9190. 2 Holiday Motel, 670 W Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 623-3684, toll-free: +1-800-262-8901, fax: +1 775 623-4221. 3 Days Inn by Wyndham Winnemucca, 714 W Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 702-410-8164. 4 Holiday Inn Express, 1987 W. Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 625-3100. Free Wi-Fi. 5 Town House Motel, 375 Monroe St, ☏ +1 775-623-3620. 6 Silver State RV Park, 5575 E Winnemucca Blvd, ☏ +1 775 623-4513, toll-free: +1-800-562-7554 (reservations). RV/tent sites, cabins, and tepees. Has seasonal pool and WiFi. (updated Feb 2018)

Winnemucca is reached via Interstate 80 coming from the east (Salt Lake City) or west (Reno), and by US-95 coming from the north (Boise) or south (Las Vegas). Amtrak serves Winnemucca with the California Zephyr, which runs daily between Emeryville (in the San Francisco Bay Area) and Chicago, with stops including Sacramento, Reno, Elko, Salt Lake City, and Denver. 1 Winnemucca station is an unstaffed platform with a simple shelter; trains arrive on the same platform going in both directions. As of 2023, the eastbound train is scheduled to arrive and depart Winnemucca at 7:08PM; going west it's a less convenient 5:40AM (though as always with Amtrak, plan for the possibility of significant delays).

The town itself is compact and reasonably walkable, presumably a legacy of its development well before the arrival of the automobile. Outside of the core downtown area, sidewalks are inconsistent, but the streets are wide so it doesn't feel too bad to walk on the shoulder when necessary. For hiking and other activities outside of town, you'll need a car. If you're arriving by train but want a car to get around, rental cars are available at 2 Humboldt Ford Car Rental, 3305 Potato Rd.