Candidate for The Loneliest Road in America
A famous raid, railroads and mining along remote stretch of the U.S. border
Life Magazine quoted an American Automobile Association counselor declaring Highway 50 in Nevada, between Reno and the Great Basin National Park, as the loneliest road in the U.S.
I’ve been on that road. More than once. It’s not that lonely. Actually, Nevada Tourism came to the defense with promotional materials and an audio tour with wonderful reasons to travel Highway 50 with ghost towns, wild horses and antelope.

Nah. I have a better candidate. That Life reporter hasn’t been on Highway 9 in New Mexico west of El Paso. Talk about lonely. If you define it as very little traffic…Check!
A 100-mile stretch of the 175-mile highway parallels the border. Border patrol is almost all of the traffic. A few are trucks with their radar equipment. (Photo of border wall by Greg Bulla on Unsplash)


Columbus is a neat border town along Highway 9 with RV camping at the Pancho Villa State Park. It’s definitely worth the stop for a history lesson and refreshment. Three museums share history of a raid by Pancho Villa’s gang, the railroad and remains of Camp Furlong. Road-weary travelers can choose from a few good restaurants, serving Mexican and American food.
Further west, Hachita, an old mining town, still has ruins of a stone church and other buildings. Remains of an old corral line what used to be a railroad track. The town has a sense of humor with its mock-up of a rest stop. One store serves the local community of ranches and farms. You might see cotton crops along the way.



Don’t be surprised when your GPS says “You have light traffic on your route.” Should you find yourself on this loneliest of roads less traveled, enjoy the serenity.
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