ICON Ford F-250 Suspension goes for a Tour of Nevada
Tour of Nevada for Fifth Grade State Report
By Jon Crowley on 12/04/12
My son is in 5th grade and has an assignment to do a report on one of the United States. He picked Nevada, and we concocted a plan to do a tour of Nevada and bring along one of our UTVs to explore all that the Silver State has to offer. We spent ten days off-roading, visiting national and state parks, touring museums, and wandering around old ghost towns.
Our route took us through the state capitol, Carson City, then east on US 50, “The Loneliest Highway.” Along US 50, we stopped at Sand Mountain Recreation Area, several Pony Express Stations, and over nine mountain passes before reaching Highway 93 just east of Ely. From there, we visited Great Basin National Park before heading south on Highway 93, also known as the Great Basin Highway. We visited Cathedral Gorge State Park and Delamar Ghost Town on our way south. After an overnight in Mesquite, we visited Logandale, Valley of Fire State Park, and Nellis Sand Dunes before stopping in Las Vegas. We also toured the Hoover Dam and spent a few days exploring Las Vegas.
Heading back north, we visited the Amargosa Sand Dunes, Beatty, Rhyolite, Clayton Valley Dunes, Tonopah, Crescent Dunes, Hawthorne, and Yerington. Near Yerington, we went off-road to see the ghost town of Pine Grove before looping back up toward Carson City.
We stopped at almost every Historic Marker along the way and visited local museums and visitor bureaus to soak up the rich history of the Silver State.
We received many comments on our Facebook page, questions via email, and numerous questions about our UTV truck rack whenever we stopped. I snapped a few pictures showing how the UTV sits compared to a cab-over camper. The top of the roll cage is slightly higher than the camper but feels more stable.
The truck is a 2011 F350 Superduty crew cab shortbed. The rack was built by Roggy Enterprises, and the truck features frame-mounted camper tie-downs up front, air bags, and a 2.5″ ICON Vehicle Dynamics leveling kit. Air bags are essential, and the ICON shocks made the ride very smooth.
We carefully considered what to take (motorhome+trailer, truck+trail, or truck+rack) and this setup was perfect. We drove about 200 miles on dirt roads and tight parking lots, which would have been a challenge with a trailer and impossible with a motorhome. The biggest downside was the cost of motels, but I like a shower and a bed.
This setup gave us the flexibility to stop quickly at historic markers and anything else that interested us.
Our UTV of choice for this adventure was our 2011 Polaris RZR XP 900. It features Pro Armor doors and harnesses, STI Tires & Wheels, DragonFire Racing bumpers, spare tire carrier, flying V brace, high clearance radius links, Fox shocks, Beard seats, Lowrance GPS, PURE Polaris rock skids, trailing arm guards, Unisteer power steering, Muzzys exhaust, and Rugged Radios. It continues to exceed expectations and even raced at King of the Hammers. It also fits nicely on our truck rack.
Trip Highlights
Day 2 – Sand Springs Pony Express Station
Covered by sand for over a hundred years, Sand Springs Station lay undisturbed until 1976. Archaeologists excavated and stabilized it in 1977. The Pony Express operated for only 19 months but quickly became a legend, carrying mail 2,000 miles in just 12 days in summer and 14 days in winter. When the transcontinental telegraph was completed on October 24, 1861, the Pony Express became obsolete and ceased operation 27 days later.
Day 2 – Sand Mountain Recreation Area, Nevada
Located in Churchill County, just north of U.S. Highway 50, Sand Mountain is 25 miles east of Fallon, Nevada. Managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, this 4,795-acre recreation area offers off-highway vehicle riding, hiking, and sandboarding.
Nevada Tour Day 2 – Photo gallery on Facebook
Day 4 – Delamar, Nevada
We explored the ghost town of Delamar, south of Caliente on Hwy 93. The settlement had more than 1,500 residents, a hospital, an opera house, churches, a school, businesses, and saloons. Buildings were primarily made of native rock, and the Delamar mill handled up to 260 tons of ore daily.
Prospectors John Ferguson and Joseph Sharp discovered gold around Monkeywrench Wash in 1889, creating a mining camp initially called Ferguson. Captain Joseph Raphael De Lamar bought the mines in 1894, renaming the settlement Delamar. Water and supplies were brought from distant locations by mule teams, and the town thrived during its peak years.
Nevada Tour Day 4 – Photo gallery on Facebook
Day 5 – Logandale Trail System
Located about 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas, the Logandale Trails System covers 45,000 acres of desert, washes, and vivid sandstone cliffs west of Logandale and north of Valley of Fire State Park. The system contains over 200 miles of trails suitable for a variety of OHVs.
Day 8 – Amargosa Sand Dunes
Amargosa or Big Dune covers about five square miles, with a peak of 500 feet. It offers steep hill climbs and sharp ridges and is located about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Day 8 – Clayton Valley Dunes
Located in the southern part of Clayton Valley, 7 miles south of Silver Peak, Nevada, this remote dune is ideal for solitary dune exploration.
Day 9 – Crescent Dunes
A small, often deserted dune complex near Tonopah, used mostly by local riders. The area feels very remote, forming crescent-shaped dunes under consistent winds.
Day 10 – Pine Grove, Nevada
Pine Grove started as Wilsonville in 1866 after gold was discovered. At its peak, it had 600 residents and extensive facilities including saloons, hotels, stores, and medical offices. Most buildings were destroyed by a mudslide years ago, leaving only a few standing, including the old boarding house.
The town served as a regional supply center for ranchers and is reachable via OHV using Forest Service roads. A GPS with topo maps is recommended.
Nevada Tour Day 10 – Photo gallery on Facebook
To view the full report and photo galleries, visit Tour of Nevada 2012.
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