Saddle up, Cowboy Core is taking over travel in 2025. With 44% of U.S. travelers eager for a “cowboycation,” according to Skyscanner, the Wild West is calling. While destinations like Texas, Wyoming, and Tennessee might come to mind first, Ely, Nevada, is emerging as an unexpected cowboy haven.
This small town offers rugged adventure and old-school Western charm. Visitors can stroll past vintage storefronts, grab a drink in historic saloons, and immerse themselves in an authentic frontier experience. Ely delivers an ultimate cowboy escape without the crowds of more well-known Western destinations.
Embrace Cowboy Core travel in Ely, Nevada
Ely offers plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the Cowboy Core lifestyle. Experience the spirit of the West through annual events like the White Pine County Fair and Horseraces, known as the “Cowboy Kentucky Derby,” or the Lund Rodeo and Pioneer Days, Nevada’s oldest rodeo. For something unique, check out White Pine Productions Ranch Rodeos, which even features a motorcycle rodeo.
Stroll through downtown Ely to admire murals and public art celebrating the town’s rich Wild West history. Explore over 20 ghost towns scattered across White Pine County, where original structures remain frozen in time. Step back into the railroad era at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, a National Historic Landmark offering steam and diesel locomotive excursions.
For outdoor adventure, hit the trail to Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, home to six towering beehive-shaped ovens once used to process silver in the 1800s. As night falls, gaze up at some of the darkest skies in the Lower 48, whether in Ely or nearby Great Basin National Park, where cowboys once marveled at the same cosmos.
