Start from 23 curated places around Ely, NV, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
JT's Steakhouse
A farm-to-table steakhouse in the truest local sense — owners Jess and Terrill Trask raise their cattle on their Perigo Hay and Cattle ranch, and the beef is cut and cooked on site. This is Ely's best dinner option by a wide margin, drawing guests who drive two hours specifically to eat here. The dining room is warm and unhurried, with a solid cocktail list and thoughtful desserts.
Racks Bar and Grill
Ely's most dependable all-day bar and grill, smoke-free and locally owned on Aultman Street near downtown. The menu runs burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers with a few Nevada-specific twists like the Nevada cheesesteak. Locals cite it as the most consistent kitchen in town for a casual lunch or bar-style dinner with patio seating in good weather.
Trails & outdoors
Cave Lake Overlook Loop
A 3.6-mile loop in Cave Lake State Park that climbs 977 feet through pinyon-juniper forest to a ridgeline overlooking the reservoir, the Schell Creek Range, and Steptoe Valley below. It's the best elevated perspective in the immediate Ely area and quiet enough on weekdays to hear nothing but wind. Rated 4.6 stars from 120-plus AllTrails reviews.
Steptoe Creek Trail
An easy 3-mile out-and-back in Cave Lake State Park that follows Steptoe Creek through willows and cottonwoods, crossing on several footbridges before returning via the Success Summit Road shoulder. Flat, shaded, and accessible to most hikers — a good morning walk before the day heats up or a recovery trail after strenuous hiking. The creek corridor is reliably green and cool even in August.
Things to do
Nevada Northern Railway Steam Train Excursion
A 90-minute round trip on a restored steam locomotive from the East Ely Yards through Robinson Canyon to the Ruth mining district, narrated by a museum interpreter. This is the flagship experience at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and runs on a scheduled basis throughout the year with specialty themed rides layered on top. The open gondola car is the best seat.
Nevada Northern Railway 'Be the Engineer' Experience
A hands-on program at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum where participants actually operate a full-size steam or diesel locomotive on the main line under close supervision of a professional engineer. This is not a simulator — you pull throttle, control brakes, and navigate the real tracks. One of fewer than a dozen places in the world offering public steam locomotive operation.
Landmarks & sights
Nevada Northern Railway Museum
A National Historic Landmark occupying the original East Ely Yards, this is one of the few places in the world where you can actually operate a full-size steam locomotive. The 70-plus buildings and 30 miles of original track have been left largely intact, giving a rare sense of a working railroad frozen in 1906. Worth a half-day minimum, especially if the steam locomotive is running an excursion.
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park
Six beehive-shaped stone ovens standing 30 feet tall in a remote canyon of the Egan Range, built in 1876 to process charcoal for nearby silver smelters and used for only three years before the ore played out. The ovens are remarkably intact, the surrounding pinyon-juniper canyon is quiet and cool, and the site sits at Bortle Class 2 darkness for exceptional night photography. About 20 miles south of Ely on a passable dirt road.