4x4 Trails:
Jarbidge, Nevada

Part 1 – Two Roads to Jarbidge

Part 1a – Elko to Charleston Reservoir

Starting at the junction of Interstate 80 and NV225 (exit 301), drive north on paved 2-lane NV225 for 53.6 miles. The road will slowly meander and climb to 6,549 foot high Adobe Summit, cross over nondescript sagebrush rolling prairie, then access the scenic North Fork of the Humboldt River country to the turnoff to Jarbidge and the start of the dirt portion of this route.

At a point 22 miles north of Elko, historic Dinner Station is reached. This site was founded in the early 1870s as a stage stop and dinner house for the Tuscaurora and Mountain City stage lines. The original frame structure burned and was replaced by the current building in the 1880s. Dinner Station was also known as Weilands and Oldham's for former owners. The station fell out of use by the time that automobiles became fairly common; but has continued to be an occupied residence over the years and has been kept in excellent condition.

Traveling 4.1 miles north of Dinner Station, NV226 is reached. This route takes the traveler north and west into the lonely Owyhee River country, much of which is described in my Trip 2001 account on this website.

About 12 miles north of the junction of NV226, the road will drop slightly into the North Fork of the Humboldt River country. The countryside becomes more scenic and interesting, as there is quite a bit of surface water and small sloughs to the east of the highway, as well as the topography becoming increasingly rugged. In about 11.5 miles the former community of North Fork is reached, now mostly comprised of a maintenance station of the Nevada Department of Transportation and a ranch with a large and scenic old barn next to the highway.

At a point four miles north of the Nevada DOT station at North Fork, you will arrive at the signed turnoff to Jarbidge.

Turning east, Elko County 746 will meander over hill and dale for 19¾ miles to Charleston Reservoir on the Bruneau River. This road is maintained by Elko County, but in wet weather may require caution and AWD or 4WD. The road holds no surprises in dry weather – with the exception of wildlife and cattle on the road – but I recommend being in no hurry. Sudden curves, big Ford Super Duty or Dodge Ram 4WD trucks with stock trailers driven by local ranchers; and cattle, deer or antelope can seemingly pop out of nowhere when you least expect it. And like most dirt roads, a measure of irritating washboard is always present.

Part 1b – Deeth to Charleston Reservoir

If you wish to maximize your dirt road experience, I'd recommend traveling into Jarbidge via the small farming community of Deeth. I traveled this way during a trip in 2001 and I can tell you that it can bore you silly and scare the dickens out of you simultaneously!

To reach Deeth from Elko, travel eastward to Exit 333 – Deeth, about 32 miles east from the NV225 and I-80 interchange. If you are coming in from the east, Deeth is 19 miles west of Wells, Nevada.

Turning off of Exit 333, drive south about 0.8 tenths of a mile to a dirt road turning east (left) upon reaching the first set of railroad tracks. In 2001 there was a sign here indicating the community of Deeth. Drive along this road another 0.8 tenths of a mile to Elko County 747, signed for Charleston, and which runs north and under I-80. You'll pass by several apparently abandoned buildings left over from the old ranching community clustered along the railroad tracks.

The road at first starts off in relatively flat country, then progressively gets into more rugged and scenic topography as it continues north 42.4 miles to its junction with Elko County 746 at Charleston Reservoir. The road is a maintained road, but this is hardcore ranching country out here and the road often throws many surprises – both natural and man made.

I did not take any photos of this road during my travels through here in 2001, but here are a few of my notes that I made on a microcassette as I passed this way driving my 1996 Chevrolet S-10 4WD pickup that I owned at the time:

“Bad spot there in the road at the fork. Man! It was alkali dust, but not only that, it had two foot deep holes all over the place in it. It was like going through a field of land mines. I couldn’t slam on the brakes and had to go through it and everything hit the ceiling, including me.”

“... trying to keep uh … since Charleston was 50 miles away, I’ve been trying to keep at least 50 miles per hour on this road. But seems as if no sooner you get up to speed, you have to slam on the brakes for some obstacle.”

“Oooh! Just had an antelope standing there. On the side of the road. I didn’t even have time to get my video camera. I didn’t see him before I got within 200 feet of him.”

“This road may be shorter, but it’s certainly not better. It’s a piece of s..t! Bad, bad stuff! Bad alkali blow holes that just come out of nowhere.”

“This road is kind of an adventure. Keeps your attention. The countryside sure don’t. Just like a snake. Doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to it. I don’t know why it has to be a snake when it could be nice, gentle curves. But it curves like a coiled rattler. Can’t keep any speed at all. Throws a bunch of curve balls at you constantly. It’s tough to drive and read the map, I’ll tell you.”

“If it ain’t uh … it’s one thing or another thrown at you. Off camber curves … sudden off camber curves over the top of hills and … deep holes with heavy alkali dust. Blow holes in them. Where you could bust a spring if you hit them head on.”

“This road is still screwed! I’ll tell you. ... It’s just good enough that a car can go over it, but bad enough that it drives you nuts! Irritating! Lures you on with a short, straight section. Goads you into a little speed, and then slaps you in the face with an off camber corner with washboards. So even though I’m in four-wheel-drive, the truck wants to skid to the outside because of the washboards and into wild oversteer.”

“This road is a she-devil!”

“You can call this “Cow S..t Corner” here!”

“Just dusted out my cab. Come around the corner and hit a big blow hole. Big blow hole. Alkali. I’m all dusted out in here. That fine ... [heavy exhale] ... floury dust. Oh man! It chokes you! This road really is a she-devil! Lulls you to sleep and then smacks you over the head!”

Part 2 – Charleston Reservoir to Coon Creek Summit

High peaks rule this country – Matterhorn (10,839'), Jarbidge Peak (10,789'), Prospect Peak (10,435') and God's Pocket (10,184') – all form the semi-circular Jarbidge Mountains.

Due to the altitude and the heavy snows that visit this part of Nevada, this route may not open before July 4^th and could close temporarily due to a sudden snow squall by Labor Day. Keep an eye on the Weather Channel or call the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest ranger station in Elko before embarking. If it rains heavily, keep in mind that parts of the road surface over the two summits tends to turn to slick clay and vehicles can easily slide off the roadway on several slightly off camber sections. A search & rescue member told me that the only sure way he goes through this section in wet weather is to hook his tires into the ditch on the uphill side of the road while traversing the slick spots.

Otherwise, the road to Jarbidge seems to get a bit better on this section, the spectacular countryside that you will be passing through will certainly take your attention from dirt road misery to captivation.

The road meanders through wet meadows and the land holdings of the J.M. Prunty, P.R. Prunty and B. Prunty ranches, as well as the H. Shively Ranch. These are real working ranches – my wife got to see her first working cowboys working cattle on horseback while driving through here on a recent trip.

About six miles north of the junction of Elko County 746 and 747, the ghost town of Charleston is reached. Charleston started life as Mardis in 1876, quickly gaining the necessary saloons, stores a hotel and school. The town's economy was based upon some mines a few miles north in the Copper Mountains. A humorous bit of history is that of co-founder George Washington Mardis, who was a Bible thumping teamster who shouted out Old Testament quotations to his burro “Samson.” Mardis often carried gold to Elko and it was on one of his trips that he was slain by a six-toed Chinese man. A vigilante group found the slayer by his peculiar track and strung him up after a speedy trial. Mining dropped off dramatically by the mid-1880s and Charleston slumbered until the Jarbidge boom. The town regained a school, store, saloon and post office, but the camp remained small. A short Depression era revival occurred but the town has declined and is now part of the Prunty ranch holdings.

Just north of Charleston, the road forks and is signed for Bruneau River to the left and Jarbidge to the right. A bit more than 1.6 miles further, the road passes the sign indicating that you are now in the lands of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Just before hitting the sign, hidden in the willows and on the opposite bank of Seventy-Six Creek are the remains of an abandoned resort of apparent 1970s era.

Climbing up the course of Seventy-Six Creek, the Slatery and Prunty Mines can be seen nearby. Aspen trees at first dot the landscape, then often encapsulate the road as it climbs toward its goal of Coon Creek Summit. The road leaves the course of Seventy-Six Creek and skirts Copper Basin, as the road climbs the opportunities for Technicolor panoramas become endless.

Aspens soon become mixed with heavy forests of conifers, fir and spruce trees – no piñon pine trees are found in this section of Nevada – and the scenery becomes more akin to vistas of the Rocky Mountain states.

Looking down the slopes below the road you'll find several small lakes and snowmelt ponds. I've sat and watched beaver working these ponds through field glasses, busily building and maintaining their dams. Dramatic red cliff outcroppings dominate the scene just above the road. Many roads take off and run short distances away to nearby hilltops, mountaintops or other points of interest, but I've not traveled any of these. From what I can see passing by, most appear to be standard two-track and suitable for a pickup truck based 4WD SUV or pickup truck.

At a point 10.7 miles since entering the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 8,442 foot high Coon Creek Summit is reached.

Part 3 – Coon Creek Summit to Bear Creek Summit

The forest thickens along here, with blips of mountain views here and there. At Bear Creek Summit, a short road climbs west about 500-600 feet to a knoll and affords a superb panorama. Other roads wander here and there to nearby points.

Be careful of wildlife, deer often appear out of nowhere in front of you as they come up from below the road and make a mad dash for the other side.

Part 4 – Bear Creek Summit to Jarbidge

The vistas of the northern face of the peaks of the Jarbidge Mountains are dramatic, but keep your eyes on the road as much as possible ... it's a long drop to the canyon bottom! The route is densely forested along the upper third, but descends steeply through mountain mahogany until hitting the canyon bottom forested with evergreens and deciduous trees.

In 4¼ miles the road comes to a T-intersection with signs indicating that Jarbidge is three miles to the left (north) and Pine Creek Campground is ¾ of a mile to the right. We'll come back to the road up to Pine Creek Campground and beyond later.

Turn left and downhill to Jarbidge, following the bottom of the narrow chasm of the canyon – the road wedged between one side of the Jarbidge River or the other and the canyon wall. Even though the sign indicates that it is three miles to Jarbidge, you'll hit the upper buildings in town in less than two miles. In the summer of 2006 new bridges were installed on the Jarbidge River crossings.

There are some mining ruins and mine adits a mile or so above Jarbidge, which are part of the ghost town of Pavlak, a suburb of Jarbidge of sort.

Part 5 – The Town of Jarbidge

On this page, a lengthy account of Jarbidge's history won't be related. Instead, I would recommend “NEVADA GHOST TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS,” by Stanley Paher; as well as “A PLACE CALLED JARBIDGE,” by Donald E. Mathias and Valerie S. Berry. But a thumbnail sketch of the history of the town is presented.

As Nevada mining towns go, Jarbidge was a late-comer. It wasn't until October, 1909 that gold was found in the region, a year after many Nevada boomtowns went sour due to the Panic of 1907, when capital forthcoming to finance Nevada mining went instead to rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

By early spring of 1910 Jarbidge started growing swiftly even though the region was thoroughly buried in deep snows, partly fueled by embellished newspaper accounts and rumors. By May, many started leaving Jarbidge en masse. Those who stuck it out until the snow melted did indeed find gold bearing ledges and Jarbidge started building. Jarbidge continued with a seasonal boom/bust cycle until 1918 until the Elkoro Mining Company bought up principal claims and year round production ensued until the Depression.

Jarbidge does have a first and last in its history – the last stagecoach robbery with resulting murder of the stage driver lead to the first use of palm and fingerprints in forensic science to catch and convict the killer. In December, 1916, the Idaho stage was held up by a gunman who killed the stage driver and made off with the mail and $3,000 in cash. He propped up the dead man's body in the seat, smearing his hands with the blood of his victim while doing so. The murderer then washed his hands in the river, then went about the task of opening mail, carelessly scattering the envelopes. He was soon caught and later convicted, based upon his fingerprints and palm prints left upon the envelopes.

Today, Jarbidge is a remote and isolated village. Not a stitch of pavement is to be found in or around the community. (Note: Now there are several “stitches” of pavement in and around the town – 15-20 foot long access ramps on all newly built bridges over the Jarbidge River north and south of town are of pavement). The town is made up of an eclectic yet cohesive assortment of new and old structures. Few are found from Jarbidge's earliest days, as a major fire visited town early on in its infancy and nearly destroyed it. But there are many from the Elkoro period of the town's life and a smattering of newer mobile homes, modular homes – these covered by huge snow roofs or snow sheds – as well as some new log homes.

There are some services in Jarbidge. The Outdoor Inn serves food, drink (both soft and hard), music, billiards, a couple of slot machines, laughter and friendship. Associated with and owned by the owners of the Outdoor Inn, there is the Red Dog Saloon across the street. Operations move between the two – the Outdoor Inn operates in the summer, then when the snow flies operations move to the smaller (thus easier and cheaper to heat) Red Dog Saloon in the winter. Food prices are very reasonable, the food excellent and presented with friendly service (Note: Food prices at the Outdoor Inn were identical in July, 2007 as they were in September, 2006). There is a laundromat at the Outdoor Inn and a small motel and RV park annexed to it. In September of 2006, rooms were $60 nightly and $70 nightly with a kitchenette. Dogs are welcome with a $10 one time charge. The phone number for the Outdoor Inn is (775) 488-2311. It is through this exchange that you will likely be able to locate the phone number of any Jarbidge resident or business, as well as information about Jarbidge in general. Major credit and debit cards accepted.

Across the street from the Outdoor Inn is a small gift shop open in summer. It is owned and operated by the postmistress of Jarbidge, who makes her own jewelry during Jarbidge's long and hard winters. In addition to jewelry, the gift shop has some apparel, hats and caps, books, as well as other knick-knacks.

Up the street is the Sinclair gas station, which was closed down during my visit in 2001. In August of 2006, the postmistress and gift shop owner purchased the station and it is open during the daytime hours and open on call at other times (there is a phone mounted to the front wall to call the owner if she or her attendant doesn't come out to greet you). The two pumps dispense unleaded regular and diesel. When I gassed up in September of 2006, both diesel and gasoline were $3.84 per gallon (Note: In July, 2007, gas was $3.34 for regular unleaded gasoline, $3.28 for diesel – I'd say a good estimate of fuel prices in Jarbidge as gas prices rise and fall will be about 20¢ per gallon higher than those in Elko). Credit and debit cards are accepted.

There is a tiny store in the lower end of Jarbidge, housed in the front portion of a home. Basic sundries are found at very reasonable prices, considering that the store's owner has to make trips to Twin Falls, Idaho or Elko, Nevada – each at or well over 100 miles away, to stock his store.

Additional lodging is found at the Tsawhawbitts Bed & Breakfast (named after an Indian legend of man-eating giant – pronounced “Ja-ha-bich” and thus the linguistic corruption “Jarbidge” as the town's name), a nice looking establishment located at the northern end of town. A short distance further north is The Barn Hotel, which is operated by the same people who own the Outdoor Inn. If you don't mind bathrooms and showers at the end of the hall, this is your place. My wife and I spent two very comfortable nights at The Barn for $35 per night, with a $10 one-time charge for our dog. (Note: Prices for The Barn were still the same in July 2007.)

Jarbidge has a small post office, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday; noon to 4:00 PM. In 2001, my friend Graham C. sent a post card from Jarbidge to his mother in England, and it took less than a week to make it across the pond!

There is a volunteer fire department in town, many members also are part of the local search & rescue. There is an EMT in town, who is often seen buzzing about town on his official Elko County 4-wheel ATV, complete with light bar and Motorolla 2-way radio. A deputy sheriff resides in town, his official Jeep Cherokee parked in front of his home in plain sight.

There is a town hall located across the street from the Outdoor Inn, which was the lively Commercial Club saloon/dance hall/theater during the early days of Jarbidge's history. If it is unlocked or open (inquire at the Inn if not), a visit inside is a treat. There are displays and photo boards with photographs of Jarbidge's early days; the stage has the original painted curtain with ads of Jarbidge's early businesses.

Jarbidge's historic jail is still standing, next to the town's tiny store. The criminal who committed the 1916 stagecoach robbery and murder was incarcerated in one of the cells until convicted and transferred to the Nevada State Penitentiary at Carson City. The jail is intact and complete with two cells. I've stood inside the cell with the heavy iron door shut. Amenities for the 1916 jailbird were sparse – a wash basin, chair, cot and “honey pot.” The jail doors are made up of heavy iron strapping, which allows little visibility out or in. There is a historical plaque on the front of the jail that reads:

“Jarbidge Jail. Built after the town was removed from the U.S. Forest by a 1911 Presidential proclamation it replaced the constable’s home or Forest Service cabin to restrain rowdy miners and hold suspects for arrival of a sheriff deputy. A colorful story tells of a burly miner frequently using the bunk to raise the roof to slip out and return to the saloon, climbing back in his cell before morning. Most noted prisoner was Ben Kuhl, who robbed the Rogerson-Jarbidge stage in December 1916, killing Fred Searcy the driver, the last mail stagecoach robbery in the U.S. and the first conviction based on a bloody palm print. It was last used about 1945. Dedicated June 13, 1998 by Lucinda Jane Saunders. Chapter 1881 E. Clampus Vitus.”

The town's population runs 50 or so in summer, dropping to a dozen or so in winter. Four-wheel ATVs seem to be the transportation of choice by locals and visitors alike in summer, snowmobiles rule the local streets in winter. In hunting season, the town's population does increase with hunters – many who have been coming to Jarbidge for years and are known by their first names by the town's residents.

Jarbidge is isolated further in winter, when only the road north to Rogerson, Idaho (63 miles) is open and plowed of snow.