Distance covered by motorcycle: ~420 km
Route: Ely, NV → Osceola → Baker → Milford, UT → Richfield, UT
🌄 Desert Mornings & Mountain Magic: Ely to Richfield
Day 17 kicked off with the crisp air of a Nevada desert morning and ended beneath a glowing Utah sunset. This ride was all about wide-open roads, hidden historical spots, alpine beauty, and that sweet rhythm only a long day on two wheels can give you. From ghost towns to glacial peaks, today delivered something rare — true solitude and soul-filling scenery.
🏜️ First Stretch: Ely to Osceola
We rolled out of Ely with nothing but blue skies and wide roads ahead. The ride out of town felt like riding through a time capsule — smooth curves, no traffic, and the engine humming like it was made for this road.
⛏️ Quick stop at State Historical Marker #98 — a lonely roadside marker near Osceola, telling the tale of Nevada’s gold mining past. Standing there, with the desert silence all around, you could almost hear the echoes of pickaxes and wagon wheels.
🏞️ Great Basin National Park: A Hidden Gem
From Osceola, we pushed onward into Great Basin National Park, one of the most overlooked treasures in the West.
📍 Visitor Center in Baker gave us a quick orientation — geology, bristlecone pines, and maps in hand.
📸 Wheeler Peak Overlook was the real showstopper. Snow-dusted peaks, alpine air, and endless desert vistas below. One of those rare spots that makes you pause — and breathe.
🍔 Lunch in Baker – Salt, Sugar & Satisfaction
After descending from the mountains, we stopped for lunch at Sugar, Salt & Malt Restaurant.
Classic road food — burgers, fries, maybe even a milkshake or two. Simple, satisfying, and well-earned.
🚧 Crossing into Utah
Back on the bikes, we crossed into Utah with barely a sign to mark the border — but the changing landscape told us we’d entered new territory. The hills softened, the light changed, and by the time we rolled into Milford, the desert heat was in full swing.
⛽ Quick break at the Chevron — hydration, fuel, and a good stretch before the final leg.
🛒 Grocery Stop: Richfield Reality Check
Somewhere between scenic overlooks and desert silence, we made a quirky but necessary detour: Walmart in Richfield.
After hours in remote country, walking into a brightly lit megastore felt surreal. We loaded up on essentials (and a few non-essentials) before heading to our AirBNB.
🏡 Arrival in Richfield
Dusty bikes, tired shoulders, and full hearts. Our place in Richfield was the perfect landing spot. Warm evening air, the gear finally came off, and the crew shared stories under fading light.
This was a day of contrast — quiet wilderness to retail chaos, ancient pines to modern pavement. And through it all, the road just kept giving.
🗺️ Highlights of the Day:
Total motorcycle distance: ~420 km
Riding hours: ~5 hrs 30 mins
Stops:
- State Historical Marker #98 – Osceola, NV
- Great Basin Visitor Center – Baker, NV
- Wheeler Peak Overlook – Great Basin NP
- Sugar, Salt & Malt Restaurant – Baker, NV
- Chevron Station – Milford, UT
- Walmart – Richfield, UT
✍️ Quote of the Day:
“Sometimes the road shows you nothing — and in that nothing, you find everything.”