Beaver, Utah to Ely, Nevada: Snowbanks, Ghost Towns & Lessons Learned

Leaving Utah behind (for the moment), we found ourselves driving through Beaver, Utah, and into the Wasatch Mountains. This stretch of the drive was gorgeous—winding roads, snowcapped peaks, and wide valleys that made you feel like you’d driven into a painting.

Why do the mountains always make us feel at home?

Beaver is also known for something far rarer than its scenery: red beryl. Sometimes called bixbite or “red emerald,” this gemstone can only be found in a handful of places in the world, with Utah being one of them. It’s said to be thousands of times rarer than diamonds. We didn’t go hunting for any (though that would’ve been fun), but just knowing we were driving through land that produces something that rare gave the whole drive a little extra sparkle.

Bound for Ely, Nevada

Our destination was Ely, Nevada, with plans to visit Great Basin National Park. But this particular year came with a twist: record snowfall. As beautiful as it was to see the mountains buried in white, it changed everything about our visit. So many of the cool things we wanted to do—exploring trails, ghost towns, and even rockhounding—were basically snowed out.

Sunrise one morning from our campside.

Ghost Town Gone Wrong

At one point, we set out to visit a nearby ghost town. The plan sounded simple enough until we found ourselves high-centered on a snowbank. It was one of those slow-motion moments where you realize: yep, we’re stuck. On Easter Sunday, no less. Thankfully, divine timing seemed to be on our side. A truck pulled up not long after, carrying exactly the people we needed—someone with straps and shovels. They pulled us free in no time. If they hadn’t been there, we would have been in serious trouble, because truthfully? We were completely unprepared. Lesson learned: always carry recovery gear, especially when adventuring in remote, snowy areas.

Garnet Hill Bust

Another plan was to check out Garnet Hill, famous for its fields of sparkling garnets that you can pick up right off the ground. But once again, the snow had other ideas. Every road we tried was blocked, and eventually we had to throw in the towel. Another day lost to snowdrifts.

Great Basin National Park: Buried in White

We still managed to make it into Great Basin National Park, but the conditions were rough. Trails that should’ve been easy walks were thigh-deep in snow. At one point, I stepped onto what I thought was packed snow and immediately sank up to my leg. That was about the moment I mentally checked out and decided I was ready to call it a day.

Still, even under all that snow, you could tell the park was something special. Towering peaks, bristlecone pine forests, caves, and some of the darkest skies in the country—it was clear this was a place we’d need to come back to. Just… not in early spring during record snowfall.

This stretch of the trip taught us more than a few lessons: bring recovery gear, respect the weather, and maybe don’t plan ghost town adventures when snow is piled high. Between the unexpected rescues, the snowed-out plans, and the sheer beauty of the Wasatch drive (plus the sparkle of Utah’s famous red beryl), it was one of those chapters that we’ll laugh about later—but at the time, it had us swearing we’d return to Great Basin in the summer, when the trails and ghost towns are open and the only thing you sink into is a comfy camp chair.