An oasis in the Nevada desert, this crossroads city is bursting with pioneer history, Basque culture and big engines.
Winnemucca is a secluded gem in the Great Basin, with rolling dunes and a mountain range breaking up its wide, open vista. Named after a local Native American chief, Winnemucca has had a long history interwoven with the Paiute and Shoshone tribes, frontier settlers, Basque culture and a buzzing Chinatown.
Take a historical walking tour and visit the Humboldt County Museum to learn about Winnemucca’s pioneer history. Experience fantastic Basque cuisine at one of Winnemucca’s family-style or fine dining restaurants, traditionally enjoyed with a chilled glass of Picon Punch.
Winnemucca and its surroundings beg to be explored on wheels. The air is filled with the roar of motorcycles on Memorial Day weekend for the Run-A-Mucca motorcycle rally. Enter your car in the annual Fifties Fever drag races in high summer, or cheer others on and join the street dance or poker run. Discover the desert highlands on an adrenaline-pumping mountain bike ride. Take a backcountry route and explore some of the dusty trails once traveled by the Butch Cassidy's infamous "Wild Bunch".
Summer really gets this desert city humming, but winter also offers plenty of attractions and activities at the indoor Winnemucca Events Complex and in the great outdoors. Infinite clear blue skies and all-day sunshine are followed by sudden desert cold, so be prepared and bring warm clothing for nighttime.
This high desert oasis is located at a highway crossroads in the center of northern Nevada. Winnemucca’s convenient location on these two major highways makes getting to this city by car or bus easy. Start your journey to the Pacific Ocean on the scenic Winnemucca to the Sea Highway. You can also reach Winnemucca with efficient Amtrak service or by flying into Winnemucca Municipal Airport, located just 5 miles (8 kilometers) southwest of downtown Winnemucca.
In true Nevada style, Winnemucca offers breathtaking desert landscapes, exhilarating casinos, car rallies, rodeos and big country hearts.
