7 Bizarre Yet Beautiful Landmarks In Nevada That Defy Expectations
Nevada’s desert landscape holds secrets that go far beyond the neon lights of Las Vegas.
During my road trips across the Silver State, I’ve stumbled upon landmarks so strange and wonderful that they’ve permanently changed how I see this misunderstood region.
These seven extraordinary spots blend natural wonder, artistic vision, and pure Nevada weirdness into unforgettable experiences that challenge everything you thought you knew about this desert state.
1. The Clown Motel: Where Sweet Dreams Meet Nightmares
Walking into the lobby of Tonopah’s infamous Clown Motel felt like entering a fever dream. Hundreds of porcelain clown faces stared at me from every shelf, their painted smiles frozen in perpetual delight. What makes this place truly spine-tingling? It sits right next to a century-old cemetery where miners who perished in a 1911 fire are buried.
During my overnight stay (yes, I’m either brave or foolish), I discovered the rooms are surprisingly cozy despite the clown paintings hanging above the beds. The owner proudly showed me his rarest collectibles, including vintage circus memorabilia dating back to the 1920s.
Somehow, this bizarre lodging has become a beloved roadside attraction, drawing thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts from around the world. It perfectly captures Nevada’s embrace of the weird and wonderful.
2. The Shoe Tree: A Sole-Ful Desert Mystery
My first encounter with the Middlegate Shoe Tree happened by accident. Driving along the loneliest highway in America, I spotted what looked like strange fruit hanging from a cottonwood tree. Upon closer inspection, those “fruits” were actually hundreds of shoes dangling from branches!
Legend has it the tradition began decades ago when a newlywed couple had an argument. The husband tossed his wife’s shoes into the tree, and they made up only after he promised to join his footwear with hers. Now travelers add their own shoes with handwritten notes and memories attached.
Though the original tree was cut down in 2011, a new shoe tree quickly emerged nearby, proving you can’t stop a good tradition. It stands as a quirky monument to human connection in the vast emptiness of Nevada’s desert.
3. International Car Forest Of The Last Church: Automotive Art Gone Wild
Rounding a dusty bend outside Goldfield, I nearly drove off the road when I first saw them—dozens of vintage cars and buses buried nose-first in the desert soil, their tail ends pointing skyward like some kind of automotive Stonehenge. This wasn’t a mirage, but the passion project of two artists who decided the Nevada desert needed a surreal junkyard cathedral.
Each vehicle serves as a canvas, painted with psychedelic murals, alien landscapes, and cryptic messages. I spent hours wandering between these automotive totems, marveling at how the harsh desert sun played across their rusting metal and vibrant paint.
The project began in 2002 and eventually grew to over 40 vehicles. Despite a falling out between the founding artists, this bizarre sculpture garden remains one of Nevada’s most photographed offbeat attractions—and my personal favorite roadside wonder.
4. Goldwell Open Air Museum & Rhyolite Ghost Town: Where Art Meets Afterlife
Ghost towns aren’t unusual in Nevada, but Rhyolite offers something truly extraordinary. As I explored the crumbling bank building and train depot ruins, I noticed strange figures in the distance—a ghostly life-sized recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with shrouded figures set against the stark desert backdrop.
This haunting installation marks the entrance to the Goldwell Open Air Museum, where Belgian artists created massive sculptures in the 1980s, including a 25-foot tall pink LEGO-like woman and a ghostly miner with his penguin friend. The juxtaposition of these modern art pieces against abandoned century-old buildings creates a dreamlike atmosphere.
I arrived at sunset when the golden light transformed everything into a photographer’s paradise. The empty desert amplifies the eerie beauty, making this forgotten boomtown-turned-art-gallery one of Nevada’s most hauntingly beautiful spots.
5. Seven Magic Mountains: Neon Rocks In The Desert Void
The first time I saw Seven Magic Mountains rising from the desert floor, I thought I was hallucinating. Just 10 miles south of Las Vegas, these seven towers of massive, locally-sourced boulders painted in day-glo colors stand like psychedelic totems in the otherwise monochrome landscape.
Created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, each stack rises over thirty feet tall. I visited at sunrise when the neon colors practically vibrated against the soft pink morning light. The contrast between these man-made neon totems and the ancient desert surrounding them creates a mind-bending visual experience.
Originally planned as a two-year exhibition, the installation proved so popular that its stay has been extended indefinitely. Standing beneath these towering stone rainbows, I felt both the permanence of the desert and the playful impermanence of human creation—a perfect metaphor for nearby Las Vegas itself.
6. Fly Geyser: Mother Nature’s Technicolor Accident
Hidden on private ranch land near Gerlach lies what might be Nevada’s most otherworldly sight. Fly Geyser wasn’t created by nature alone—it resulted from a 1964 well drilling gone wonderfully wrong. When I first laid eyes on this alien formation, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t a movie set.
The geothermal pressure has created multiple mineral-laden mounds that continuously spew hot water five feet into the air. Thermophilic algae thrive in the warm water, painting the formations in impossible shades of red, green, and gold. The surrounding pools reflect the desert sky, creating a kaleidoscopic wetland in the middle of bone-dry Black Rock Desert.
For years, glimpsing this wonder required trespassing or a telephoto lens. Thankfully, the Burning Man Project purchased the land in 2016, now offering limited tours. Standing before this accidental masterpiece reminded me how the most magical places often arise from beautiful mistakes.
7. Little Finland: Nature’s Sandstone Sculpture Garden
My journey to Little Finland required a rugged 4×4 trek deep into Nevada’s Gold Butte region, but what awaited me was worth every bump in the road. This hidden wonderland features hundreds of delicate red sandstone formations sculpted by wind and water into impossibly thin fins, hence the name.
Walking among these natural sculptures felt like exploring an alien art gallery. Some formations resemble fairy castles with intricate turrets and windows. Others look like frozen flames or strange creatures caught mid-motion. The intense red color comes from iron oxide that has leached into the sandstone over millions of years.
I visited in late afternoon when the low sun transformed the landscape into a fiery wonderland of shadows and light. Despite its remote location, Little Finland remains relatively untouched—a pristine example of nature’s patient artistry and one of Nevada’s best-kept secrets.