Self-Guided Driving Tour from Lake Tahoe to Virginia City

Explore the mineral-rich towns that were at the center of Nevada‘s Silver Rush at your own pace. On this self-guided driving tour from South Lake Tahoe to Virginia City, you’ll travel back in time to the second half of the 1800s to find out how silver changed these towns’ fortunes forever. Starting in California, a short drive from the state line, this tour crosses high over Kingsbury Grade, and drops down into Douglas County, Nevada. Dramatically framed by the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada, this county is home to the quaint town of Genoa, one of Nevada‘s first permanent settlements. From Genoa, you‘ll drive through Carson City, the state‘s capital, and pass one of Nevada‘s oldest towns, Silver City, before finishing our tour in the charming silver rush town of Virginia City. By the end of this tour, you‘ll have gained an understanding of the historical moments that shaped this industry and Nevada’s Silver Rush while driving through the sparkling landscape of the Silver State.