If you’re taking a trip along the Cowboy Corridor, take a short, dirt-road detour south of Elko to the stunning natural beauty of Ruby Valley Hot Springs. Featuring multiple pools, with the largest about 30 feet in diameter, these paradise-like waters sit around 100 degrees and provide expansive views of the Ruby Mountains. Tucked between the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Franklin Lake Wildlife Management Area, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for an abundance of waterfowl.

About an hour south of Elko, Jiggs Bar lies in the heart of Mound Valley, not far from the Ruby Valley Mountains. With a history dating back to the Donner Party, the community of Jiggs is home to dedicated and friendly Nevadans. But it’s Jiggs Bar, the only open business for miles, where adventurers are going to find unfiltered history, great banter and frosty drinks. Depending on when you make the trek to Jiggs, you might even rub elbows with famed cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell, who has been known to frequent the bar.

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