Overview

This is one of the most amazing birding sites in all of Nevada, but it is disguised as ordinary roadside rest area, and most birders wouldn't recognize its value. Many places have been described as islands of green vegetation in a sea of dry desert scrub, but Millers defines what that really means. The rest area is in the bottom of a broad, flat valley sparsely covered by miles of saltbush in every direction. The valley is surrounded by mountains, but they are so far away as to be unnoticed from the rest area. The rest area has many trees and a lawn that is heavily irrigated every night. For migrant birds trying to fly across this inhospitable land, Millers must shine like a beacon on a dark and stormy night.

Link to Map.

Description

Millers is a typical roadside rest area with flush toilets, shaded picnic tables, drinking water, trees, and a small lawn area. The highway entrance and exit are at the same point, so the road through the rest area makes a loop. When you first drive in, you arrive at the rest rooms, lawn area, and the largest of the trees. To exit the area, you drive around a loop with picnic tables and trees, but no lawn, inside the loop. Off the far (west) end of the loop, a gravel spur road leads a few yards to a parking area for overnight campers. There are a few more trees and some irrigated shrubs around the perimeter of the camping area. The restroom area is lighted at night, which makes it a good place to watch bats and nighthawks. Commercial trucks park across the highway, so the area is relatively quiet.

A remarkable variety and density of unusual resident, migrant, and accidental species are regularly seen here during the spring and fall migrations. At other times of year, you might see a house sparrow or two; but it is always worth the time to stop and check. Bird the tall trees and the lawn, plus the trees, water faucets, fence posts, telephone poles, and open skies around the rest area. Be sure to check the shrubs around the restrooms for skulkers.

Location

Millers Rest Area is located on Highway 95, about 3 hours north of Las Vegas. From Las Vegas, drive north on Highway 95 to Tonopah. From the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 95 in downtown Tonopah, drive north on Highway 95 for another 13.3 miles (15 minutes). The rest area is on the north (right) side of the highway and is well signed; you can see it from miles away (GPS coordinates: 38.141ºN, 117.453ºW; 4,820 ft).

Hours

Always open. The restrooms are always open, and they even broadcast Nevada Public Radio 24 hours per day.

Fees

None; even the camping area is free.

Specialties

This is a good place to bird during migration -- it seems that everything shows up here including waterbirds (herons and kingfishers), raptors (falcons, accipitors, harriers, buteos), Mexican species (Hepatic Tanager), Eastern species (Hooded Warbler, Least Flycatcher), shorebirds (peeps of various types), montane species (Mountain Chickadee), exotic species (House Sparrow, European Starling, Eurasian Collared Dove), migrants (Yellow-breasted Chat, Lincoln Sparrow, Rufus Hummingbird, MacGillivray's Warbler), and even a few desert species (Western Kingbird, Say's Phoebe, Sage Thrasher, Black-throated Sparrow, House Finch).