Gem and antique shops, historic saloons, 150-year-old churches, and sweet cafes line the main drag of this 300-person town. Located along Highway 50—once dubbed the Loneliest Road in America by LIFE magazine—Austin has 11 National Historic Sites covering a variety of Old West attractions including 19th-century churches, government buildings, and Stokes Castle—an old mansion modelled on Roman architecture. There’s more-distant history too; the nearby Toquima Cave was used as dwellings by the Western Shoshone as early as 1,000 BC. Detailed petroglyph artwork covers the rock walls of these sacred caves, and the tribe still uses the location for ceremonial activities.

In more recent years, Austin has become a hub for landsailing, a sport where drivers maneuver sail-powered, three-wheeled vehicles around the desert at high speed. Following last year’s Landsailing World Championship in Austin, official events are slated for 2015 where spectators can watch these modern inventions whipping around on the desert flats. Twenty miles outside of town is Spencer Hot Springs, and Austin is also working to build on its vast network of mountain biking trails that offer something for all skill levels. Visit in spring for the chance to see fields of vibrant wildflowers in peak bloom.