Nevada?

Try this site: http://travelnevada.com/travel-guides

clikrf8 wrote:
Our favorite state and a sub for more popular Utah. Ruby Mountains, Rainbow Canyon, ghost towns, wild horses, Valley of Fire State Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, the new Basin and Range National Monument, rock hounding and just the fun of driving dirt roads and encountering a cattle drive. The real Wild West.

I have to say it sounds like our kind of place, we enjoy those 4WD back roads and exploring.

Our favorite state and a sub for more popular Utah. Ruby Mountains, Rainbow Canyon, ghost towns, wild horses, Valley of Fire State Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, the new Basin and Range National Monument, rock hounding and just the fun of driving dirt roads and encountering a cattle drive. The real Wild West.

All of the above, plus: Take 93 north from I-15 to Ely. I especially liked Cathedral Gorge SP and Ward Charcoal Ovens along this route.

Nevada is the most mountainous state of the lower 48. Many of these mountain ranges are in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest .

BLM has lot's of things to see depending on your interests... Nevada BLM Home Page

If you like looking for ghost towns, Nevada has an abundance! Nevada Ghost Towns

We stopped at Great Basin and Berlin-Ichthysaur on our way across via 50. Another stop at Great Basin is probably called for. I think your Northern Nevada idea is good.

Ruby Mountains near Elko, Great Basin National Park near Ely, Lake Tahoe, Berlin-Ichthyosauer State Park are all good options in Northern Nevada. You won't find the scorching hot temps of Southern Nevada either.
Don't know how adventurous you want to get but Northern Nevada has plenty of hidden gems.
Southern Nevada has some ghost towns and easy access to Death Valley but the temps down there in summer are scorching. I would concentrate on Northern Nevada if you would like more tolerable summer weather.