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Photos By Charlie Johnson
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Photos By Charlie Johnson
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Photos By Charlie Johnson
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Photos By Charlie Johnson
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Photos By Charlie Johnson
By Charlie Johnson
Ghost towns have always captured my imagination. As Indiana Jones-obsessed children, my brother and I relished the opportunity to roam around the ruins of abandoned settlements in the Nevada countryside. And while my Harrison Ford role-playing days are over — mom took away the whips almost immediately after we got them — I am still drawn to these deserted outposts.
Luckily for me—and all inquisitive Nevada travelers—the Silver State is home to the remains of hundreds of former towns. Some are little more than crumbled foundations, but others have stood more steadfastly against the ravages of time and Nevada’s harsh elements to provide unique glimpses into a time long passed, but not forgotten. Following are some of the Silver State’s most interesting, well-intact, and accessible ghost towns.
If you choose to follow our tire tracks, or create your own, here are a few things to remember to ensure that you have a safe, enjoyable trip:
- Many of the towns still maintain small populations, so please respect the residents and private-property signs.
- The derelict buildings you see are historical artifacts that depend on visitors to help preserve them—leave no trace, and take only memories and photos home with you.
- Most ghost towns are on infrequently traveled dirt roads. While two-wheel drive vehicles can easily reach them, they are remote. Start with a full tank of gas, and carry extra water and a spare tire.
- Only a few of Nevada’s ghost towns can be accessed with the use of a standard state map. Most require a detailed Nevada road atlas, available at many bookstores and grocery stores throughout the state.
RHYOLITE
Location: Four miles west of Beatty via State Route 374
THEN
Rhyolite was born in early 1905 following the discovery of gold in the Bullfrog Hills to the west of the town site. By 1907, the crude camp had grown into a bustling city complete with electricity, water mains, telephones, newspapers, hotels, banks, and even a stock exchange. Estimates put the town’s peak population anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 residents. Financial panic in late 1907 started Rhyolite’s bust period, and the town never recovered. By 1909, new ore discoveries had ceased. A year later the banks had closed, and the town claimed only 675 residents. By 1922, the population had dwindled to 14, and in 1924, Rhyolite’s last original resident died.
NOW
Rhyolite’s handful of buildings and ruins, proximity to Beatty and U.S. Highway 95, and the Goldwell Open Air Museum make it one of Nevada’s most visited ghost towns. The Bottle House—built by Tom Kelly during the town’s heyday, using roughly 30,000 bottles—is one of Rhyolite’s most unique attractions. Other partial structures include the two-story school, three-story Cook Bank Building, and the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad Depot. While it does not date to the early 1900s, the museum is as much a part of Rhyolite’s draw as the town itself and consists of the works of seven artists, a visitor center, and the Red Barn Art Center. Beatty, about four miles away, has food, gas, accommodations, and services and is a great base camp for a visit to Rhyolite. rhyolite.org, rhyolitesite.com,
goldwellmuseum.org, beattynevada.org
BELMONT
Location: 45 miles north of Tonopah via U.S. Highway 6, State Route 376, and S.S.R. 82
THEN
Silver was discovered in the Toquima Range in late 1865, and the ensuing rush in 1866 marked the beginning of Belmont. With an abundance of wood, stone, water, and clay readily available, the town grew quickly. In 1867, the Nye County seat was moved to the booming town of 2,000—at the time, the second-most populous city in Nevada behind Virginia City. Belmont experienced a slight decline beginning in 1869 but recovered quickly following further ore discoveries in 1873. Construction of the Belmont Courthouse was completed in 1876, a strong indication of the perceived permanence of the community. Mining spiked again in 1883, but the boom was short-lived. The mining boom in Tonopah at the turn of the century drew most of Belmont’s remaining residents, and in 1905 the county seat was moved to that community.
NOW
More than a dozen original buildings hang on in Belmont, and the pièce de résistance, the Belmont Courthouse (a State Historic Park), is worth the visit alone. Its well-preserved exterior belies the reality that it has been abandoned for more than a century. Inside, graffiti dating to the 1890s make the building truly unique among Nevada attractions. The property has hosted an unknown multitude of squatters, the most notorious of which spent a few weeks there in the summer of 1969. A doorway on the first floor bears the only concrete evidence of their visit and reads, “Charlie Manson + Family 1969,” the “o” replaced with a peace symbol. Call 702-486-5125 days in advance to set up a tour of the interior.
Two saloons and a handful of residents call Belmont home today, and all rely on solar power. The saloons are open sporadically, and there are no services in town. Tonopah is the nearest place to find food, gas, and lodging.
parks.nv.gov/bc.htm, tonopahnevada.com
BERLIN
Location: 20 miles east of Gabbs via State Routes 361 and 844
THEN
Silver was discovered in the Shoshone Mountains in 1863, resulting in the birth of Union, a camp a mile south of the future site of Berlin. It was not until 1896 that
Berlin itself started to develop. Though the town boomed from 1898 to 1908, its population never exceeded a couple hundred residents. By 1911, the town was completely abandoned. Some of the residents are interred in the cemetery below town.
NOW
Though by no means a big player in Nevada’s early mining scene, Berlin stands today as one of the state’s best preserved and most visited ghost towns with a well intact mill (pictured at right) and a handful of original buildings. Fittingly, another underground discovery has helped to preserve Berlin and protect it as a State Park.
Following the discovery of fossilized ichthyosaur (a large Triassic period marine reptile) remains; the area was designated as a State Park in 1957. A large enclosure just a few miles from Berlin gives visitors the opportunity to view some of the fossils via a 40minute guided tour, offered daily Memorial Day through Labor Day and weekends until the second Saturday of November. The Diana Mine Tour is available Fridays and weekends through late September. Call 775-964-2440 for more tour information. There is a campground in the park, but no services. Food and gas are available in Gabbs, but it would be wise to stock up on supplies in Austin, Fallon, Hawthorne, or Tonopah before a visit to Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park.
parks.nv.gov/bi.htm, austinnevada.com, fallontourism.com,
mineralcountychamber.com, tonopahnevada.com
CANDELARIA
Location: 61 miles west of Tonopah via U.S. Highway 95
THEN
Although they were reportedly known since as early as 1863, the veins of silver in the hills around what would become Candelaria were not tapped on a large scale until 1873. Thereafter the town boomed into the early 1880s when it reached a population of about 1,500, the largest town at the time in Mineral County. At its height, Candelaria supported hotels, breweries, a school, a telegraph office, saloons, and a branch of the Carson and Colorado Railway. Lawlessness and harsh conditions ruled the town, which started to decline after a fire in 1883, ironically not long after a waterworks was built. The town rebounded briefly in 1890, but was abandoned by 1892.
NOW
The stark, treeless landscape at the site of Candelaria has not changed much in the last 150 years. Substantial rock ruins, including those of the bank remain along with some wooden structures and a cemetery. A nearby abandoned open pit mine is a reminder that new mining processes often turn a profit from ore that was once thought to be tapped out. Keep your distance from the pit, as the sides are not stable, and it is a long way to the bottom. No services are available in Candelaria.
Gas and some food are available in Mina, 21 miles north, but Hawthorne and Tonopah are also options for supplies, accommodations, and a greater variety of dining.
mineralcountychamber.com, tonopahnevada.com
Ghost Towns was originally published in Nevada Magazine – www.vnevadamagazine.com