11 Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas
In Nevada, you don’t have to go far to get a little out there. In fact, even places as modern and fast-moving as Las Vegas are surrounded by living history. Or more accurately, formerly living history.
The Silver State is home to more ghost towns than living, breathing cities. And while there is no shortage of Nevada ghost towns to explore, some of the most intriguing ones are a short drive from Las Vegas.
Tour These Famous Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas
Responsibly
Removing, disturbing, or damaging ghost town relics is illegal. Look, but don’t touch, and help keep Nevada’s heart as wild and wide-open as it is today for visitors tomorrow.
Goodsprings Ghost Town
Like most other locales on the list, Goodsprings is a former boomtown with lots of mining history to explore. This historic community, however, enjoys the distinction of being a living ghost town: Kids here still attend the Goodsprings School—built in 1913 for $2,000. A self-guided walking tour shows off that schoolhouse, plus Yellow Pine Mining Co. sites, wood and stone miner cabins, a cemetery dating back to 1890, and one of the best Sagebrush Saloons in the state.
Also open since 1913, the Pioneer Saloon serves up made-from-scratch breakfasts, a “World Famous Ghost Burger” that’s been featured on Food Network, and hearty steak and barbecue plates. The oldest saloon in southern Nevada is packed with its own history, too—the walls are Sears and Roebuck stamped tin (possibly the last of their kind in the country) and the 1860s bar top has cigar burns from Clark Gable.
Nelson Ghost Town
This storied ghost town in the stunningly scenic Eldorado Canyon has been home to American Indian tribes, Spanish explorers, and Civil War deserters. In the 1880s, the Techatticup Mine put Nelson on the map, producing millions of dollars in gold, silver, and copper. Now, it’s regarded as the oldest, richest, and most famous gold mine in southern Nevada.
Nelson’s legendary Wild West landscape has served as a backdrop for several movies, TV shows, and magazines, leaving behind plenty of souvenirs (including a crashed plane from 3,000 Miles to Graceland). For tours, photography permits, and even wedding chapel rentals, Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours are your go-to guides.
St. Thomas Ghost Town
St. Thomas should be 60 feet underwater. When Hoover Dam created Lake Mead in the 1930s, water overtook the former farming and railroad town as the newly-formed lake began to fill with water from the Colorado River. In fact, one final St. Thomas resident literally paddled away from his home.
Water levels at Lake Mead National Recreation Area have fluctuated, and the sunken ruins of St. Thomas have been revealed for exploration. Follow a dirt trail from the parking area to see remnants of a school, an ice cream parlor, and more foundations and artifacts previously lost to the world.
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Rhyolite is easily the most photographed ghost town in the state, making it a must-see abandoned town near Las Vegas. The still-standing remnants of the once wildly profitable Bullfrog Mining District are as iconic as they are impressive, and golden hour is one of the best times of day to snap uncommonly beautiful shots. Modern-day visitors will see ruins of the Cook Bank building, a train station, and a brothel, among other structures.
On your way to Rhyolite, you won’t be able to miss the Tom Kelly Bottle House—a dwelling built from nearly 50,000 glass bottles, making it one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the nation—and the Goldwell Open Air Museum. This outdoor art park is home to some seriously colossal sculptures: a 24-foot steel prospector and his penguin companion, a pink cinder block woman standing just as tall, and the always-popular “Ghosts of Goldwell.”
Delamar Ghost Town
During its peak years, Delamar was one of the best-producing mining districts in Nevada, extracting $13.5 million in gold and silver between 1895 and 1900. But the output came with a cost. The boomtown became known as “The Widowmaker” due to the toxic silica dust created when processing and milling gold ore. Miners breathed in this deadly byproduct, often leading to early demises.
Delamar is a colorful example of living Nevada history—literally. Explore dozens of still-standing buildings, two graveyards, milling remains, miner cabins, and a brick archway made of rainbow-colored stones naturally occurring in the region. In their heyday, these structures served Delamar’s bustling community as shops, saloons, churches, a hospital, and an opera house.
Pioche
In the mid-1860s, stories spread of a rich silver lode in a then-uncharted section of the state. Thousands of treasure seekers arrived from all points of the compass, and by 1870, Pioche had become one of the largest cities in the West outside of Virginia City and San Francisco. When the bonanza inevitably ended, the town managed to stay afloat. Today, it is a rare living artifact of the 19th century and one of the largest towns in eastern Nevada.
Known as “Nevada’s Liveliest Ghost Town,” Pioche features plenty of modern attractions, including stunning state parks, saloons, restaurants, hotels, and museums. However, it’s also a well-preserved relic of the Wild West packed with history from its rowdy boomtown years (like one of the last aerial tramways left in the West above the storied Boot Hill Cemetery). Park along Main Street and go for a stroll to check out the Overland Hotel & Saloon, Thompson’s Opera House, the Historic Gem Theater, the Million Dollar Courthouse, and tons more.
Gold Point Ghost Town
During its heyday in the 1870s, Gold Point boomed with hotels, saloons, a post office, a bakery, and more than 100 dwellings. After busting in the 1880s, the town was quickly abandoned. The site’s old mines were further pilfered at the turn of the 20th century after the founding of nearby Tonopah and Goldfield.
Today, Gold Point is a must-see for travelers on the Free-Range Art Highway who don’t mind a brief detour. Its lovingly restored main street—a passion project made possible by casino mega-jackpot winnings—draws travelers from all over, and visitors can even stay in an original miner cabin at the Gold Point Ghost Town Bed & Breakfast.
Tybo Ghost Town
Nestled in the high desert mountains beyond Tonopah, Tybo—from the Shoshone word tybbabo, meaning “white man’s district”—was first established in 1870 after the discovery of gold ore. The humble mining camp soon sprang into a proper town of roughly 1,000 residents around 1877.
Visitors can still find a handful of impressively intact ruins scattered across the mountainside near this abandoned town in southern Nevada. Sites include the original hoist house and headframe of the Tybo Consolidated Mining Company, old Wells Fargo office ruins, all kinds of miner cabin remains, historic milling sites, and old charcoal kilns.
Manhattan & Belmont Ghost Towns
Manhattan began life as a gold mining town, but more than a century after its founding, this living ghost town still houses miners who work in the nearby Big Smoky Valley. Back when the mining boom busted in Belmont, folks packed up and sought their fortunes in nearby Manhattan instead. But they didn’t just pack their bags—they packed an entire church. The stolen building still stands in Manhattan today, along with remnants of the bank, the only stone building in town and home to an original 1906 Nye & Ormsby County Bank vault visible from the doorway.
Fifteen miles further down a well-maintained dirt road, you’ll discover the aforementioned Belmont. This living ghost town has evolved into something of a hidden retreat that features modern residences alongside well-preserved relics of the town’s boomtown years. The star of the show is the stately Belmont Courthouse, which offers by-appointment tours (be sure to call ahead). Don’t forget to swing by Dirty Dick’s Belmont Saloon to kick back Sagebrush Saloon-style and drink in even more history.
Hamilton Ghost Town
Hamilton and nearby Treasure City earned their fame when prospectors hit a 40-foot-wide, 70-foot-long silver strike worth a million dollars (in 1869 money) of precious metal. Eventually, the mines dried up and a devastating fire drove the last residents away.
Today, the ruins are well worth a peek and include an arched brick building that was once a Wells Fargo bank, metal-roofed buildings made from flattened tin cans, and cemeteries with beautiful stone masonry. Watch your step as you weave your way through Treasure City, too. Shards of oyster tins and champagne bottle debris are testaments to the wealth and lifestyle of this place in its heyday.
FAQs About Las Vegas Ghost Towns
Are there any ghost towns around Las Vegas, Nevada?
There are more than a dozen ghost towns around Las Vegas, Nevada, most within day-tripping distance. Depending on how far you’re ready to drive—and remember, getting there is all the fun in a place as wide-open and uncommon as this—you can explore old mining camps, uninhabited towns, previously underwater ruins, and many more iconic Silver State landmarks in a single day. You can be back in Vegas by sundown, but we recommend staying overnight near the ghost towns for the full experience.
What is the most famous ghost town in Nevada?
Rhyolite is Nevada’s most famous ghost town (and the most photographed). Its historic mining district structures are still in excellent condition, making them perfect souvenir photoshoot spots, and the Tom Kelly Bottle House is well worth a visit. Many travelers visit the next-door Goldwell Open Air Museum for a dose of culture while they’re checking out Rhyolite, though the massive sculptures draw crowds in their own right.
Is there a ghost town between LA and Las Vegas?
Goodsprings Ghost Town is the only Nevada ghost town that’s conveniently accessible between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Plan your pit stop here to fuel up at one of the most famous Sagebrush Saloons in Nevada and explore Silver State mining history. Once you get to Las Vegas, you’ll have a lot more day trip options to choose from.
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