Ghost Towns of Nevada
Nevada’s ghost towns are some of the most dramatic in the West — desert boomtowns that surged to thousands of residents on gold and silver strikes, then emptied within a decade once the ore ran out.
Explore the Map
Interactive map of Nevada’s mapped ghost-town sites. Click a marker for details, or open the full map.
A Short History of Nevada’s Ghost Towns
Few states wear their mining past as openly as Nevada. The 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode near Virginia City set off a silver rush that funded fortunes, financed cities, and helped push the territory to statehood in 1864 — earning Nevada its nickname, the Silver State. Over the following decades, prospectors chased strike after strike across the Great Basin, and each discovery spawned a settlement almost overnight. Places such as Goldfield and Rhyolite swelled to thousands of residents, complete with banks, opera houses, stock exchanges, and electric light, only to empty within a few short years once the high-grade ore played out or the financing collapsed. What remains today is an unusually dense scatter of abandoned camps, mill ruins, headframes, and cemeteries preserved by the dry desert air.
Getting There & Access
Nevada’s ghost towns are spread across vast, sparsely populated country, and reaching them takes planning. Well-known sites near paved highways are easy day trips, but many camps sit at the end of graded gravel or rough dirt roads where a high-clearance vehicle — and sometimes four-wheel drive — is strongly advised. Distances between fuel stops are long, cell coverage is unreliable or absent, and summer heat in the southern deserts can be dangerous. Carry extra water, food, a paper map or offline GPS, and let someone know your route. Winter brings snow and mud to higher elevations in the central and northern ranges, so check road and weather conditions before setting out and avoid travel after storms.
Public Land & Responsible Visiting
Much of Nevada is federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service, and many ghost towns are protected historic and archaeological sites. Federal law prohibits removing, damaging, or excavating artifacts, structures, or fixtures; the guiding rule is to take only photographs and leave everything as you found it. Some townsites are on private property or contain active mining claims, so watch for posted signs and respect closures — abandoned shafts and unstable buildings are genuine hazards. Pack out all trash, stay on established roads to protect fragile desert soils, and treat cemeteries and standing ruins with care so these places survive for the next visitor.