Nevada holds secrets from a wilder time, scattered across its vast desert landscapes.
Ghost towns stand as weathered monuments to the mining boom that once brought thousands of fortune seekers to this rugged state.
These abandoned settlements offer more than just history.
They provide some of the most breathtaking desert views you’ll find anywhere in the American West.
Crumbling buildings frame distant mountain ranges, and silent streets lead your eyes across endless horizons of sagebrush and stone.
Photographers and adventurers travel from around the world to capture the haunting beauty of these places.
Each town tells a different story, shaped by the landscape that surrounds it.
From the edge of Death Valley to remote mountain canyons, Nevada’s ghost towns reveal the dramatic diversity of desert scenery.
Whether you’re seeking solitude, spectacular photo opportunities, or a glimpse into the past, these ten destinations deliver unforgettable experiences.
1. Rhyolite
Rhyolite stands as one of the most photographed abandoned settlements in the entire American West.
Located near the edge of Death Valley National Park, this ghost town offers visitors an unforgettable combination of history and natural beauty.
The skeletal remains of a three-story bank building dominate the townscape, its concrete walls still defying the desert winds after more than a century.
An old jail and a striking train depot add to the collection of structures that once served a thriving community.
What makes Rhyolite truly special is how these ruins are framed by the stark, open desert stretching in every direction.
Distant mountains create a dramatic backdrop that changes color throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky.
The town sits at the intersection of history and landscape, where human ambition met the unforgiving beauty of the Mojave Desert.
Visitors can wander freely among the ruins, imagining when thousands called this place home.
The contrast between the crumbling architecture and the eternal desert creates powerful photographic opportunities.
Early morning and late afternoon light transform the scene into something almost otherworldly.
Address: Rhyolite Ghost Town, Beatty, NV 89003
2. Nelson in Eldorado Canyon
Nelson offers something completely different from typical desert ghost towns.
Situated near the Colorado River, this settlement showcases an unexpected palette of colors that delights every visitor.
Colorful vintage cars rust peacefully among weathered buildings, creating scenes that feel plucked from an old Western movie.
The surrounding canyon walls display rugged, multi-hued volcanic rock in shades of red, orange, and purple.
This geological wonderland provides a striking contrast to the man-made relics scattered throughout the town.
Eldorado Canyon itself carved a dramatic pathway through ancient volcanic formations over countless millennia.
Walking through Nelson feels like stepping into a living painting where nature and human history blend seamlessly.
The weathered wood of old structures echoes the earthy tones of the canyon walls.
Meanwhile, splashes of faded paint on vintage automobiles add unexpected pops of color to the desert palette.
Photographers find endless compositions here, from wide canyon vistas to intimate details of decay and beauty intertwined.
The Colorado River’s proximity adds a rare element of water to the typically arid ghost town experience.
Address: Nelson Ghost Town, Nelson, NV 89046
3. Belmont
High in the Toquima Range at over 7,000 feet elevation, Belmont offers a mountain ghost town experience unlike any other in Nevada.
The ruins of the courthouse from the 1870s still stand as a testament to when this remote location served as the county seat.
Brick kilns dot the landscape, their weathered forms blending into the mountainous terrain that surrounds them.
What sets Belmont apart is the profound sense of peaceful isolation that permeates the entire area.
Wide-open mountain vistas stretch in every direction, offering views that seem to extend forever.
The higher elevation means cooler temperatures and different vegetation compared to lower desert ghost towns.
Juniper and pinyon pine trees add green accents to the otherwise muted color palette of earth and stone.
Visitors often report feeling transported back in time as they explore the surprisingly well-preserved structures.
The courthouse stands as a proud reminder of civic ambitions in an impossibly remote location.
Brick kilns speak to the self-sufficiency required for communities so far from supply routes.
The backdrop of mountain ranges creates a majestic setting that elevates Belmont beyond ordinary ghost town status.
Address: Belmont Ghost Town, Belmont, NV 89015
4. Jarbidge
Jarbidge breaks the mold of what most people expect from a Nevada ghost town.
This isolated living ghost town lies in a deep canyon within the remote Jarbidge Wilderness.
Surrounded by peaks reaching 11,000 feet, the setting feels more like Montana or Colorado than typical Nevada landscapes.
Vibrant aspen groves paint the mountainsides gold in autumn, creating spectacular seasonal displays.
The Jarbidge River flows through the canyon, its waters providing a constant soundtrack to this mountain retreat.
Unlike the stark desert scenery of most Nevada ghost towns, Jarbidge offers lush, non-typical mountain beauty.
A handful of residents still call this remote location home, keeping the town alive in a way most ghost towns can never be.
Old buildings mix with occupied structures, creating an intriguing blend of past and present.
The isolation here feels complete, with rough roads and winter snows cutting off access for months at a time.
Visitors who make the journey discover a Nevada few people know exists.
Mountain meadows, rushing streams, and towering peaks replace the expected sagebrush and sand.
Address: Jarbidge, NV 89826
5. Gold Point
Gold Point delivers an authentic ghost town experience wrapped in classic high-desert beauty.
Well-preserved wood-frame buildings and cabins stand scattered across the landscape, their weathered boards telling stories of boom and bust.
The backdrop consists of endless sagebrush plains that roll toward distant horizons in every direction.
Silent, expansive views create a genuine sense of solitude that’s increasingly rare in our connected world.
Unlike more commercialized ghost towns, Gold Point maintains an untouched quality that makes exploration feel like genuine discovery.
The structures here showcase remarkable preservation, allowing visitors to appreciate the craftsmanship of frontier construction.
Wooden sidewalks connect some buildings, and old mining equipment rusts peacefully in the desert sun.
The surrounding high-desert landscape changes character with the seasons and the movement of light across the sky.
Spring brings wildflowers that soften the harsh terrain with unexpected splashes of color.
Summer heat creates shimmering mirages on distant flats.
The isolation here feels profound, with the nearest services many miles away on rough dirt roads.
This remoteness protects the town’s authentic character and ensures that visitors experience true desert solitude.
Address: Gold Point, NV 89013
6. Berlin
Berlin enjoys protection within Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
This ghost town features wooden structures frozen in time, their condition remarkably good thanks to state stewardship.
Nestled in the mountains, Berlin offers both mining history and spectacular views of the surrounding natural landscape.
The park setting means maintained trails and interpretive signs that help visitors understand what they’re seeing.
Old mining buildings cluster together, creating a compact townsite that’s easy to explore on foot.
What makes Berlin truly unique is the combination of ghost town and fossil site in one location.
Ancient marine reptile fossils found nearby remind visitors that these mountains once lay beneath prehistoric seas.
The juxtaposition of human history and deep geological time creates fascinating layers of story.
Mountain vistas surrounding the town change dramatically with elevation and season.
Juniper-dotted slopes rise to rocky peaks that catch snow in winter months.
The preserved buildings include a machine shop, boarding house, and other structures that served the mining operation.
Walking among them provides tangible connections to the people who once lived and worked in this remote mountain location.
Address: Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park, Austin, NV 89310
7. Candelaria
Candelaria showcases the harsh reality of mining life in one of Nevada’s most unforgiving environments.
This remote town is known for its rugged terrain and scattered stone ruins that speak to the tough conditions miners endured.
The remains of old smelters stand as industrial monuments in the middle of nowhere.
Stone walls from various structures dot the landscape, built to last but ultimately abandoned to the elements.
The setting here is dramatically harsh yet undeniably beautiful in its stark desert grandeur.
Rocky hills surround the townsite, their barren slopes showing every geological layer and fold.
Minimal vegetation emphasizes the challenges of surviving in such an arid, exposed location.
Walking through Candelaria, you can’t help but wonder about the determination that brought people to such a remote spot.
The stone construction of many ruins reflects the scarcity of timber in this treeless landscape.
Builders used what the land provided, creating structures from native rock that still stand today.
The smelter remains are particularly photogenic, their industrial forms creating striking silhouettes against the desert sky.
This ghost town rewards visitors who appreciate raw, unpolished beauty and don’t mind rough roads to reach it.
Address: Candelaria, NV 89310
8. Delamar
Delamar earned the grim nickname Widowmaker because of the dangerous quartz dust that claimed many miners’ lives.
Today its ruins sit in quiet isolation, the dangers of the past replaced by profound desert silence.
The town occupies a basin surrounded by subtle desert hills that roll gently rather than rise dramatically.
This subdued topography creates a different kind of beauty, one based on space and emptiness rather than dramatic peaks.
The ruins themselves are scattered across a wide area, requiring exploration to discover all the remnants.
Stone foundations mark where buildings once stood, and occasional walls still rise from the desert floor.
What Delamar offers above all else is solitude of the most complete kind.
The isolation here feels absolute, with silence so deep you can hear your own heartbeat.
This makes it perfect for those seeking to escape the noise and crowds of modern life.
The surrounding landscape displays subtle color variations that become more apparent as you spend time observing.
Grays, tans, and muted greens create a sophisticated palette that photographers love.
The remoteness that once made mining here profitable now protects the ruins from casual vandalism and over-visitation.
Address: Delamar, NV 89001
9. St. Thomas
St. Thomas tells one of the most unusual ghost town stories in Nevada.
Once flooded by Lake Mead when the Hoover Dam was completed, the town disappeared beneath the waters.
Dropping water levels in recent times have revealed its eerie sun-bleached foundations and streets once again.
Walking through St. Thomas feels like exploring an archaeological site, with structures slowly emerging from decades underwater.
The foundations sit against the dramatic backdrop of the lake and surrounding red-iron volcanic hills.
These colorful geological formations create stunning contrasts with the blue water and pale ruins.
The town’s reemergence has created a unique opportunity to witness a place that was thought lost forever.
Visitors can trace old streets and identify building footprints, imagining the community that once thrived here.
The lake’s retreat has left interesting mineral deposits and water marks on the exposed structures.
These layers tell the story of changing water levels over the decades.
The setting combines elements rarely found together: ghost town ruins, a massive reservoir, and volcanic desert landscapes.
This convergence makes St. Thomas unlike any other abandoned town in the state.
Address: St. Thomas, Overton, NV 89040
10. Unionville
Unionville once bustled as a mining camp that drew fortune seekers from across the country.
Today only a few surviving buildings remain, set in a canyon that offers a softer side of Nevada’s mining history.
Cottonwood trees line the canyon bottom, their green leaves providing welcome shade and a gentler aesthetic than most ghost towns offer.
The presence of water in the canyon allowed these trees to thrive, creating a ribbon of life through the desert landscape.
Surrounding desert hills rise on both sides, their slopes dotted with sagebrush and occasional rock outcroppings.
The combination of trees, water, and weathered buildings creates a more reflective atmosphere than the stark drama of other abandoned towns.
Visitors often describe Unionville as peaceful rather than haunting, inviting contemplation rather than awe.
The few remaining structures showcase the typical wood-frame construction of frontier settlements.
Their weathered boards have turned silver-gray with age, blending harmoniously with the natural surroundings.
The canyon setting provides natural shelter from wind and extreme temperatures, making exploration comfortable even in warmer months.
This accessibility and gentler beauty make Unionville an excellent introduction to Nevada ghost town exploration.
Address: Unionville, NV 89418
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