The Best Ghost Towns to Visit in Nevada

Rhyolite, Berlin, Gold Point, and Goodsprings are just a few of the best ghost towns in Nevada. Here’s Jerry’s guide to touring them.
Written by Claire Beaney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Some of Nevada's most famous ghost towns are Rhyolite, Berlin, Gold Point, and Goodsprings. Each has a fascinating history, and visiting them will take you through some of Nevada’s most beautiful terrain.
Nevada
is home to over 600 ghost towns—that’s more unoccupied towns than occupied ones! Whether it's dusty saloons or abandoned mines you’re after, there are countless spooky spots and historic sites worth exploring throughout the Silver State.  
Just note that these long-abandoned settlements are known as ghost towns for a reason: visiting them might be difficult due to their remote locations and run-down state.
To safely explore these old mining towns, use the
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Rhyolite 

View of the Valley of Fire State park in Nevada, with scrub brush, sandy dirt and mountains with an overcast sky.

What is the story of Rhyolite?

Rhyolite was founded in 1904 when the silver and gold industry was booming in the area. With over 10,000 residents at its peak and electricity to boot, Rhyolite was not just a minuscule dot on the map but an established boomtown.
The town once had over 53 saloons to waste the days away, which inspired local resident Tom Kelly to gather empty beer bottles and build a house out of them! Using over 30,000 empty beer bottles and adobe mud, he built a three-bedroom house that was eventually raffled off.
The town was hit hard by the Financial Panic of 1907, and companies began to close. 
After that, the mines also began to run dry. By 1916, the power and light company had closed down, and most of the residents had moved on from Rhyolite.

What makes Rhyolite special?

There are still several impressive sights left standing in the ghost town of Rhyolite:
  • The bottle house—you can’t enter it, but it still stands as a symbol of the quirky legacy of the town.
  • The bank building, which cost $90,000 to build and once stood three stories tall.
  • Other original houses and structures
  • “The Last Supper,” an art installation by Belgian sculptor Albert Szukalski, consists of eerie ghost-like plaster figures dressed in white robes. It’s located in the nearby Goldwell Open Air Museum, less than a mile from Rhyolite.
Pro Tip The Goldwell Open Air Museum contains intriguing artwork in an outdoor sculpture garden. It's free and open to the public for 24 hours. Come in the middle of the night for some bizarre starlit photo opportunities!

How to Visit Rhyolite 

Rhyolite is situated just outside of Death Valley National Park near the town of Beatty.
If you’re heading to Rhyolite from Beatty, get on NV-374 S/Main St until you reach Rhyolite Rd, where you can turn right. Another right should place you in the center of what was once the booming mining town of Rhyolite!

Berlin

Sunset over paved road in Nevada.

What is the story of Berlin? 

Berlin was founded as a small mining camp in 1897 and had a population of roughly 300 people by 1905.
The 20-building village had a few local saloons, a stagecoach stop, a stamp mill, a school, and two blacksmith shops. Its demise came quickly, however, when miners requested and were denied greater wages in 1907, resulting in a major exodus from Berlin.
Years after its abandonment, in the 1950s a number of ichthyosaur fossils were discovered in and around Berlin. 
Since this discovery, about 40 ichthyosaurs have been discovered in the town, leading to the establishment of the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in 1970. 

What makes Berlin special? 

The remaining residents of Berlin have worked to keep surviving structures well-maintained and safe for visitors to explore.
  • Over a dozen wooden houses and barns
  • An abandoned cemetery
  • Tools and machines from the town’s mining boom
  • Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
    has some beautiful trails to explore and guided tours exploring the history of the fossils
MORE: 7 ways to save money on car rentals

How to visit Berlin 

Berlin is rather remote, with the nearest place to load up on groceries and gas being the small town of Gabbs.
To reach Berlin, take NV-844 E and take a slight right onto Berlin Rd. This road will take you slightly left until you reach Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park Rd.
Entering the park costs $5.00 per vehicle—$10.00 if you’re coming in from out-of-state. There are campsites within the park, so be sure to come prepared if you plan on sleeping overnight!

Gold Point

Sunset in the desert, mountain ranges in the background with a vast desert in the front with a strip of red in the middle, presumably the sunset coming through mountains unseen on the right.

What is the story of Gold Point?

Known as Lime Point and Hornsilver at different times, the ghost town of Gold Point was a silver mining town originally settled in the 1860s. At its peak, it was home to over 2,000 residents.
Though Gold Point was able to survive the Great Depression, mining activities were halted due to a government decree barring non-essential companies during WWII. This triggered the town’s slow abandonment. 
Gold Point experienced a revival in the late 1970s, though, thanks to a Las Vegas local named Herb Robbins. After winning the jackpot while gambling, he and a friend purchased almost every building in Gold Point and overhauled the entire town.
Now, you can experience historic buildings, a saloon, and even a bed and breakfast to complete your stay overnight!

What makes Gold Point special? 

Thanks to its successful restoration, Gold Point now offers a quintessential ghost town for visitors, including:
The area around Gold Point also boasts one of the best
dark sky areas
in the state, so it’s the perfect spot for any stargazers to stop! 

How to visit Gold Point

Gold Point sits about 60 miles northwest of Beatty, meaning you can easily stop at Gold Point and Rhyolite in a single road trip.
To get to Gold Point, head northeast on US-95 N/Main St towards First St. Turn left onto NV-266 W until you reach NV-774 S. Another slight left will lead you to Gold Point.

Goodsprings

Starry sky over a Nevada campground in the woods beside a lake.

What is the story of Goodsprings? 

Goodsprings was settled in the hills of southern Nevada in the late 1800s. It became a hub for zinc and lead mining and produced an impressive total of $24 million in ore by the early 1900s. 
One of the boomtown’s most iconic spots is the Pioneer Saloon, whose founding date of 1913 makes it the oldest bar in Clark County. The saloon’s most famous incident occurred in 1915 when a dealer discovered a cheating miner. 
The dealer drew out his revolver and fired three shots at the miner—the bullet holes in the wall are still visible. Some bar guests even claim to still see the miner’s ghost lurking at the back of the establishment!
Other walkable locations still standing include a school, store, and the ruins of the Fayle Hotel, which burned down in 1966.

What makes Goodsprings special?

Goodsprings is a particularly exciting ghost town because many of the original structures are still standing, including: 
  • The Pioneer Saloon
  • Good Springs School—this school is still in use, and the school bell has been rung every morning for the past 100+ years!
  • The Mercantile Store
  • Numerous abandoned wood buildings and structures
  • The remains of the Fayle Hotel

How to visit Goodsprings 

You can fill up on food in Goodsprings, but if you want to fill up on gas or stay the night somewhere, your best bet is the town of Primm.
To get to Goodsprings from Primm, get onto I-15 N and take exit 12. From there, turn left onto NV-161 E/Goodsprings Rd and continue straight to reach Goodsprings.
Primm lies just on the border of Nevada and California and is definitely worth a visit—after all, it’s home to the infamous Bonnie and Clyde Getaway Car!

Why you need good car insurance

It can be exciting to make the trek out to abandoned ghost towns—but don’t forget about the road conditions you might encounter on the way. Before you go on any excursion, make sure you get the right car insurance—and all the savings—with
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A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and will even help you cancel your old policy. 
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