5 Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas: Ruins, Mine Tours and Day Trips

1. Nelson and the Techatticup Mine tour

Best for: a structured half-day outing.
Access: paved approach to the Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours visitor site.

The weathered buildings and old vehicles at Nelson are enjoyable to explore, but the Techatticup Mine tour is what makes the drive worthwhile for me. Going into the workings gives the site a clearer history, with an explanation of how miners followed gold and silver veins through Eldorado Canyon.

Book before making the drive. Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours lists 9 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. tours with a reservation and at least four adults. Call 702-291-0026. Two visitors may be able to join an existing group, but a departure isn't guaranteed without confirmation.

The operator describes an approximately 80-minute tour with a quarter-mile, one-level gravel walk. Ask directly about mobility requirements, since that description alone doesn't establish wheelchair access. Bring a layer for the cool mine, especially in winter.

Published prices checked in October 2026 were $20 for ages 13 and older, $12.50 for ages 5-12 and free under five. Confirm the total when calling. The site also hosts filming and photo shoots, so arrange permission separately for a planned shoot rather than assuming casual visitor photography rules apply.

2. Goodsprings: historic streets and the Pioneer Saloon

Best for: historic streets without committing to a full day.
Access: paved roads via Jean and Nevada Route 161.

Goodsprings suits a slower outing. I like being able to walk the historic center without a tour time to work around, then leave room for a meal at the Pioneer Saloon, which dates to 1913. A visit here doesn't need a second town added to feel complete.

The Goodsprings Historical Society's walking-tour map identifies the school, miners' cabins and former businesses. It helps explain what you're seeing, since some stops are surviving buildings while others mark places where buildings once stood.

People still live in Goodsprings, and the historical society notes that walking-tour locations are privately owned. Stay in permitted public areas. Check the Pioneer Saloon's current information if a particular meal or event is central to your plans.

3. St. Thomas: a town once covered by Lake Mead

Best for: visitors interested in Lake Mead's history who are comfortable on uneven ground.
Access: approximately three miles of dirt road, followed by a 2.5-mile round-trip walk.

St. Thomas requires a little more imagination than a town with surviving storefronts. Residents left this farming community as Lake Mead rose in the 1930s, and falling water later exposed its foundations and streets. I found those traces of ordinary life compelling precisely because so little remains above the ground.

The National Park Service describes a moderate 2.5-mile round trip on an unmaintained trail. The downhill approach has loose rock, followed by uneven rock and sand through town. Modest elevation change doesn't make this a paved or step-free route.

Bring all your drinking water. The park lists no services and no water at the trailhead. Check the dirt-road approach after rain, especially with a low-clearance rental car. A navigation app showing the route doesn't establish whether the road is passable.

Arrange the required Lake Mead entrance pass before arrival. The park is cashless and accepts qualifying federal passes, but payment requirements still apply at unstaffed entrances. Townsite exposure and access can change, so read current park alerts.

4. Rhyolite: bank ruins and a bottle house

Best for: a full day focused on the remains of a mining boomtown.
Access: paved approach off Nevada Route 374 near Beatty.

Rhyolite comes closest to the image I had of a ghost town before visiting: tall, empty walls against desert mountains. The Cook Bank ruins are the most obvious landmark, but the bottle house is worth time too. Walking between the surviving structures makes the gaps in the former town just as noticeable as what remains.

The National Park Service's history gives the ruins context. Gold was discovered locally in 1904, and banks, a school and electricity followed within a few years. The boom was short-lived.

Rhyolite is outside Death Valley National Park, and the Bureau of Land Management lists it as day use only. Some parcels and buildings, including the depot, are private. Follow signs and barriers rather than assuming every structure is open.

Nearby Goldwell Open Air Museum and a Beatty stop for food and fuel make a good combination with Rhyolite. Goldwell's sculptures are contemporary art, separate from the mining remains. Personal photography is allowed, while commercial photography and filming require permission. With the drive from Las Vegas, this already fills a day comfortably.

5. Calico: a restored silver-mining town

Best for: visitors who want shops and organized attractions alongside mining history.
Access: near Yermo, California, off Interstate 15.

Calico's restored streets have more visitor facilities than the other towns here, which can be useful when a group wants different things from the day. There are shops to browse, a mine to visit and a short train ride. I enjoyed it as a developed attraction, although Rhyolite is the better choice for a quieter landscape of ruins.

The county park's posted standard admission checked in October 2026 was $8 for adults, $5 for ages 4-11 and free for children three and younger. Festival admission costs more, and individual attractions have separate charges.

Check which attractions are operating before driving to 36600 Ghost Town Road, Yermo. Maggie Mine is one option, with a 1,000-foot self-guided route through a former working silver mine.

Calico is the longest drive on this shortlist, so it makes particular sense as a stop between Las Vegas and Southern California. A return trip from the Strip takes most of the day, with Interstate 15 traffic capable of adding considerably to the journey.