My Atlantis: Bullionville, Carman Heights and Pine Nut Mines, Nevada

Travel Update: Full Post to Follow

Bullionville, Carman Heights and the Longfellow, Warhorse and Premier Mines will remain my Atlantis. I believe I know the locations of each, but I never seem to be able to get there. Now I’m afraid I might be too late.

Bullionville and Carman Heights are almost unknown ghost towns in the Pine Nut Mountains. In Stan Paher’s Nevada Ghost Towns and Desert Atlas Volume I, Bullionville is denoted on a map but not Carman Heights. There is no mentioned of either town in his big book, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, or as I refer to it “Nevada Ghost Town Bible”.

I found references to both towns, along with the surrounding mines, in the Pine Nut Chronicle: History and adventures of Mining in Douglas County Nevada. Hubby visited Bullionville in the late 1980s and not much was remaining of the town or mines. I only found a few references to the towns themselves and a handful of pictures. I have wanted to visit Bullionville for years but until we bought the Rubicon it wasn’t a possibility.

On July 6, 2020 three separate fires were started on Highway 395 south of Gardnerville. It was determined the fires were ignited due to mechanical issues on a truck. The three fires quickly grew together and became known as the Numbers Fire. Over the next month the fire consumed over 18,000 acres in the Pine Nut Mountains.

In October four brave friends decided to accompany me on a six hour tour. The Professor, Ginger, Marian, and Gilligan. Sorry, wrong show. We set off in two Rubicons and the Little Liberty That Could, at least when driven by an expert off roader.

We tried four different routes to access Bullionville. We tried to go around, over and through 7600′ Sugar Loaf. Each time we were met with inaccessible roads, at least without a dirt bike or ATV.

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Attempting Bullionville from the south, we came across this strange building in the middle of nowhere. It was concrete construction, but rebar ran in grids through all the windows. My second thought was maybe this was for security. My first though was it would be a great set-up for a serial killer. I asked my backroad groups, but no one was familiar with the purpose of the structure.

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Aaron the Great saved the day and took us to nearby early 1900s Preachers Mine. I bet you can’t guess the occupation of the owner.

Two months after the Numbers Fire, the Pine Nuts were already regenerating. It will take decades for the area to recover but signs of life are sprouting through the scorched earth.

Bullionville, Carman Heights and the Longfellow, Warhorse and Premier Mines will remain on my wish list. The day didn’t turn out like I planned, but it was a great day out with good friends. That is what matters.

Visited 10-18-2020

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References

• Nation, Nile: The Pine Nut Chronicle, The History of Adventures of Mining in Douglas County, Nevada pages 119, 172, 173, 177, 184, 187 188, 190 and 194-5.
• Paher, Stanley: Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps 
• Wikipedia: Numbers Fire

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