In the hills of Lyon County, east of the Virginia Range, lies the quiet ghost town of Talapoosa. Like many Nevada mining districts, it promised riches but delivered only modest success and eventual obscurity. Prospectors from Virginia City discovered silver in the area in 1863, naming the district after the Tallapoosa River in Alabama. Talapoosa was considered one of the most important mines ... VIEW POST
Recent Ghost Towns & Travel Updates
Fort Ruby: The Worst Post of the West
In the remote high desert of northeastern Nevada, Ruby Valley holds one of the state’s most evocative frontier stories. Long before ranches dotted the landscape, the Western Shoshone called the valley home. It served as a vital corridor for the Pony Express, Overland Stage, and emigrant trails. Yet it was also a place of tension, where cultures collided and the U.S. Army established Fort Ruby in ... VIEW POST
Ridgecrest Explorations
March 2026 – Ridgecrest & Eastern Kern County Explorations In March 2026 I was in Ridgecrest to give a presentation on Eastern Sierra Ghost Towns at the wonderful Maturango Museum. I stayed a few extra days to explore the rich mining and desert history of eastern Kern County and the surrounding Mojave. Here are some of the highlights from that trip: Bishop Unknown Cabin No information ... VIEW POST
Labor Day 2025 Tybo Trip
Labor Day 2025 – Central Nevada Backroads Adventure Over the long Labor Day weekend in 2025, I explored a fascinating stretch of central Nevada through Nye and Lander counties. From volcanic craters to old mining camps and stage stations, this remote loop delivered plenty of history and stunning desert scenery. Tybo Tybo is a well-preserved silver mining camp from the early 1870s. The ... VIEW POST
Galena, Lander County
Tucked in the hills southwest of Battle Mountain, Galena sprang to life in the late 1860s after the discovery of silver, gold, and lead ore (named for the galena mineral). By 1868–1870 the town boomed with over 100 residents, stores, saloons, a town hall, and even a water system. At one point it rivaled nearby communities for Lander County seat honors. A major fire in 1889 dealt a heavy blow, ... VIEW POST