UPDATED: APR 2020
Continuing on the Extraterrestrial Highway for the last few miles, we came to its end at the junction of Route 6. We continued our road trip south on Hwy 95 to see some Ghost Towns.
Here are the remains of an old Hot Springs Resort. It’s now the thoroughly dilapidated area known as Warm Springs and the first of the Nevada Ghost Towns.
By another fenced off area were some remnants of buildings and a small spring that runs underneath the roadway. The only other life forms we came across were some goats, who were running and playing until they noticed us, then they became statues.
Apparently, mountain sheep roam the area, but on this occasion, they alluded us.
Warm springs – Hwy 95 Road Trip
Warm Springs was settled in 1866 and was once a stop for stagecoaches and travellers. The surrounding areas, like most of Nevada, are filled with mines. Back in the day, even miners would take advantage of the crystal clear spring water and could buy a hot bath for $1.
As the mining dried up, the residence of this small town moved away. Now all that remains are crumbling buildings. The bar and cafe have been abandoned since the 1970s.
There used to be a resort with a beautiful hot spring. Unfortunately, the resort is no more, and although the hot spring pool remains, it is on private property. Posted and No Trespassing signs are along the fence line, so for us, we ventured to our next stop nearly 50 miles away.
Tonopah
Tonopah is another mining town. In 1900, the discovery of silver and gold by a lonely prospector named Jim Butler was one of the richest strikes Nevada had seen. As the news spread, others made their way to seek their fortunes and the town of Tonopah boomed.
Tourism is now the primary resource. It is one of the main stops for people travelling from Vegas to Reno. And of course, with the number of horrendous deaths that took place during the mining era, ghost stories are abundant.
The town itself is not a Ghost Town but has charm.
The small pioneer cemetery which backs onto the parking lot of the Clown Hotel is said to be haunted, along with the hotel itself —making this a favoured location for ghost hunters.
We didn’t have too much time to explore. Having arrived in the late afternoon, the sites we had earmarked were closed. So, Tonopah will have to wait for another day.
Further, along Hwy 95, we came across the Tonopah Test Range, and some road lines. Either someone had one too many, or they were getting in some practice!
Goldfield Ghost Town
Goldfield. I guess back in the early 1900s they put a lot of thought into their town names. This little place does have that ghost town charm.
Some of the stunning old buildings make you want to wander around them, room by room and reimagine their stories like the Goldfield Hotel. We would have loved to have seen this place back in it’s prime.
It is a shame when you come across these fantastic architectural gems, and they are left to disintegrate due to lack of funding.
We will return to Goldfield for more exploration when we have more time. Unfortunately, today we had to continue south.
Angel’s Ladies Brothel and Plane Crash Site
Just three miles north of the small town of Beatty, we pulled over to see a strange roadside attraction.
Angel’s Ladies was once a legal brothel. It has a huge sign which you can see from quite a distance. The brothel had held several names and was closed in August 2014 when the current owner/manager retired.
The crashed plane, which is accessible from the road is not a hoax but is a publicity stunt which went tragically wrong.
Back in the 1970s, Fran’s Star Ranch (as it was known at the time), put on a promotion. Whoever parachuted from the plane, landing on a mattress placed on a large cross, would win the prize of a “naughty night” with a lady of his choice.
Unfortunately, due to lack of experience, the young male pilot was concentrating too much on the parade of women. The distracted airman crashed. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the plane was left as a roadside attraction.
Beatty is the gateway to Death Valley National Park and was founded in 1900 as a railroad town to service the many nearby mining operations. It is a good place to spend the night or a few days when exploring Death Valley if camping is not your style.
Rhyolite Ghost Town
The small outdoor museum is the first sight that greeted us. Today it wasn’t open, so we meandered outside on our own.
Most of the buildings have crumbled, but leaving enough structure to give you a full sense of how well established the town was. The old casino is still in excellent shape.
There is a lot more to Rhyolite that the town has a blog of its own.
After leaving Rhyolite, there is a choice. You can continue along Hwy 95 back to Las Vegas, or take the Hwy 373 south and in a few miles, you enter Ash Meadows, which is a part of Death Valley National Park.
Ash Meadows
We next found ourselves at Ash Meadows, a wildlife reserve.
There had recently been a heavy rainstorm, and some of the unpaved roads were closed. We did drive around and see some sights and walked along a boardwalk through ponds and marsh.
Devil’s Hole was fascinating. They believe this underground waterway could connect to the ocean. It is entirely fenced off, so you are not permitted to go down to the water or into the cave.
Safety is one concern. There have been several deaths over the years were people have dived and never returned.
The primary purpose now is to protect the endangered pupfish.
The Devil’s Hole pupfish is one of the world’s rarest fishes, found only in the 93-degree water of this cavern. It is believed that these small, blue fish have been isolated in this Hole for ten to twenty thousand years. In recent years their population has declined. It is now a priority for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect these creatures.
From here, you can return to Hwy 95 and continue onto Las Vegas. For us, we needed to head back to the bustling city of LA, but there were some pleasant surprises along the way.
Dublin Gulch Ghost Town – Shoshone
At the southernmost edge of the small town of Shoshone, heading south, on the right-hand side of the road, you can find the cave homes known as Dublin Gulch.
These lodgings were dug by miners back in the early 1900s. They kept the occupier cool from the blistering heat of the desert summer, and warm in the cold winter months.
We weren’t able to get inside, but peeping through we saw the one-roomed accommodations. Most of the caves have padlocks to keep vandals out. (It’s a shame that we have to go to such lengths!)
UPDATE: We have since returned to Dublin Gulch and were able to explore more of the area. Click the link below to read about these amazing cave dwellings.
Homeward Bound
Now it was time to head home and leave these Nevada Ghost Towns in the rearview mirror.
If you have driven the 15 freeway from LA to Vegas, you have probably seen and even commented about its name. Zzyzx Rd.
We decided to take a look. Turning onto the paved road, which after some twists and bends became dirt. At the bottom, there was a reasonably large parking lot and loos.
The location is stunning. Situated at the edge of the salt flats surrounded by palm trees, it was once a gorgeous spa. Established in the 1940s by Curtis H Springer, a quack doctor and self-proclaimed minister decided to “acquire” the land and its natural hot springs. (He was neither a doctor or a minister).
In the 1970s, however, it was discovered that Springer had no legal claim to the land. So it was taken over by the Bureau of Land Management and is now used as a Desert Study Centre.
No one seems to mind if you visit. There were plenty of people about when we walked along the “Boulevard of Dreams”. Parking is free, and it’s open during daylight hours.
The sun finally descended behind the outlying mountain range. Meaning that our Hwy 95 road trip was at its end and we needed to get to the sprawling city of LA, unpack and get ready for the workweek.
This last part of our trip was unexpected, and we hadn’t done any research at the time. Having seen what this area has to offer, we plan on returning to investigate further.
location map – hwy 95 road trip
- Death Valley has numerous places to hike and explore. Click the link below for things to see and do. All accessible in a 2WD.
- Discover our experience of Area 51 by clicking the link below.
Steven and Andrea, I realize your itinerary may be set for many months ahead at any time and if this is too inconvenient I can certainly understand. In your travels especially in or near Tonopah Nevada; had there been any mention of a man named “Tonopah Jack”? I watch many You Tube channels about mine exploration. His name and signature is left behind in the form of miner’s graffiti inside some of the old mines in the Tonopah area which lead me to search for the Tonopah Jack name. The only possible association with someone named Jack at about the same time when mining was active in Tonopah would be the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey who held that title until the late 1920s. Dempsey was a business partner in a bar and hotel in Tonopah and my theory was he may have moonlighted as a miner too. I have no way to confirm this theory but if you do happen to journey through that part of Nevada again could you ask around? It would be fascinating to know the real story. Thank you for your consideration, your patience and your beautiful travel videos.
H.I.
We will absolutely ask around when we are back in that area again Harold. That does sound like an interesting story for us to look into and see what we can find out!