It never ceases to amaze me how, at a time when there were no roads, electricity or running water, prospectors found riches out in the middle of nowhere. Mining communities sprung up and then died out almost as quickly. That is the case of Troy Ghost Town.
Our Quest to Find Troy
The directions we had were pretty straight forward. The first 30 or so miles were on a well-maintained, graded, unpaved road, but when we turned onto a secondary, single-track path, the driving became a little more challenging.
Turning off the wide road, we pull to a stop and look at the small rough track which lay ahead. Winding through the desert brush at an incline, it quickly becomes obscured from view.
We press on. The first section we travel with ease. After a half-mile, the small rocky road continues up the side of a hill and around a blind corner. This is where the canyon appears to swallow us whole as Nature has taken back the entrance for this ravine.
Trees reach out and aide the tall grass in cutting our vision ahead down significantly. At this point, my shoulders, back and grip on the steering wheel tightened. It is exciting and a touch nerve-racking at the same time. We are on a real adventure to a place that people haven’t been in a long time.
We were pleased we had Tonto, our truck, with his high clearance. Dodging boulders and large pot-holes, transversing fast-flowing streams, we headed along the windy road, which continued its steady incline.
Lush vegetation grew alongside the road, making the views all around well worth the drive back here. Until we reached a point, we could no longer continue. The tracks were thoroughly washed out by a swift-moving stream.
After a 10 point turn under the watchful eyes of Big-Horned sheep, it was time to walk.
The History of Troy Ghost Town
Deep in the Grant Range of Nevada, in Troy Canyon, prospector Alexander Beaty discovered silver ore in 1867 and staked five mining claims.
By 1871, the town had a population of about 100 and boasted two general stores, a boarding house, blacksmith shops, a school, a post office, and several saloons.
Beaty sold his claims to an English company who invested $500,000. They built a road and a 20-stamp mill that same year, and a furnace the following year.
But by 1876, even under new management, the investments dried up and very little silver was found. The mill, furnace and other buildings were sold off, and the company liquidated.
By 1913 the town was pretty much abandoned, leaving just a few families. One brave soul, Jim Birdno, held on until 1936. Since his departure, only wildlife and the ghosts from the past call Troy their home.
The Remains of Troy Ghost Town
The heat and intensity of the sun were quite harsh once we left the thickets of trees taking refuge along the washed-out trail. Ahead there was no more shade, and we began to wonder how much further it would be before we reached our destination.
Finally while stopping to take an extra-long drink of water the top of the distinctive smokestack waved hello. We made it!
There were once two of these enormous smoke stacks. Unfortunately, a rancher by the name of George Sharp purchased the claims in 1902 as a part of back taxes. Not being a miner himself, he blew one of them up to re-use the bricks elsewhere on his ranch.
worth the effort
Only the sounds of gravel underfoot and the steady stream can be heard now in this extraordinary valley. Rusted metal remains lay strewn across the landscape, and partial walls of stone structures jut out from the overgrowth.
A single room log cabin sits tucked away next to the ruins of what was once a family home.
A small cemetery rests somewhere upstream with several dozen graves. We were unable to find any remnants of these forgotten tombs.
We continued along to find an outhouse among the thick foliage and a stream crossing to reach the remains on the other side of the canyon.
Maybe we are just bonkers, but placing our hands on bricks and stones made over 100 years ago is vital to us. We are reaching through the ethereal waves of time and touching a piece of history.
In our way showing respect for the hard work and efforts needed to make these places exist by retelling their stories.
Locke Mine
Due to the scorching heat (over 100ºf) we decided not to walk the extra mile to Locke Mine.
The Locke Gold Mine operated on and off during WWII until the mid-1960s under a new owner, Joseph Hafen. He developed the mine substantially and tried his luck searching for gold.
The mine is 1000 ft above the camp, but even at that height, it suffered from water seepage. It too was then abandoned.
our takeaway on troy ghost town
It’s no wonder why Nature wants to erase the tracks leading to this unique valley. It is quiet, peaceful and strikingly beautiful. We enjoyed exploring this area and would have loved to stay longer or camp overnight, but it was getting on in the day, and we had a long way to travel back.
Troy Ghost Town is a worthwhile stop, and we would go back again.
troy ghost town – in a nut shell
- From Rachel – Hwy 375 north – 43 miles turn right onto a graded dirt road.
- From Cool Springs on Hwy 375 – 15.9 miles and turn left onto the graded dirt road
- At 31.6 miles turn right onto an unmaintained dirt road. It is approximately 3.7 miles to the stone foundations. Park the car at around 2.5 miles and walk the remaining mile.
- This is a single dirt track with very few areas to turn around. The last mile of the road was totally washed out and not suitable for any vehicle. I would suggest at 2.8 miles there is an area you can park. Walk the rest of the way.
- High clearance and 4×4 is a must.
- GPS of the log cabin – N38° 20.748′ W115° 34.408′
- Carry lots of drinking water because temperatures can be extreme. (When we went in early June our truck said the outside temperature was 104ºf).
- Once you arrive at the creek, there is plenty of shade.
- There are several creek crossings. When we went, the creek had burst its banks and was flowing down the road.
- Troy Ghost Town is an excellent place for a picnic or to camp.
- Locke Mine is another mile from the chimney along the old road and is on private property but can still be viewed. (We did not go to the mine – it was far too hot to do the hike up).
- GPS of Locke Mine – N38° 20.470′ W115° 34.470′
- Please remember to use the “Leave No Trace” policy – pack it in, pack it out (this includes toilet paper ladies!).
- Respect and preserve this site for others to enjoy.
- No cell service.
- Wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Have fun, stay safe and put another Pin In The Atlas!
location map
Another excellent read keep up the good work
Thank you Robbie, so glad you enjoyed Troy Ghost Town
You do not have all your facts correct!!! I lived with my family at Troy Canyon for a few years with owners permission ( was not the Sharps) when I was a Teenager and went to school at Duckwater school and also Highschool in Ely.
We traveled this Road constantly and that log Cabin was My Step Sister and my bedroom.
The road crosses the creek not once but 3 times. The Road was not that bad of a travel back when I was young but I bet it is now.
I will forever hold Try Canyon in my heart and hope to someday return for a visit.
Hi Barbara. What years did you spend in Troy? Do you have any photos of how it looked? So you and your step sister stayed in the log cabin? We were unable to find any information about when it was built and who lived there. How long were you there for? From our research, Joseph Hafen purchased the land from the Sharps and operated the mine until the 60s.
We did cross the stream several times in the truck before we were unable to continue. The whole road was completely washed out and continued to flow with water. It certainly is a beautiful canyon. We would have liked to have hiked up to the mine, unfortunately the day we went it was just too hot. We did cool off in the stream before hiking back to Tonto.
I think I remember you out in Troy!
There is an amazing book about Troy written by Jeanne Sharp. It has some amazing historical pictures in it.
The Log cabin was built by Mr. Birdno probably around late 1920’s. The brick house started as a rock structure in 1870’s from the Original Troy Silver Mining co. Then I believe Mr. Charles Garrett added another two rooms with adobe bricks. He passed away young at 43 and his amazing wife raised I think 6 kids there. She got remarried to Mr. John ward Christian and their Son in-law Possibly Lionel Birdno sold the Gold mining claim, the 5 acres where the chimney stack is and some mining claims. The log cabin and adobe house were never owned property. The forest service has always owned the land and basically rented it to the Garrets,Christian’s, and in 1936 Joe Hafen/Carl Harris then had the rights, mining claims, water rights, put into the Old English Good Co. In 1941 Carl Harris purchased the Patented Troy and Blue Eagle lodes, Silver mines up the canyon at 8500ft and they were owned by the Old English gold corp. Mr. Hafen and the Harris’s family continued to mine and own the properties. In roughly 1986 Jim Davis and family moved onto the property and lived there for maybe 5 years?? Since they have moved out it’s been vacant. In 1996ish a fire broke out due to some Dynamite that was being detonated and it burned the canyon and destroyed the brick house. Many of the Garrett family who lived in the brick house in the early 1900’s are buried up the Canyon in the cematary. Along with others, some who were in Troy from its inception around the 1870’s. Both Weddings and deaths have taken place in the brick home. At one point the mill was said to be the finest in Nevada around 1873, there were two chimneys and the 20 mill stamp was said the be heard running 24-7 15 miles away. In 1990 a motion picture “At Gunpoint” was filmed in Troy. When the Troy Silver Mining Co. was at its peek in the 1870’s it was amazing how big the operation was in Troy. The book on Troy from Jeanne Sharp is a must have..
The Old English Gold LLC now owns the property where the chimney is and patented properties where the original silver mines from the 1870’s are. One gentleman died while constructing the mill, and rumor has it a young boy died when the first chimney fell over.