Rhyolite Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

Rhyolite is a ghost town location just outside of the Eastern edge of Death Valley National monument in Nye country, Nevada.  Founded in 1904 by Frank “Shorty” Harris when he discovered quartz with load of “Free Gold”, Rhyolite started as a gold mining camp in the surrounding Bullfrog mining district. As with many discovery’s during this time period, news quickly circulated and the Bullfrog mining district was formed.

Assays of $3000 per ton were reported by the mining press of the day, and the fall and winter saw many people converge on the area despite the weather conditions. Tonopah and Goldfield saw hundreds head south in the spring of 1905, and the migration caused “a string of dust a hundred miles long”.

The townsite of Rhyolite was found in a draw close to the most important mines in February, 1905. To start, the town was a mining camp with tents and canvas walled building. Fuel shortages caused the populous to burn sage brush and greasewood as fuel for their stoves to cook and keep warm. Food and fuel were teamed into the area on daily stages and water was bought over from Beatty for $5 per barrel.

However, as was common with gold rush towns, Rhyolite quickly developed all of the modern amenities of day, including newspapers, schools, hospitals and electrical power. Six thousand people called the town home in 1907. Luxuries unimaginable just two years before include, hotel rooms with private baths, and opera house, dozens of saloons, four banks, and a butcher shop were brought to the town by three different trains.

Decline and Abandonment

Rhyolite’s prosperity was short-lived. Several factors converged to precipitate its decline. The high-grade ore began to dwindle by 1908, and an independent study commissioned by investors in the Montgomery Shoshone Mine deemed it overvalued, causing stock values to plummet. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake diverted capital to California and disrupted rail service, while the financial panic of 1907 tightened funding for mine development. By 1909, the mine was operating at a loss, closing permanently in March 1911.

As mining activity waned, unemployed miners left for opportunities elsewhere. Businesses failed, and the population dropped to 675 by the 1910 census. All three banks closed that year, followed by the last newspaper in 1912, the post office in 1913, and the final train departure in 1914. In 1916, the Nevada-California Power Company cut electricity and removed its lines, leaving Rhyolite nearly abandoned. By 1920, only 14 residents remained, and the town was fully deserted by 1924 after its last resident’s death. Many buildings were dismantled for materials, relocated to nearby Beatty, or left to crumble in the desert.The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and a financial panic of 1907 dried up capital investment which doomed the town along with many others in the region. Rhyolite ceased to be and closed in 1911.  

Current Status

Today, Rhyolite is a well-preserved ghost town managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as the Rhyolite Historic Area. Its ruins, including the Cook Bank Building, train depot, and Tom Kelly’s Bottle House, attract visitors and photographers, earning it a reputation as one of the West’s most photographed ghost towns. The bottle house, restored by Paramount Pictures in 1925 for the film The Air Mail and later by locals, remains a standout feature. The nearby Goldwell Open Air Museum, established in 1984 by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski, adds an artistic dimension with sculptures like “The Last Supper,” a haunting plaster rendition of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece.

Rhyolite has also appeared in films and literature, including a mention in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novel Diamonds Are Forever. While vandalism and graffiti have marred some structures, efforts to preserve its historical integrity continue. The site is accessible via a paved road off State Route 374, about 4 miles west of Beatty, offering free public access year-round.

Rhyolite is a wonderful place to visit when you are running Titus Canyon and Leadfield trail.

Geological Context

Rhyolite sits within the Bullfrog Hills, part of the southwestern Nevada volcanic field. The area’s geology features rhyolitic lava flows, formed 13.3 to 7.6 million years ago, overlying Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. These flows, fractured into fault blocks by tectonic activity, host the mineralized veins that spurred the gold rush. The town’s name reflects this geological heritage, derived from the light-colored, felsic volcanic rock dominant in the region.

Rhyolite Town Summary

Name	Rhyolite
Location	Nye County
Newspaper	Rhyolite Herald May 25, 1905-Apr 26, 1907; Oct 11, 1907-June 22, 1912; Mar 1909 Special Ed Rhyolite Daily Bulletin Sept 23, 1907 – May 31, 1909 Death Valley Prospector Nov – Dec 1907

Rhyolite Map

Rhyolite Points of Interest

Rhyolite Newspapers

Rhyolite Personalities

Further Reading

Resources

• Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, Stanley W Paher
• Wikipedia