Perhaps the most interesting ghost town that I've ever visited is Rhyolite, located in western Nevada only a few miles west of Death Valley National Park.  Actually to give credit to Rhyolite, it isn't a ghost town, as it is really a ghost city.  In the boom years of the city, between 1905 and 1911, depending on who you ask, between 5,000 and 10,000 people called the city home, back in the glory days of Rhyolite...

Photo:  Rhyolite, in March of 2005, looking west toward the Bullfrog mountains.  The building in the foreground is the jail and, looking in the center background from left to right:  Facade of the school, Porter Brother's store, and the Cook Bank building, or what remains of the earliest skyscraper in western Nevada.

During the boom years, Rhyolite was the third largest city in Nevada, and it became a symbol of stability and growth, unlike other mining towns of the era.  It had the infrastructure of a modern city of the early 1900's, a modern water system, electricity, telephone service, swimming pools, railroads and even an ice cream parlor.  Not to mention the following items:  8 doctors, 18 grocery stores, 4 jewelers, 50 saloons, 2 butchers, 4 bakeries, 6 barbershops and a three-story skyscraper.  Also a thriving red light district.  

Left:  Rhyolite's visitor center, at the bottle house, a must-stop if you plan to visit Rhyolite.  Right:  The bottle house, which is built with many thousands of bottles.  

Today's Rhyolite is barren, stark, deserted and vacant, located on B.L.M. land in western Nevada, yet all you have to do is to take a stroll down the surveyed streets and the past will become the present.

Rhyolite is easy to get to, as all roads to the "city" are paved.  If you're visiting Death Valley, simply travel east on CA 192 over Daylight Pass, cross into Nevada, where the highway magically becomes NV 374, and look for the sign that will point you to Rhyolite, which only a few miles east of the Nevada state line.  As you drive east on the highway, keep looking to your left, as you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the ruins of the city, located on a stable alluvial fan at the base of the Bullfrog Hills.  Truly, a spectacular sight.  If you're coming from Las Vegas, when you reach the town of Beatty, turn west on 374 and you'll be at the turnoff to Rhyolite in just a few minutes.

Left:  Rhyolite's business district, on Golden Street, in March, 2005.  Right:  The same view in November, 1993. Well, the view is slightly different and this photo is not digital, but you get the idea...

I first visited Rhyolite in November, 1993, while attending CA4WDC's Panamint Valley Days.  When I saw the ruins of the Cook Bank building, the Porter Brother's store, and the school house, I was blown away.  I had read about the place, seen photos, but nothing substitutes for actually being there.  It gives you a sense of awe, to know what once was, and what now remains.  I was so impressed that I wanted to take a few photos in the morning, as the impressive facade of the ruins of the Cook Band building face the east, ideal for a morning photograph.

Left:  Facade of Cook Bank building, Rhyolite's skyscraper building, March, 2005.  Right:  The facade of the same building in the early morning sun of November, 1993.

Back in 1904, two prospector, Shorty Harris and Ernest Cross discovered gold in the area of Rhyolite.  Legend has it that one of them picked up a rock, containing gold flakes and it reminded them of the back of a bullfrog, hence the name "Bullfrog" of the surrounding hills and the mining district that followed.  By the way, the name of the city came from rhyolite, the prevailing rock in the area.

My last visit to Rhyolite was in March of 2005, as my wife and I were driving home the long way after a visit to our oldest daughter, who is a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Sharlene had never visited Rhyolite, so I couldn't resist taking the short detour off U.S. 95 at Beatty, and heading the few miles to Rhyolite, on NV 374.

Left:  Porter Brother's store, on Golden Street, with ruins of the Overbury Building to the left.  Right:  The facade of Rhyolite's school house, which only educated pupils for a few years.

We parked near the ruins of the Porter Brother's store, and just, well, stood around in awe and gaped at the stark reality, the loneliness, the history and the beauty of the place in springtime.  Sharlene preferred to stay on Golden Street, however I took a hike and walked over town, snapping many digital photos.  I have noticed a few changes since previous visits, in that the Cook Bank building is deteriorating rapidly, and the town is seeing many more visitors that the first time I visited, when I had the place all to myself.  Maybe it's web sites like this one that are fueling the rapid rise in tourism to Rhyolite.

Left:  November, 1993, and we're looking toward Golden Street with the Cook Bank building in the center of the photo, framed on the left by the school house.  Right:  Rusted cans behind Porter Brother's store, east of Golden Street in Rhyolite.

The sights of today's Rhyolite are awesome!  Check out the photos of the Cook Bank building, Porter Brother's store, the school, the surveyed streets and everything else.  As I said before, this is not a ghost town, this is a ghost city.  I have never seen anything like this place before.

As you enter the "city limits," you'll see a visitor's center to your right, near the famous bottle house.  If you're a first-time visitor to Rhyolite, I would highly recommend that you stop there, as they have brochures about the history of Rhyolite and a friendly B.L.M. volunteer person to answer any questions that you may have about Rhyolite, or the area in general.  Believe, these people are nice folks, so when you visit Rhyolite, at least stop by to say "hello" and wish them a good day.  Not to mention, thank them for keeping Rhyolite alive and well for you, your children and future generations to enjoy.  An organization that works closely with the B.L.M. to preserve Rhyolite is the Friends of Rhyolite.  If you're interested to know more about them, and the history of Rhyolite, pay a visit to their web site by clicking on this link.

Left:  Rhyolite's railroad station, which was a terminus for two railroads.  Right:  Another 2005 view of the Cook Bank building, undoubtedly the most famous symbol in today's Rhyolite.

When you're visiting Rhyolite, keep in mind that the use of metal detectors is illegal, as well as the taking of artifacts, including many of the discarded metal cans that litter the area.  Leave everything in place for your grandchildren to enjoy.  As the Friends of Rhyolite say, "Protect our Past, for it is our Future."