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Ghost Towns in Nevada

103 ghost towns in Nevada with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Elko County has the most (21). The darkest skies are at Belmont (Bortle 1).

Top ghost towns

RhyoliteGhost Town
RhyoliteNye County
AuroraGhost Town
AuroraMineral County
St. ThomasGhost Town
St. ThomasClark County
CandelariaGhost Town
CandelariaMineral County
BelmontGhost Town
BelmontNye County
StrawberryGhost Town
StrawberryWhite Pine County
LoganGhost Town
LoganLincoln County
RochesterGhost Town
RochesterPershing County
PalisadeGhost Town
PalisadeEureka County
Star CityGhost Town
Star CityPershing County
Tunnel CampGhost Town
Tunnel CampPershing County
Crystal SpringsGhost Town
Crystal SpringsLincoln County

Ghost Towns by county

All ghost towns (103)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
RhyoliteNye County—Beatty2
AuroraMineral County2,268 mHawthorne2
St. ThomasLake MeadClark County367 mMoapa Valley3
CandelariaMineral County1,742 mMammoth Lakes1
BelmontNye County2,228 mFallon1
StrawberryWhite Pine County1,814 mSpring Creek1
LoganLincoln County1,857 mAlamo2
RochesterPershing County1,810 mLovelock1
PalisadeEureka County—Carlin1
Star CityPershing County1,823 mLovelock1
Tunnel CampPershing County1,447 mLovelock1
Crystal SpringsLincoln County—Alamo2
LidaEsmeralda County—Mammoth Lakes1
UnionvillePershing County—Lovelock1
CurrieElko County—Spring Creek1
North ForkElko County—Elko1
San JacintoElko County—Jackpot1
Jack CreekElko County—Elko1
MidasElko County—Winnemucca1
PalmettoEsmeralda County—Mammoth Lakes1
Ruby HillEureka County—Spring Creek1
StillwaterChurchill County—Fallon2
Gold PointEsmeralda County—Mammoth Lakes1
CobreElko County—Wells1
IoneNye County—Fallon1
FairviewChurchill County—Fallon1
GalenaWashoe County—Incline Village4
Washoe CityWashoe County—Carson City4
RawhideMineral County—Hawthorne1
SprucemontElko County—Spring Creek1
MetropolisElko County—Wells1
ShafterElko County—West Wendover1
VanderbiltEureka County2,247 mSpring Creek1
WonderChurchill County—Fallon1
Dinner StationElko County—Elko1
CharlestonElko County—Elko1
ComoLyon County—Dayton3
JessupChurchill County—Lovelock2
Pine GroveLyon County—Smith2
Gold CreekElko County—Elko1
RowlandElko County—Twin Falls1
ColumbusEsmeralda County—Mammoth Lakes1
OlaElko County—West Wendover3
MoorElko County—Wells1
FlaniganWashoe County—Cold Springs2
CortezLander County—Elko1
Lages StationWhite Pine County—Spring Creek1
PioneerNye County—Beatty2
CarraraNye County878 mBeatty2
CoaldaleEsmeralda County1,397 mTonopah1
BullfrogNye County1,085 mBeatty2
CrystalClark County616 mMoapa Town4
VernonPershing County1,416 mLovelock1
Nevada CityChurchill County1,198 mFallon3
Broken HillsMineral County1,637 mFallon1
TungstoniaWhite Pine County2,331 mMcGill1
PottsNye County2,029 mFallon1
EaglevilleMineral County1,695 mFallon1
TellurideLander County1,751 mBattle Mountain1
GalenaLander County1,877 mBattle Mountain1
AllredNye County1,477 mSpring Creek1
ToanoElko County1,817 mWells1
AftonElko County1,960 mWells1
DelanoElko County1,950 mJackpot1
RagtownChurchill County1,223 mFallon3
RiovilleClark County367 mMeadview3
BellevilleMineral County1,582 mHawthorne1
BullionLander County1,603 mBattle Mountain1
Treasure CityWhite Pine County2,806 mEly1
AurumWhite Pine County2,182 mMcGill1
GoldvilleEureka County1,862 mCarlin1
LeelandNye County729 mBeatty2
CottonwoodElko County1,628 mCarlin2
Willow PointHumboldt County1,321 mWinnemucca1
Cave ValleyLincoln County1,968 mEnoch1
SweetwaterLyon County1,911 mSmith Valley2
CliftonLander County1,932 mFallon1
JacobsvilleLander County1,737 mFallon1
White RockElko County1,740 mElko1
VeteranWhite Pine County2,237 mEly2
LanderLander County1,632 mBattle Mountain1
OreanaPershing County1,237 mLovelock1
HobsonWhite Pine County1,835 mSpring Creek1
AtwoodNye County1,829 mFallon1
WahmonieNye County1,313 mBeatty2
JungoHumboldt County1,271 mWinnemucca1
San JuanNye County2,463 mFallon1
DelmuesLincoln County1,559 mPioche1
RhodesMineral County1,328 mHawthorne1
Pleasant ValleyWhite Pine County1,909 mGrantsville1
BerniceChurchill County1,507 mFallon1
EaglevilleChurchill County1,409 mFallon1
LeeteChurchill County1,231 mFernley2
TobarElko County1,731 mWells1
ArlemontEsmeralda County1,489 mDixon Lane-Meadow Creek1
Blair JunctionEsmeralda County1,469 mTonopah1
GilbertEsmeralda County1,887 mTonopah1
BirchEureka County1,788 mSpring Creek1
NationalHumboldt County1,860 mWinnemucca1
LudwigLyon County1,547 mYerington3
ReganWhite Pine County2,092 mSpring Creek1
White Cloud CityChurchill County—Lovelock1
Quartz MountainNye County1,621 mFallon1

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph ghost towns

Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.

  • Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
  • For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
  • Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
  • Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
  • Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.

Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.