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Rhyolite, the most photographed and best-known ghost town in Nevada, has been the backdrop to numerous music videos including a hit by Alanis Morissette. It stands as a monument to the turn of the century mining rush.
It is a convenient two-hour drive from Las Vegas through desert scenery that rarely changes. Sandy desert floors with their dotted scrub cactus and rolling tumbleweeds hide the few treasures that the desert still conceals. If you look closely you might spot herds of wild horses and burros. These animals are the descendents of the stock that was carelessly abandoned when the mining boom came to a sudden end. Their survival is now dependent upon a few natural springs, local residents, park services and private donations. If you stop to take photographs, remember that these animals are wild, skittish and they bite. Also wear hiking boots as stepping out into the desert is a dangerous sport.
There is tragic beauty in these animals. Their rib cages clearly show beneath their loose skin. Pregnant mares and starving colts are not an easy sight to view on a full stomach. It is illegal to feed these animals and the fine for doing so is fifty dollars. But Vegas residents tend to be careless and often loose entire bags of carrots and feed when traveling through the desert.
On your trip to Rhyolite from Vegas, you'll pass through the small town of Beatty. Here you'll find a few small hotels, saloons, casinos, restaurants, rock shops, and local residents. This dusty little spot is a real change from the average American small town. It is not a stop of fast food shrines and regardless what the needle on your gas gauge says and how sure you are you won't need gas, fill up here. This is the only stop for a hundred miles in every direction.
Despite the tourist information and guidebooks, Rhyolite held many surprises for me. I was shocked to find that gold mining is still prevalent in this area. Crude panning and hand tools have been replaced by a high tech plant, which stands off the desert floor at the same corner where you turn off of RT #374 and head into Rhyolite. The turn is well marked so you won't miss it.
Rhyolite is only a couple of miles from Beatty, which blew my concept of a town in the middle of nowhere. The main street is well-graded and easy to drive at slow speeds - an indication that you are not the first nomad to wander this trail. Of course, the Pink Lady, a forty-foot statue painted in bright pink might also be a clue. Ironically, the locals will mention this structure and how offensive they find it, though they did say it wasn't as bad since it had faded. The Belgian artist who owns the plot just outside the edge of Rhyolite comes to the states every couple of years to make repairs and add pieces to his open air museum, so it could be a nice bright pink for your visit.
The Pink Lady is a tribute to the local traditions. Prostitution is not legal in Nevada - it is just not "illegal" a loop hole which accounts for the numerous bordellos along the highways. Even if you came to see the ghost towns, you won't miss the hookers. These places advertise in that Nevada tradition - NEON signs. It certainly adds its own color to the desert.
More photographed than the "offensive" painted lady, is "The Last Supper." Imagine life-size sheets of plaster over the invisible forms of Jesus and his disciples. This ghostly image is hauntingly beautiful. The desert's arid conditions keep the sculpture in excellent shape and vandalism to this and the other sculptures was non-existent when we visited. This unique open-air gallery is worth the drive.
I entered Rhyolite and was hit by the sudden realization that my historical knowledge of the settlement of the American west was largely built on cowboy movies and television. While photographing the remains for the general store, I noticed the metal plate embedded into the wall. It reads "HD & LD Porter - 1906."
1906 - I'm not sure when I got the impression that ghost towns were "old." My hometown is older than this place. Yours probably is too. The bank, the hotel, the general store, the train station are remnants of a recent past. A Union Pacific train car sits abandoned on a piece of track that goes nowhere.
The deep blue skies and surrounding mountains frame the buildings and make a stunning backdrop for photographs. We hiked around the town careful of where we placed our feet as snakes, scorpions and other desert creatures are the only living residents here. We did not step on any of the local residents, though we did see some scurry away.
For dramatically a different photo shoot, we came back at night. There was just enough light from the headlights to set the camera and focus the manual zoom lens. I guess I had both hoped and not hoped to run into a ghostly resident. The night shoot photographs capture the ghost town spirit in a way a day shoot cannot. Looking at them, you feel this total sense of abandonment.
The settlers didn't come here envisioning a future of crumbling structures. While they did come in the hunt for riches and glory, they built strong foundations and sturdy walls in concrete, brick, and cement. They made plans for a future. They saw the future and it was flourishing and prosperous. Quite unexpectedly and just as suddenly as it had arrived, it ended.
Rhyolite as it crumbles to the desert floor is a monument to hope and misplaced values.
And a warning.
The most haunting part of this ghost town is its message that chasing money is an empty dream.
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