Nelson Ghost Town
16880 NV-165
Nelson, NV
A photogenic old mining camp in a rugged canyon that ran on gold, gunfights, and a nearly lawless reputation.
Nelson Ghost Town sits in Eldorado Canyon, a rugged cleft of the Mojave Desert that holds one of the oldest and most storied mining districts in Nevada. Weathered wooden cabins, old mine works, and a collection of vintage cars and props make it wonderfully photogenic, and beneath it all runs the Techatticup Mine, which visitors can tour underground to see where the gold actually came out of the rock.
The camp's real history is as wild as its look. Isolated far from any law, Eldorado Canyon earned a reputation for claim-jumping, feuds, and murder, and its mines produced fortunes in gold and silver over roughly eight decades. Today it survives as a privately owned attraction that keeps that rough frontier atmosphere alive.
What Guests Love
- The weathered cabins, mine buildings, and vintage cars staged for photos
- Touring the historic Techatticup Mine underground
- The wild, violent history of one of Nevada's oldest mining camps
- The dramatic desert canyon setting on the way down to the Colorado River
Worth Knowing
- The town is privately owned, and mine tours and photo access are ticketed
- Summer heat in the canyon is intense, so visit in cooler hours or seasons
- It is a working attraction with staged props, not an untouched ruin
- The road continues down a rough canyon toward the river; know your vehicle's limits
Details
Nelson, NV
Learn about Nelson Ghost Town
Gold, silver, and a lawless canyon
Long before the miners came, the Paiute and Mojave peoples knew this canyon and the river below it. Spanish prospectors worked the area in earlier centuries, and in the late 1850s new strikes of gold and silver drew a rush. The district's most famous mine, the Techatticup, was established in 1861 after the Mojave leader Irataba is said to have guided a prospector to a rich vein.
Eldorado Canyon quickly became notorious. It drew Civil War deserters and drifters looking for a place beyond the reach of authorities, and with the nearest sheriff some two hundred miles away, disputes over mining claims often ended in gunfire rather than court. Ownership of the Techatticup itself was fought over violently. The town of Eldorado was eventually renamed Nelson after a camp leader who was killed in the 1890s.
The Techatticup Mine
The Techatticup Mine was the workhorse of the district, producing several million dollars in gold, silver, copper, and lead from its discovery in 1861 until the early 1940s. Its tunnels honeycomb the hillside above the town, and the surface still holds mine buildings, a mill site, and scattered equipment from the working years.
In the 1990s a family bought the property and its mining claims and set about restoring the site, eventually opening the mine for guided tours. Today you can walk into the old workings and hear the story of how the ore was found, dug, and hauled out, one of the few places in southern Nevada where you can go underground into a historic gold mine.
The canyon and the desert
Eldorado Canyon runs down toward the Colorado River through classic Mojave Desert scenery, bare banded mountains, dry washes, and the hardy plants and animals of the low desert. Bighorn sheep, roadrunners, and jackrabbits range the slopes, and the light on the rock at either end of the day is superb, which is part of why the town is such a magnet for photographers.
The camp itself is dressed with weathered buildings, rusting trucks, an old gas station, and even a downed prop airplane, all staged against the canyon. It is best enjoyed in the cooler months or the cooler hours, since summer in this canyon is punishingly hot. Beyond the town, the road drops toward the river, where the canyon once had a steamboat landing in its mining heyday.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Sands Motel of Boulder City
Honorable Mention809 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV
19 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Nelson
Lake Mohave and the Colorado River
About 5 miles down-canyon
The reservoir at the bottom of Eldorado Canyon, a boating and paddling spot where the old mining district met the river.
Boulder City
About 25 miles north
The historic, casino-free town built for the Hoover Dam workforce, with a walkable downtown and the Hoover Dam Museum.
Hoover Dam
About 30 miles north
The Depression-era engineering marvel on the Colorado River, with tours, the Pat Tillman Bridge walkway, and Lake Mead.