Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas (with Videos)

Did you know that Las Vegas, is surrounded by old west ghost towns? Within a few hours drive or less from Las Vegas, you can find more than a dozen ghost towns.

Due to the dry climate, Nevada has some of the most well-preserved ghost towns anywhere in the country and several of them make for great side trips when you’re visiting Las Vegas.

I’ll give you a quick overview of each ghost town and include google map links so you can navigate to the old west towns you’d like to visit.

So in order of distance (from closest to furthest), here are the best ghost towns to visit near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nelson Ghost Town

Nelson is easily the most accessible ghost town to Las Vegas. The town is just a 45-minute drive (about 25 miles) from the Las Vegas Strip.

Once a completely abandoned town, Nelson was purchased in 1994 and has slowly been restored to become an interesting tourist spot. Visitors describe it as the most photogenic ghost town in Nevada.

Nelson was a thriving town during the gold strike era before it was abandoned in the 1940s. Today it’s home to plenty of historical buildings, old vehicles, and a mine for you to explore.

In its day, Nelson was a rough, lawless town. You can expect to see vehicles with bullet holes in the massive Nelson auto graveyard, abandoned buildings (including interesting artifacts) and you may even find a freezer full of dead preserved rattlesnakes inside the small museum!

Nelson has a rough and rugged landscape covered with cholla cacti. After walking the grounds and visiting the museum, taking a tour down to the Eldorado Mines is the highlight of a visit to this pristine ghost town.

Eldorado Canyon (where Nelson is located) was once the center of many Wild West stories. It certainly lived up to the notoriety and lawlessness of the old west during the silver and gold strikes of the 1800s.

The canyon area around the ghost town still holds some of its ancient charms. including:

• Old tin cabins used by miners
• A stamp mill
• Old tools used by miners
• A historic store

While you’re here you can take a tour of the Techatticup Mine (1861 – 1942), one of the richest gold mines ever found in Southern Nevada. Tours are given three times a day.

Eldorado Canyon has also been a popular filming location. The site was featured in the crime film 3000 miles to Graceland and a National Geographic feature called Brain Games.

You can find directions to Nelson Ghost town from Las Vegas here (map).

See our complete guide to visiting Nelson Ghost Town for more in-depth information.

Potosi Ghost Town

Potosi, aka Potosi Camp, is the site of a mine and ghost town located 29 miles from Las Vegas. Potosi Mine is believed to be the oldest lode mine in the state of Nevada.

Mormons discovered lead deposits in the area on their way to the Las Vegas mission in 1856.  Other minerals discovered over the years in the hills surrounding the town include silver and zinc.

In 1861, about 100 miners settled in Potosi to mine the silver deposits found in the Potosi Mine. The mining of silver continued until 1863.

Fortunately, the locals discovered zinc in 1906, bringing the mining town back to life. Eventually, all the mineral deposits dried up, and everyone left.

There are no structures left in Potosi today except for bits of wood and metal, which are all that remains of the town. However, if you are looking for a beautiful hiking area with plenty of history, then the Potosi should be on your travel itinerary.

You will find the Potosi ghost town site and mine about 50 minutes (29 miles) from Las Vegas. Map and directions

Goodsprings Ghost Town

Goodsprings is a “living ghost town” (a town that still has a few residents) located 33 miles from Las Vegas. It was one of the largest producers of silver and lead in the late 19th century.

Highlights of a drive around Goodsprings include the Goodsprings Schoolhouse (built 1913) and the Pioneer Saloon which is believed to be the oldest existing saloon in Nevada at over 100 years of age.

Rumor has it that a ghost is frequently sighted in the salon. The current population of the town is approximately 200 people.

Most of the popular activities and places in Goodsprings revolve around the famous Pioneer Saloon and include:

• Zero1 Desert Adventures (off-road tours in a Polaris RZR XP1000)
• Ghost hunting in the Pioneer Saloon
• Lunch at the Pioneer Saloon
• Organized tour to the Seven Magic Mountains
• Stargazing at the Pioneer Saloon

Goodsprings and the Pioneer Saloon are just 35 minutes (33 miles) south from the Las Vegas Strip. Click here for a map and directions from your location.

Searchlight Ghost Town

Searchlight was a thriving town between 1897 and 1907 after a miner by the name of G.F. Colton discovered gold and founded the Duplex Mine.

Searchlight was the largest town in the area with a population of 5,000 people at its peak in 1907. Interestingly enough, this was a bigger population than Las Vegas had during the same time period.

By 1927, the town was down to a population of about 50. It later had a resurgence in population once construction began on the nearby Hoover Dam.

Modern-day Searchlight qualifies as a living ghost town with a population of around 500. Modern buildings are interspersed with the remains of historic buildings from the town’s heyday.

Some of the things from Searchlights history that can still be seen:

• Mining cranes
• Storage tanks
• Wood cabins

Searchlight, Nevada is a 54 minute (60 miles) drive from Las Vegas (see here for