Ghost Towns
Gold Point
Gold Point is a supporting stop for people who are already far up US-95 and who are willing to finish on a dirt road. It is a small camp in Esmeralda County, southwest of Goldfield, where a few people have kept old buildings standing. It is not a place you bolt onto a Rhyolite morning and still make dinner in Las Vegas.
- From Las Vegas
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- Distance
- On the order of 200 miles
- Road
- US-95, then unpaved last miles
- Time to allow
- Overnight, after a road check
Short history
The camp was called Hornsilver during its early-1900s silver rush, and later Gold Point. It never became a Rhyolite. What it has now is a short street of wooden buildings and a reputation as a place a few residents held onto.
Any tour, open door, or overnight cabin has depended on the people who live there. That arrangement changes. This page cannot tell you whether anyone is receiving visitors this month.
Practical visitor info
Hours and fees change. Check the site, the park, or the business before you go. This page does not quote a current price or a current opening time.
The numbers match the drive times and distances page. Read desert day-trip tips before a hot day, and seesample itineraries if you want to combine stops. The town list is Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas. Tonopah and the Extraterrestrial Highway are indexed under Weird Day Trips.
Drive from Las Vegas
Plan on about three and a half to four hours from central Las Vegas, on the order of 200 miles. The highway portion runs up US-95 past Beatty and Goldfield. The side road to Gold Point leaves the highway south of Goldfield. Confirm the junction on a current map.
Fuel in a town you have already reached, such as Beatty or Goldfield, and do not assume the next marked station is open. Which pumps are working is outside this page.
Road notes
The last miles are unpaved. How rough they are depends on grading and weather, and this page does not report current conditions. In dry weather a normal rental car has been used on this approach. After rain, that is a poor assumption. A low sports car is the wrong tool either way.
If the road looks wrong when you get there, turn around. Gold Point will still be there later. Nothing at the town is worth a tow from a dry wash.
What you can see
You may see a street of old wooden buildings, some kept up, some locked, some plainly private. There is no reliable cafe, museum desk, or restroom to count on. Bring what you need, including water.
If you wanted a walk inside a building or a bed for the night, arrange it with the town before the drive. Showing up is not a reservation.
Heat and safety
Gold Point is high desert and a long way from help. Summer days are hot and winter nights are cold. Pack for both the season and the fact that you may sit with a car problem for a while.
There is little or no cell service to count on. Leave the route and your return time with someone who is not in the car.
What the visit looks like
This is not a half day from Las Vegas. The highway is three and a half to four hours, and the last miles are unpaved. If you go, bring water and a plan to turn around. Do not count on a tour, a meal, or an open door. Ask before you expect to go inside a building.
Photos
The pictures below are stored with the site. Each credit links to the Wikimedia Commons file.
Photo by Finetooth, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo by Vivaverdi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
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Car rental
Book a normal car with sensible clearance, and only if you have checked the dirt approach for that week. This box is an empty car-rental slot. It is not a booking link.
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Guided tours
A walk around Gold Point is not a scheduled public tour unless the residents say it is. Do not treat this slot as a departure time.
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