Rhyolite Nevada Ghost Town

Introduction

Ever since I heard of Rhyolite Nevada I knew I had to visit it.  The problem is, is that it is a bit of a haul to get there.  It is about a 2 hour drive from Vegas and quite a ways from just about everything else.  Since I was driving from Reno to Laughlin along I-95, I made it a point to pay a visit to this historical town.

It is about 5 miles west of Beatty Nevada and super easy to find. Just take Route 374 out of town and look for the signs for Rhyolite.  From the entrance, it is about a mile or two to the actual ghost town.  There was no cost associated with visiting.

Rhyolite was started in 1905 and pretty much had a boom to bust history.  It grew up quick and had a host of colorful characters and a lot of wealth was generated there.  However, by 1911, it had clearly reached its peak and people soon left as the minerals they were mining were exhausted.

What is left of the town are the shells of some of the houses and buildings.  Also you can check out some of the mines that dot the hills.

I think there was a group tour going on, but I just parked the car and did some exploring.  Be mindful of rattlesnakes.  I didn't see any but Rhyolite is definitely snake country.

Also, there are some statues depicting the last supper of Christ. Also a house made of glass bottles exists.  Sort of weird seeing these items here but they added a certain charm to the town.

I spent about an hour exploring.  It looks like you can do a fair amount here.  Clearly, though, you'll want to visit this place outside of the hottest parts of the day in the summer.  I visited in February and it was quite comfortable.

Enjoy the photos:

Adventure in the Ghost Town of Iosepa Utah

Introduction

On a recent trip out west, I decided to make a detour (or two) along the I-80.  Normally, when I go to Nevada I don't stop for just about anything.  But this time, I had a little bit of time and I was by myself, so I figured why not check out Iosepa, Utah, located in the barren area of Skull Valley.

First off, Iosepa is pretty much a ghost town.  There are some ranches and what looks to be double-wides out there, but pretty much the entire area is barren.  That being said, Iosepa does have some historical interest in that it was a town back in the early 1900's where a bunch of Hawaiian (Polynesian actually) converts to the LDS faith relocated to be apart of the Utah / Mormon experience.  

Being that they were dark skinned, they experienced racism and weren't welcome in the civilized areas.  Through the help of the Church they were settled away from Salt Lake.  They had water and plenty of land, but the area was rough and a far, far cry from what they had in Hawaii.

The city was inhabited for a while until they decided they had had enough and decided to return back to the Hawaiian Islands.  

You can read a lot more about the history here at Wikipedia.

Iosepa is about 15 minutes south on state road 196 (exit 77) and is an easy drive.  There is a small sign along the east side of the road indicating you are approaching Iosepa.  I almost passed it so be ready for it.

All that is left of the city is the cemetery.  There are grave markers from the early 1900's there.  I didn't find much evidence of anything else there other than some historical markers and informational signs.  If you like history and seeing old graveyards, this is worth a quick 15 - 20 minute stop.  The surrounding scenery and drive are also pretty.

Enjoy the photos: