Pahrump, ghost towns and Titus Canyon

Sunday, March 8 we left Bullhead City and traveled north into Nevada. Being a Sunday we knew the traffic wouldn't be too nuts in Las Vegas so we took the route that took us toward Vegas, then West around the 215 loop so we could catch Hwy 160 northwest toward Pahrump. We are staying at Lakeside RV Park. We got a really good deal at the Quartzsite RV Show. Only $140 for 14 nights with full services. This is a very nice park that seems to be an oasis in the desert with all the Fir trees and the large lake in the center of the Park.

Las Vegas

Relatively quiet traffic on a Sunday.

The Red Rock Canyon and Spring Mountains northwest of Vegas.

Our site

Nice lake in the middle of the park.

Snow capped Mount Charleston, east of Pahrump.

Pahrump is a new area for us. We've heard lots of good things about the area and we certainly plan on visiting Death Valley a few times during our two week stay here. Pahrump is a much quieter town than closer toward the Vegas area. Officially the population of Pahrump is 35,000 but that includes a very large catchment area. It does have a Walmart, Albertson's and Smith's Foods as well as a Home Depot so I guess that makes it a big town in Nevada terms. Nevada has more ghost towns (about 800) than it does populated towns (about 120).

The weather this week is going to be a bit unsettled so Monday we headed out on a road trip. Our goal was Titus Canyon and you do NOT want to be on that road during or after a rain. First though we headed north to the small town of Beatty, then turned west a few miles until we came to the turn off for the ghost town of Rhyolite.

Hwy 160 heading north of Pahrump.

Town clock in Beatty

Heading West from Beatty

Rhyolite was established in 1905 after gold was discovered the year before. The population peaked in 1908 but by 1910 the gold rush was over. Today the town is a very photogenic tourist stop.

There are a series of sculptures located just outside the town. The sculptures are the work of Belgian artist Albert Szukalski. He created these between 1984 and 2000.
This one is called 'Ghost Rider'.

The Last Supper

Lady Desert: The Venus of Nevada

Serving Ghost

This one is called 'Sit Here!'

'Tribute to Shorty Harris' (Shorty was the prospector that discovered gold in these parts.)

Ruins of the Overbury building. Built in 1907 it was a bank and commercial building. It had electric lights and indoor plumbing.

This is the Cook Bank Building ruins. In addition to electric lights it had steam heating and marble floors.

One of the most photographed buildings in these parts.

Recognize it? It was on my computer screensaver.

The train depot

The 'Bottle House' built in 1905 by Tom Kelley. He built three of them and auctioned them off.

Back on the highway we turned off a few miles later onto the Titus Canyon road. This is a 30 mile gravel road that is mostly one-way due to the very narrow sections in the pass area and again through the canyon. The road starts out as a typical desert road. Lots of rough sections, rocks and dusty. You can make about 20 mph at the start but soon you are down to 10 mph and then 5 and then maybe 1 mph. They say to allow 3 hours to make the 30 mile drive. It took us at least that much time.

The road starts out nice and wide, but a bit rough.

Most of the road passes through Death Valley National Park.

Very colorful.

Great views

The road starts to wind up into the hills.

Some modern day prospectors. Investigating an abandoned mine shaft.

About half way through you come upon the tiny ghost town of Goldfield. This town was formed in August of 1926 and lasted until the following February. A very short timeline and was established based solely on rumors of gold.

Lots of photographers at Leadville.

These guys are serious.

The last half of the road is mostly downhill and follows a wash through the narrow Titus Canyon.

Wavy rock sculpture. This area was the subject of major geologic plate shifts in the ancient past but still visible today.

The road goes through that rock wall somehow.

Holes in the rock are evidence of water and wind erosion.

You can see the waterfall path.

Another mine entrance.

Lots of water erosion.

The 'exit' from the canyon.

Another truck exiting the canyon.

Once you clear the last of the road you exit into Death Valley in all it's splendor. Wild flowers greeted us in the parking lot. It's like you entered a new world. I think a better name for this wonderful area would be Wow! Valley. We used that term a lot this week. The temperature was about 10 degrees warmer and the flora was unlike anything on the Nevada side on the Grapevine Mountains.

The very beautiful Desert Five Spot flower.

Beautiful features, so delicate. See that tiny spot to the right of the bottom red feature? See below......

.....it's a tiny red spider.

Another very pretty flower........

.....with a tiny spider. Hard to see but he has a fly in his clutches.

We headed into the heart of Death Valley and drove to Stovepipe Wells. There is a general store, motel, bar and visitor center here as well as a campground.

Looks like one big chocolate sundae!

Mesquite trees growing out of the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells townsite.

The general store at Stovepipe Wells.

The motel

Old air compressor used in the mines.

Burned Wagons Point. Commemorating a group that stumbled into Death Valley in 1849. They were stuck here for many weeks trying to find a route out.

Campground at Stovepipe Wells.

The desert!

You can see a long way!

Heading up into the hills and out of Death Valley.

It was getting late in the afternoon so we made our way south and then east out of Death (Wow) Valley. We definitely have more to see so we'll plan another trip in a few days.
.....and that was Our View From Here!