Riders in Nevada: More on Beatty, Rhyolite and Death Valley Re-visited!

We certainly have timed our travels right! While in Beatty, April 4-7th, we spent a morning visiting Rhyolite, then drove on down to Death Valley, Stovepipe Wells to be exact, just because we could! And we read that the Beatty entrance to Death Valley was the "most spectacular" which of course we had to "test".  We found the drive interesting, the view of the valley was picturesque--but we are still partial to our first visit, the drive from Pahrump on Bell Vista and on into Death Valley we found to be truly spectacular. But we wanted to stop in Beatty so we could visit the ghost town of Rhyolite. Beatty is billed as the "Gateway to Death Valley" with the temperature normally about 20 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. The morning we drove to Rhyolite, it was windy and chilly.  We ate our picnic lunch at picnic tables in the shade at the store in Stovepipe Wells where we shed our vests and long sleeve shirts....! It was 80 at Stovepipe Wells that day. A couple of days later it reached 100 degrees on the valley floor!  Great timing, you think?! Of course we were hot at 80 degrees in Beatty....! 

We really enjoyed our visit to Rhyolite. Reports of gold of course brought the people in where at one time the population was estimated to be between 8,000 and 12,000. Three railroads serviced the town. But it was not to be. The town was founded in 1904 with electricity available by 1907. The financial panic hit the town in 1908, then the mines began playing out, so by 1910 the population was down to under 1,000.  

Nevada's gold rush of 1904 to 1907 was centered in three towns on our route along US 95:  Rhyolite on the south, Tonopah in the middle, and Goldfield to the north. We especially enjoyed traveling through Goldfield, and will definitely return to explore this area more:  Goldfield and Hawthorne!

The sign as you drive into Rhyolite. See the "ghost structures" behind the sign?

We spent about an hour walking around, taking pictures and carefully watching for snakes! We had the Corgis with us, so walking was limited. There are lots of opportunities for hiking the area, with the proper preparation. We did notice that we stayed the longest of the visitors there that day. 

A two story school was built AFTER the first one to house the children....just before the "bust". 

The school from the side, showing the steps to the 2nd floor.

Vault in one of the bank buildings

Another bank building--TWO doors to the vault!

General Store

Railroad Station

We left Rhyolite, with a stop, through dead reckoning, to visit the cemetery.

We enjoyed the drive, deciding that if at all possible, we would rather NOT take the motor home this way....but we did enjoy the view coming down and when we reached the floor of the valley.

View of the valley from the Beatty Entrance to Death Valley

We enjoyed it as we had already seen it all "close up".....if you have not yet had the experience of visiting Death Valley, you have got to go!

We have much more to "catch up on".....so stay tuned! We are enjoying being just south of Carson City, surrounded (almost!) by snow capped mountains!

Roving Riders, SWIRVIN on down the road!