ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS (TM): SILVER, SILVER, AND MORE SILVER

Taking a break today from our posts about our Adventures near Beatty, NV. We will return to our Adventures in Beatty shortly, but meanwhile, here is an article we published in the Quartzsite Newspaper. In our last column in the Desert Messenger, we took you to Grimes Point Archeological Area, near Fallon, NV. And now we head southbound, on Hwy 95 from Fallon to Tonopah. There is about 175 miles of desert between the two, and if you don’t want to make the drive all at once, there are a couple of pretty places to stop about midway. My favorite is Walker Lake- a picturesque desert lake with mountains and canyons all around it. There are a couple of nice campgrounds down by the shoreline, and if you are a boater, this could be paradise for a day or two. But don’t stay too long, because there is still so much to see and do along this route.

The Mizpah Headframe

Tailings Piles at the Silver Top

Silver Bars Mined & Refined in Tonopah
Waiting to Be Shipped Out

Tonopah, NV is a fairly decent-sized town, as far as desert towns go. Some interesting neighborhoods and historic buildings round out the experience of this town, but the biggest attraction is Tonopah’s mining history. Tonopah was once a booming center of silver production in this part of Nevada. From 1900 to 1921, the mines at Tonopah produced 138 million ounces of silver and 1.5 million ounces of gold.

THREE WAYS TO EXPLORE THE MINING HISTORY OF TONOPAH

There are three ways to explore the mining history of Tonopah: take a 4-wheel drive trip out into the desert behind Tonopah, visit the Central Nevada Museum, and spend the day at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. If you only have time to do one of those things, then definitely choose the Mining Park. It takes an entire day to see all of it, and it is well worth it. Be prepared to do alot of walking outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes and take water and snacks. Get there early so you can take your time.

Part of the Original
Hand-DugMine

Portion of the Hand-Dug
Mine

Begin at the Visitor Center to see the short movie about the Tonopah Mining District and the mines that are part of the Mining Park- the Mizpah, the Silver Top, the Desert Queen, and the Tonopah. The visitor center also has a really cool rock and mineral collection as well as a small museum of antique mining equipment and photos.

After the movie and some time in the museum you will head out onto the trails that wind around the property, amidst tailings piles, old tools, equipment, structures and debris. The Mining Park encompasses 100 acres and contains portions of four of the major mining companies that began the great rush to Tonopah in the early 1900’s and made it the “Queen of the Silver Camps”.

Storage Vault for Silver & Gold Bars

Many of the buildings and structures have been preserved or restored and are open for visitors to enjoy. The headframes for three of the mines are still standing, including the impressive headframe of the Mizpah mine which was the first in the country to be built of steel. There are overlooks into the some of the pits as well, plus engine rooms, storage buildings for explosives, a portion of the original railroad, and even vaults where the silver bars were stored awaiting shipment back east. A trail heading up the mountain leads to the Desert Queen headframe, huge tailings piles, ruins of the Tonopah mine and amazing views of the mining district and the town of Tonopah.

Ruins of a Mill & Refinery off Hwy 6

If you haven’t had enough after visiting the Mining Park, head east on Hwy 6 a couple of miles and you will see on the left the remains of an enormous ore processing plant. Turn left onto the dirt road, and you will see the front of the smelter, some more tailings, vaults, and remnants of other refinery buildings. There are 4-wheel drive roads to explore in the desert, too, where there are remains of more mines. Also, on the south side of town on 95 is the Central Nevada Museum, which houses antiquities, fossils and artifacts, more mining equipment, and cool little buildings from a mining camp.

Mining Camp Houses

A 3-D Model of Tonopah Montana
Mine at the Central Nevada Museum

Mock-Up Cross Section of the
Montana Mine at the Museum

We will have ore samples from the Tonopah Mining District at our booth located at A37 in Rice Ranch, starting in the beginning of November, or you can purchase online from our Website. Meanwhile, follow us here in the Desert Messenger and on Facebook for more exciting places to visit along Hwy 95 as you head to Quartzsite. Happy Travels!

For more information about the Tonopah Mining Park go to their website Tonopah Historic Mining Park. For more information on the Central Nevada Museum, visit their website.

For more photos of the mines we visited while we were traveling around Nevada, check out our photo albums on our Facebook Page- and while your there, Like Us!