[Lee Stewart]

One of Nevada's largest ghost towns, Rhyolite, was once the third-largest city in the state. Formed during the Gold Rush in 1904, it grew to be a bustling town of more than 10,000 people with an infamous red light district, 50 saloons, hotels, an opera house and symphony, a school for 250 children, a hospital, and even its own stock exchange with a three-story bank. The Death Valley area town was also known for its lively nightlife, and socializing at sporting events and dances were common.



Like many Gold Rush towns, it lived fast and died young. By 1916, the town was deserted. It's been abandoned for more than a century, but you'll still find the remains of its bank, jail, train depot, and a restored Bottle House (made from 50,000 glass beer bottle bottoms, of which the desert town had a steady supply). Over the years, it's also been restored many times for Western films.