Nelson, Goodsprings and the Ghost Towns Hiding Just Outside Las Vegas
In January 1942, Clark Gable sat inside the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada, waiting for news of a plane crash in the Spring Mountains. His wife, actress Carole Lombard, had been aboard TWA Flight 3 — returning from a war-bond tour — when it slammed into Mount Potosi, killing all 22 people on board. Gable stayed at that saloon for two days. The bullet holes in the pressed-tin ceiling were already there.
That saloon still stands. So does the mine. Nelson, Goodsprings and the ghost towns hiding just outside Las Vegas are among the most historically loaded places in Nevada — and most valley residents have never made the drive.
Eldorado Canyon and the Techatticup Mine
About 45 minutes south of the Strip, the road drops into Eldorado Canyon along the Colorado River and delivers you to what was once one of Nevada's most violent and productive gold mines. The Techatticup Mine dates to the early 1860s — pre-statehood Nevada — when Union and Confederate soldiers both worked the same canyon, sometimes settling disputes with something other than paperwork.
Gold, silver, copper, and lead came out of Techatticup for decades. So did a string of murders, claim jumpers, and at least one documented case of a miner killing his own partner over a disputed vein. The canyon changed ownership repeatedly, and by the 20th century it had produced millions in ore and a reputation that kept people from lingering after dark.
Today the property operates as a guided tour stop and filming location — you'll recognize it from music videos, commercials, and more than a few film shoots that needed an authentic desert ghost-town backdrop. Rusted mining equipment, original stone structures, and equipment scattered across the canyon floor make it one of the most photogenic spots in greater Clark County. The tour is informal, the guides know their history, and the canyon itself — slot walls dropping to the river — is worth the trip on its own.
Nelson, Goodsprings and the ghost towns hiding just outside Las Vegas don't require a passport or a permit. Most just require knowing they exist.
Goodsprings and the Pioneer Saloon
Goodsprings sits about 35 miles southwest of Las Vegas, just past Jean on I-15 and then west into the desert. In its mining heyday, around 1915, it had a population of nearly 800 people, a school, a hotel, and enough lead-zinc ore coming out of the Yellow Pine Mine to matter on national commodity markets.
What remains is a small unincorporated community and the Pioneer Saloon, which opened in 1913 and has been serving drinks more or less continuously since. The building is constructed from pressed metal panels — a prefabricated style common to remote mining towns of the era because the materials could be shipped by rail and assembled without skilled labor. The bar inside is original. The bullet holes in the walls are real, attributed to a 1915 altercation that did not end well for the man who started it.
The Carole Lombard connection is documented history, not legend. Flight 3's crash site on Mount Potosi is still accessible to experienced hikers, and the wreckage remains scattered across the slope. Gable reportedly refused to believe she was gone until a recovery team confirmed it. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces shortly after.
The Pioneer Saloon serves food and cold drinks today. On weekends, it draws a steady crowd of motorcyclists, hikers, and curious Henderson and Las Vegas residents who've finally heard the story and made the drive.
Why It Matters Today
Las Vegas has a reputation for erasure — buildings demolished, histories paved over, the past treated as an obstacle to whatever's being built next. That makes places like Nelson and Goodsprings genuinely rare: intact, accessible, and still telling their original stories.
For anyone living in the valley, these sites are the kind of discovery that reframes the region. The Mojave Desert around Las Vegas was a working landscape long before Howard Hughes bought the Desert Inn or the first master-planned community broke ground in Summerlin. Mining camps, railroad stops, and canyon outposts were Nevada's original economy — and the physical evidence of that era is still sitting in the hills, 45 minutes from a casino buffet.
If you're newer to the valley and still orienting yourself to what the region actually is beyond the Strip, this is a worthwhile Saturday. Head south on US-95 toward Searchlight and turn toward the river. Or take I-15 toward Jean and cut west to Goodsprings. Neither road is complicated. Both pay off.
Kirby Scofield has been navigating this valley — the famous parts and the forgotten ones — for years. If you ever want to talk about the communities, the history, or the real estate, the conversation's always open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is the Techatticup Mine in Nelson from the Las Vegas Strip?
The Techatticup Mine in Eldorado Canyon is approximately 45 miles from the Strip — roughly a 45-minute drive south on US-95 toward Searchlight, then east toward the Colorado River. It's a manageable day trip with no special vehicle required on the main access road.
Is the Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings really that old, and is it open to the public?
Yes — the Pioneer Saloon opened in 1913 and is open to the public today as a functioning bar and restaurant. It's located in Goodsprings, Nevada, about 35 miles southwest of Las Vegas off I-15. Hours vary, so checking ahead before you drive out is worth the 30 seconds.
Are there other ghost towns near Las Vegas worth visiting?
Several. Rhyolite, near Beatty on the edge of Death Valley, is one of the most photogenic — including the famous Bottle House. Searchlight, Nevada has its own mining history and a small museum. And the St. Thomas townsite in Lake Mead National Recreation Area surfaces during drought years when the reservoir drops, offering a genuinely eerie look at a community drowned by Hoover Dam's reservoir in the late 1930s.