59°F
weather icon Clear

Friendly Austin plays up its 19th-century charm

Austin once reigned as queen of the Central Nevada mining towns. Today the friendly little town lures visitors by trading upon its past, its location on U.S. Highway 50, nearby recreational attractions and locally mined gemstones.

Located near the center of the Silver State, Austin straddles U.S. 50, the so-called “loneliest road in America.” It sits atop a mountain summit, a spot that only a mining town would occupy. Its location ensures fine overviews of nearby mountains and valleys.

The old town lies 326 miles from Las Vegas. Follow U.S. Highway 95 northwest from Las Vegas to Tonopah. Travel east five miles on U.S. Highway 6 to reach the junction with state Route 376.

Follow this scenic highway north nearly 100 miles through Smoky Valley. Lofty mountain ranges rise on both sides of the valley. Side roads access ghost towns, hot springs and mountain canyons cut by fishing streams. It is a popular area for off-road adventures, challenging hikes and high-country exploration.

At the junction with U.S. 50, turn west and drive 12 miles to reach Austin, climbing two summits and passing a forest service campground, the closest of three public camping areas near Austin.

The 1862 discovery of silver ore in Pony Canyon just west of the future Austin town site sparked a boom that rivaled the excitement of the Comstock Lode a few years earlier around Virginia City. The new area near the Reese River drew thousands of fortune hunters. Dozens of camps sprang up as prospectors fanned out over Central Nevada. Almost all of them are ghost towns today.

Many were drawn to Austin, rapidly swelling its population to 10,000. Substantial stone and brick soon replaced the early wood and canvas structures.

As long as the mines were profitable, the town prospered. By the time the narrow-gauge Nevada Central Railroad reached Austin in 1880, the mines were yielding millions in silver. But by 1886, the narrow veins of silver began to play out. Large-scale mining ceased by 1911. Smaller mines and mills continued to work well into the new century.

Austin refuses to join the ranks of Nevada’s many ghost towns, although its population is now about 200. Its location along U.S. 50 keeps traffic moving through, pausing for fuel at a couple of service stations, food at three restaurants and overnight accommodations at three modest motels, a bed-and-breakfast and two RV parks.

Austin plays up its early Nevada history and 19th-century charm. Many of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the courthouse, four early churches and the International Hotel, originally built in Virginia City and moved to Austin, which houses one of the restaurants. The most unusual surviving residence is the three-story Stokes Castle in the canyon west of town, built of stone in 1897 by a wealthy mine investor and occupied as a family retreat for just one month.

Many historic buildings downtown have been repurposed. The Gridley Store is now a museum. Others house interesting shops featuring rocks, bottles, jewelry and gemstones, especially turquoise. Surrounded by turquoise mines, Austin is emerging as Nevada’s unofficial turquoise jewelry capital.

Margo Bartlett Pesek’s Trip of the Week column appears on Sundays.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Hike, bird-watch, shop, nibble at China Ranch Date Farm

A verdant oasis hidden in a secluded canyon, China Ranch Date Farm near Death Valley National Park is an excellent cool-seasondestination.

Utah ghost town is rich in pioneer history

Surrounded by serene pastures and stately groves of trees with the soaring cliffs of Zion National Park for a beautiful backdrop, tiny Grafton ghost town invites visitors to step into its pioneer past.

Bring home priceless memories on a Christmas tree cutting adventure

If you’re pining for a freshly cut Christmas tree this holiday season, you could go to one of the pop-up, tented tree lots that dot the Las Vegas Valley this time of year. But if you’re feeling more adventurous, you could round up the family and make a day of it by traveling to more forested parts of Nevada, as well as Utah, Arizona and California, to search for a perfect tree to harvest yourselves.

Holiday trains make for memorable excursions in Southern Nevada

Southern Nevadan families seeking special experiences for their youngsters should consider a holiday train ride. Long after memories of other holidays fade, most children fondly recall the year they rode the train with Santa.

Now is the best time of year to visit Death Valley

The hottest, driest and lowest national park, Death Valley is well-known for its blistering summer temperatures. For that reason, the best time of year to visit is what’s considered the offseason in most other parks: mid-October to mid-May.

Side road through Moapa Valley leads to scenery, history

Autumn is a prime time to explore Southern Nevada’s side roads into places bypassed by our busy freeways and major highways. State Route 169 through Moapa Valley provides just such an enjoyable drive.

Beatty Days festival salutes town’s history

The three-day event, planned for Nevada Day weekend, celebrates Beatty’s founding in the early 1900s and its heritage of mining and ranching. It draws hundreds of visitors to the community of about 1,200 people located 115 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Fall is a fine time to visit Spring Mountain Ranch

Mellow autumn days linger late in the season at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park in the scenic Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area west of Las Vegas.