Nelson, Nevada: Tour a Gold Mine Still Gold-Lined
Techatticup Mine claims to be southern NV's oldest, richest, and most famous gold mine. Operated until 1942, $1 million in gold there still too costly to mine. Ghost town attraction includes mine tour, old buildings, crashed plane from 2001 movie "3000 Miles From Graceland."
Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours
- Address:
- 16880 NV-165, Nelson, NV
- Directions:
- Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours. From US Hwy 93, exit on US Hwy 95 south toward Searchlight/Needles. Drive south ten miles. Turn left onto Hwy 165. Drive 13 miles to the mine. Look for what looks like an old Texaco station on your left. Roads are narrow and winding; keep to just under the speed limit. Full tank of gas a must.
- Hours:
- Daily tours at 9, 12, 2, by appt only. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 702-291-0026
- Admission:
- Adults $12.50
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Results 1 to 5 of 5...
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We drove off-the-beaten-path to find this little gem. Park at the General Store and it's $1 per person. We donated $10 and walked around the entire area. Lots of old cars, trucks, buses, and bikes. A junk yard of cool stuff.
[Rose Howe, 03/14/2021]Lots of antique vehicles and interesting old buildings. Nothing like it around. It's just past the town of Nelson, and 39 miles from Searchlight. Everything says Searchlight because they deliver the mail. There's a carcass of a coyote and a cat by the door of the store.
[Bobbie Werly, 04/25/2019]
Plan on spending at least two to three hours exploring all they have to offer. Call ahead to make sure you can get on one of the tours the day you are planning to visit. Bruce was our tour guide of the mine and other areas and was a wealth of knowledge about the place and area.
[Bruce K, 09/12/2017]Lots of history here and rustic scenery, including an old, exploded plane [which appeared in the movie 3000 Miles To Graceland]! I'm a HUGE roadside America user and this was truly up there with the best.
[Jason, 02/01/2011]Nevada is dotted with many ghost towns, but where else can you find a ghost MINE? The Historical Techatticup Mining Camp in Nelson, Nevada (about a 1 hour drive from Boulder City), offers an entertaining one-hour tour of the mine, complete with full detail about the local history of the area when it was known as Nelson's Landing, one of the largest ports on the Colorado, and a town so lawless, many sheriffs refused to go there! Reservations are recommended, and there is a two person minimum, so call for an appointment ahead of time. The mine is part of Colorado River Tours. Because of the physical nature of the area, you'll have to sign a release form before you go on the tour. Also, the buildings were used for the film "3,000 Miles to Graceland", in the scene where the Lucky Strike gas station blows up (Props from the movie can be seen in a barn on the grounds). Canoe and kayak tours also available.
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The former Techatticup mining camp in Eldorado Canyon contains old buildings, a museum of sorts, and a mine that still harbors over a million in gold -- but the cost to remove it would probably exceed its value.