Venture into the heart of the desert and relax for a few days in and around Beatty, Nevada. Discover its gold rush-era ancestry and small-town charm. It even has authentic all-American diners. Head out into the dusty fringes of the town in search of long-abandoned ghost towns and bizarre art sculptures.
Beatty dates back to 1904, when it was the railroad service center for the Bullfrog Mining District. Trains laden with gold and prospectors shuttled through the town on their way to and from nearby Rhyolite, a booming gold town with a short but influential life. Rhyolite is today a ghost town, offering a fascinating daytrip from Beatty. Wander around the crumbling buildings and look for Tom Kelly’s Bottle House, made completely from glass liquor and beer bottles.
Beatty is a small town with a nostalgic, friendly atmosphere. It is often used as a jumping-off point to the great Death Valley National Park, yet the city itself has plenty to keep you amused for a few days. Visit the Beatty Museum and learn about life for gold miners in the 1900s or hunker down in one of the town’s cafés or diners and get to know the locals. Bathe in the warm waters of Bailey’s Hot Springs on the outskirts of town. The springs are housed in a railroad depot built in 1905. Today, they offer private bathhouses that provide the perfect place to relax.
For a surreal experience, drive to the Goldwell Open Air Museum to see vast sculptures standing in the middle of the remote desert. Albert Szukalski's Last Supper is the most renowned of the pieces. This arresting work of art depicts eerie life-sized figures posed like the characters in da Vinci’s famous fresco.
Beatty is located in the Amargosa Desert, less than a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas. Before you head into Death Valley National Park, be sure to spend some time exploring this special little town.
