The town of Bullfrog was founded in 1905 and initially competed with Rhyolite for business. By 1906, Rhyolite had won. Most of Bullfrogs businesses were hauled up to Rhyolite, but several houses remained in Bullfrog. Bullfrog's post office remained open until 1909, but by then, the town was little more than a memory.
To travel to Gold Bar, stay on the gravel road that took you to Bullfrog. Go down this trail for 1 mile, then veer right on the next gravel trail. Proceed northwest on this trail for about 3 miles. Gold Bar is located inside the Death Valley National Park boundary; there you will need to engage four-wheel drive.
Gold Bar was founded in 1905 to support mining in the Bullfrog district. It didn't last long, though, due to competition from the other larger towns. It quickly faded into history. Today you can find a variety of foundations and ruins.
Once you're done exploring this area, head back to highway 374 by Rhyolite and travel east back to Beatty. Turn onto US 95 and head north for approximately 10 miles. At this point, turn west on a dirt trail located at 37 10' 59 N/116 47' 00 W. After about 100 feet, you'll find the town of Springdale.
This town popped up in 1906 when the Bullfrog Goldfield railroad was being built. It contained a section house that provided water for the train. It also hosted four saloons, a red light district, a hotel, a post office, several restaurants, and a livery stable. As the nearby mining town of Pioneer started to decline in 1911, so did Springdale. By 1912, the post office had closed. A gas station operated here to serve the traffic on US 95 until the new US 95 bypassed the station in 1958; the station was then abandoned.
Today, there are still a few buildings on a ranch in the area. As you explore, you'll find things such as foundations, rusted can piles, and rock walls. From here, travel southwest on the same dirt trail for 2-1/2 miles to the town of Pioneer (37 00' 19" N/116 47' 00" W).
Pioneer was founded in 1907 with the discovery of gold at the Pioneer gold mine. The town immediately began to fill up with small businesses, most of which were branches of businesses from nearby Rhyolite or Beatty. By 1909, Pioneer had two newspapers, a post office, and was the place most often talked about in Las Vegas. But in May of 1909, a fire broke out and, fueled by the high winds, consumed most of the wooden buildings in town. The town was partially rebuilt and, in 1913, the Pioneer mine installed a mill for processing local ore. But the town never really recovered from the fire. The Pioneer gold mine finally closed in the '40s and the town slipped into the past. Today, you can still find some mines, a couple of 10-stamp mills, and several foundations.
From here it's time to head back to Silverdale and US 95. Once you get to US 95, head south to the town of Beatty. Nine miles past Beatty, turn left (east) onto a dirt trail. You'll see buildings marking the town of Carrara in the distance. It's located at 36 48' 00" N/116 43' 00" W. The town of Carrara was established in 1913 by the American Carrara Marble Company and was intended to be a focal point for people working in the quarries in Carrara Canyon. The marble quarried in this area was known worldwide for its natural beauty, but by 1917, the sales of marble were slipping, and by 1924, the town had dried up.
Today, all that remains are foundations and the road to the quarry. However, just 1-1/2 miles to the north is a large concrete structure that belonged to a cement company established here in 1936. Interestingly, the company abandoned the site before production ever began.