4x4 Trails - Naveda Ghost Towns

Once you're done exploring this area, travel back to US 95 and head south again. This time you will be traveling on US 95 for a few miles. About 15 miles south of Armagosa Valley, turn right and travel south on highway 160 toward Pahrump. After about 13 miles you'll find a dirt trail near some power lines that will take you east. This is the beginning of the trail. If you keep your eyes open, you'll spot some of the wild burro herds that roam this area.

You will definitely need to engage your four-wheel drive here. The trail consists of a lot of loose rock, some off-camber sections, and some steep hill climbs. The main encampment is located at 36 27' 10" N/116 03' 57" W. This is the first mine situated around the town of Johnnie. From here, you can explore buildings and ruins in the area. In the distance, you'll be able to see the Johnnie and Labbe mines and the Labbe stamp mill (36 27' 06" N/116 03' 42" W). These two mines and the mill are located on posted private property and should be viewed only from a distance. The owners still work these mines occasionally.

Once you're done exploring the mining area around Johnnie, it's time to see the remains of the town itself. For this you need to take the trail back to Hwy. 160 and then head south. After about 1 mile, you'll see a sign marking the town of Johnnie; turn west onto the trail. The original town of Johnnie is located at 36 25' 15" N/116 04' 18" W.

The area around Johnnie was mined by prospectors as early as the 1880s, and in the early 1890s, substantial gold veins were finally struck. By the end of 1891, the town of Montgomery had come to life with stores, houses, and a post office. By 1893, though, the gold veins had proven to be shallow, and the miners started heading to more promising areas. In 1898, a group of capitalists from Utah purchased the original Johnnie and Congress mines, and by 1904, the Johnnie area was seeing new growth. In 1905, a post office opened and the new town site of Johnnie was plotted in a flat central to the mines. By 1907, the town was home to more than 300 people. It was also the home of several saloons, stores, restaurants, a hotel, and a daily stage to Armagosa. The Johnnie mine and mill ran at full strength until 1914. After that, production was off and on. World War II finally forced the mine and post office to shut down in 1942.

Today, there are still a couple of houses around the mine, and the town itself is still occupied. Everything else has been abandoned. The Congress mine can be located at 36 24' 54" N/116 04' 29" W, and more old ruins can be found at 36 27' 10" N/116 03' 57" W. As you explore the trails in this area, you will find all kinds of old artifacts that are worth investigating.

When your adventures are done, head back to highway 160, then travel north to US 95. From there, you can either head north to Armagosa Valley or south to Indian Springs.

There is still more exploring to be done.