"Blair is one of those places that makes you thirsty just being out here. Too bad the nearest watering hole is seventy miles away. Cold can of Pepsi for the win." -- July 2008

Along SR 265, 2.4 miles N of Silver Peak

Esmeralda
37.787740, -117.636594

Original Date Visited: 7/14/08
Signed: One original cut-out shield (severely faded) on the southbound lane of SR 265

Notes: This one sits a fairly good distance away from the beaten path of US 6/95. The problem isn't so much the mileage but the remoteness of the general area. For some reason NDOT forgot to supply SR 265 with any mileage signs upon turning off at 6/95, so there is nothing telling you that it's a 40-mile round trip to and from Silver Peak! Turn up the music and carry on for about 20 minutes (approximately 25 miles) to lonely Marker 174. Bring everything but the kitchen sink when you visit the remote goodness of central Nevada.

Here's what you'll see!

Exact Description:
Mining fever in the Tonopah boom reached out in all directions and revived many dormant mining towns. Land speculators at nearby Silver Peak bought up the land in that area and jacked the land prices so high that the 100-stamp mill planned at Silver Peak was built 1 1/2 miles west of here to become the hub of Blair.

The Pittsburg-Silver Peak Gold Mining Company built the 17 1/2-mile Silver Peak Railroad running north in 1906 and the big mill (Nevada's largest in its day) in 1907.

The remnants of stone buildings and mill foundations are the only remains of a once-thriving, but short-lived, mining town.

By 1920, Blair was all but deserted.

Visiting Blair

Blair is one of the more rewarding ghost towns you can visit in the state, hence its sudden popularity in the recent decade! Turn right at the dirt road just before the marker to visit Blair. (You'll find this road immediately past the signage for Marker 174.) Follow the road for a short 1/2-mile up the bajada and stay awhile to walk around the extensive mill and soak in that view!

A word of note though? Refrain from using any of the immediate jeep trails encircling the mill and townsite. These paths have nails, pointed rocks and other hidden nasties that will eat up tires. Pop a tire out here and it'll likely be a half-day to a full-day, (and a few thousands bucks) to get towed out of here.