maaachuuun
St. Thomas ghost town in Nevada
The beginning of the 2.5 mile Loop Tail hike. You can make out the remains of a wall (not the building, just a wall remains) and foundation in the distance.
Founded in 1865 by Mormon settlers who mistakenly thought they were still in Arizona/Utah.
It was abandoned in 1871 when Nevada officials demanded 5 years worth of back taxes.
The Mormons instead choose to burn down their homes and leave without paying the taxes.
When the Mormons left others took up resident there in the 1880's.
With the construction of Hoover Dam, the resulting rise in the waters of the Colorado caused the Muddy River along St. Thomas to also overflow and forced them to abandon the town in 1938 . At one point St. Thomas was covered by more then 60 feet of water. It wasn't until the severe drought in 2002 which lowered the water level in Lake Mead that the town of St. Thomas became accessible again.
If you visit the Hoover Dam you can see the results of the drought by looking at where the water line used to be on the dam and the surrounding mountains upstream of the dam.
St. Thomas is in Moapa Valley East of the Valley of Fire State Park.
DSC_3578_79_80_81_tonemapped flat 2
St. Thomas ghost town in Nevada
The beginning of the 2.5 mile Loop Tail hike. You can make out the remains of a wall (not the building, just a wall remains) and foundation in the distance.
Founded in 1865 by Mormon settlers who mistakenly thought they were still in Arizona/Utah.
It was abandoned in 1871 when Nevada officials demanded 5 years worth of back taxes.
The Mormons instead choose to burn down their homes and leave without paying the taxes.
When the Mormons left others took up resident there in the 1880's.
With the construction of Hoover Dam, the resulting rise in the waters of the Colorado caused the Muddy River along St. Thomas to also overflow and forced them to abandon the town in 1938 . At one point St. Thomas was covered by more then 60 feet of water. It wasn't until the severe drought in 2002 which lowered the water level in Lake Mead that the town of St. Thomas became accessible again.
If you visit the Hoover Dam you can see the results of the drought by looking at where the water line used to be on the dam and the surrounding mountains upstream of the dam.
St. Thomas is in Moapa Valley East of the Valley of Fire State Park.
DSC_3578_79_80_81_tonemapped flat 2