Delamar Ghost Town ~ Nevada

00:00     Title
00:17     Delamar Dry Lake
02:07     Delamar Ghost Town
13:17     Oak Springs Trilobite Site
15:33     Fin

Delamar, Nevada definitely is an old mining camp ghost town that is well worth experiencing. There are two ways to get to Delamar. Light duty vehicles will have an easier time starting the trek at the intersection of Highway 93 and Delamar Road (aka Delmar Road) near Caliente. The Oak Springs Trilobite Site is next to this intersection, so it is easy to find.

The other option for getting to Delamar is better suited for high ground clearance 4x4 vehicles and this route is pictured in this video. Starting at Highway 93 in Alamo, Nevada, Alamo Canyon Road first goes through an ancient bolide impact site that is fascinating to see. Picturesque desert mountain scenery soon follows on the way to Delamar Dry Lake. This vast dry lake once was an emergency landing strip for the Area 51 X-15 project and it is very photogenic. 

From Delamar Dry Lake, the dirt road follows the power lines north to an old mining camp side road to Delamar. North Fork Cedar Wash Road is the one to look for and there is signage. This road is rough and there are lots of sharp metal objects, since this part of Delamar was likely an old dump. Thick tire treads are a real plus for taking the back way into Delamar. 

Upon arrival, the full scope of Delamar can be seen and this is a very large hillside mining site. There are picturesque views of the infamous Widowmaker Mine from this end of town that are well worth taking in. Gold was first discovered at the Delamar site way back in the late 1880s and the mine soon became the top ore producing site in Nevada. An ample amount of modern infrastructure was set in place and local materials were used to construct many of the buildings. Several of the old rock and cement mortar walls still stand tall, but most of the buildings have deteriorated beyond recognition. There is old rusty metal scrap everywhere and each object has a story to tell. 

Delamar was a very busy mining camp up until the year 1900 when a fire destroyed most of the town. Delamar was rebuilt even better than before and the mining operations soon expanded. The mother lode eventually dried up by 1909 and this was when many of the residents began heading for new horizons. A steadfast community remained and a rebirth of Delamar took place in the mid 1900s, but sustainability became an issue and the settlement was finally completely abandoned.

The “Widowmaker” reputation of Delamar was well known and the moniker actually had nothing to do with mining accidents. It instead referred to intense silicosis that affected the entire community. The gold deposits in the mines were locked in quartzite, which turns into a deadly fine dust when drilled, blasted or milled. The resulting illness made the Widowmaker nickname more famous than the original name of the town. For this reason, it is best to pack a dust mask for Delamar Ghost Town if windy conditions are forecasted. Other than this disclaimer, Delamar is a great place for a family day trip and old west history buffs will certainly be entertained.