Extraterrestrial Highway
Ghost Town of Tybo, NV

Many ore discoveries were made in the Hot Creek Range in 1866, and the first major discovery in Tybo was made by American Indians in 1870. In 1874 a small camp was established, and by 1875 Tybo Consolidated Mining Company was founded by several of the larger mines. Soon it controlled the whole town, and by 1876 Tybo was booming. The population reached 1,000, and businesses opened, including stores, saloons, restaurants, a hotel, a blacksmith, a school, a post office, a bank, and a newspaper.

The town started out calm, but ran into numerous racial difficulties between the Irish, Cornish, Central Europeans, and Chinese who lived there. In 1880, the mining company failed due to difficulties in ore reduction, and by the end of 1881 the population had dwindled to less than 100 people. Various mining companies tried to reopen the mines, but all failed within a few years.

What remains of Tybo is easily accessible from the road. Some of the buildings are in pretty good condition, especially the old general store. It is a wooden building with a brick front. Most of the mines are scattered across the hillsides and require hikes to reach them. One still has the headworks of a more recent mine, along with several old buildings and mining machinery.