Entry No. 49 — the Las Vegas file — filed under: ruins
Old Pope Mine
The Old Pope Mine is a defunct prospecting site located in the rugged Black Mountains of Mohave County, Arizona, within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Little is documented about its active years, but it represents early 20th-century desert prospecting efforts in the region. Today, very little physical evidence remains aside from a few shallow shafts containing rickety, dangerous wooden ladders and minor debris.
The story
At an elevation of 3,415 feet in the rugged Black Mountains of Mohave County, the Old Pope Mine is a ghost even among ghost sites. Even National Park Service historical surveys concede that almost nothing was documented about who dug these holes or what they were after during the early 20th-century desert prospecting boom. Whoever worked this patch of Arizona ground packed up and left without leaving much of a paper trail behind.
What remains inside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area today is raw, unvarnished desert ruin. A short walk northeast from the trail high point brings you to what's left of the surface workings: shallow, unfenced vertical shafts dropping into the earth, decaying wooden ladders rotting in the dark, and scattered remnants of rusted metal debris.
What it's like
To get anywhere near the site, you'll need a high-clearance vehicle capable of negotiating unpaved dirt tracks like the Indian Pass Overlook route. Physical entry into the mine is strictly off-limits—the shafts are open, completely unfenced, and the rickety ladders look ready to splinter if you so much as breathe on them. Stay on solid ground, take in the wide-open Mohave silence, and scan the western horizon: on a clear day, you can spot the surreal, tiny outline of the Las Vegas Strip sitting clear across the desert floor.
The move: Drive up the scenic Indian Pass Overlook trail in a high-clearance vehicle to enjoy panoramic views of Lake Mead and the distant Las Vegas Strip, then take a short walk to photograph the surrounding desert landscape and the historic mine's surface area from a safe distance.
📍 Before you go The site is located on public land within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, but the mine itself features dangerous, unfenced vertical shafts and unstable, decaying wooden ladders, making physical entry strictly off-limits for safety.
- 📍 Old Pope Mine
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Old Pope Mine, Arizona 86443, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Ore Car Mine — Double down on forgotten desert diggings by hiking out to this 1920s borax mine adit located near Anniversary Narrows.
- Boulder Dam Hotel — Head into Boulder City after off-roading to dust yourself off at the 1933 hotel built for Hoover Dam VIPs and early regional travelers.
- Frenchman Mine — Compare real prospector ruins with the site of a notorious 1907 mining stock scam on the edge of Sunrise Manor.
Good to know
Can I go inside or climb down into the mine shafts?
No. The vertical shafts are unfenced, unstable, and contain decaying wooden ladders. Physical entry is extremely dangerous and strictly off-limits; view everything from a safe distance on the surface.
What kind of vehicle do I need to get there?
You will need a high-clearance vehicle to handle the rough desert terrain and unpaved trails leading up through the Black Mountains.
Are there any visitor services or guide signs at the site?
None at all. The site sits on public land within Lake Mead National Recreation Area without staffing, fences, restored structures, or formal park signage.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: arizonahighways.com · onxmaps.com · npshistory.com · yellowmaps.com
last checked: 2026-07-20