Entry No. 44 — the Las Vegas file — filed under: abandoned mine
Sultan Mine
Located in the Goodsprings Mining District, the Sultan Mine was a productive lead, zinc, and silver operation active from the early 1900s through the 1950s. Today, the remote desert site features extensive tailings piles, crumbling wooden structures, and dangerous open shafts clinging to the slopes below Little Devil Peak. While the underground workings are highly unstable, the surface ruins offer a stark glimpse into Nevada's rugged mining history.
The story
Tucked against the steep slopes below Little Devil Peak in the Goodsprings Mining District, the Sultan Mine was once a steady producer in southern Nevada’s high-desert mineral rush. Active from the early 1900s straight through the 1950s, teams of miners gouged out tons of lead, zinc, and silver, along with lesser veins of copper and gold. When the profitable ore gave out, the machinery was stripped and the men moved on, leaving the desert to slowly break down what was left.
What remains today isn't a curated outdoor museum—it’s an unmonitored carcass of heavy extraction. Weathered timber framing clings precariously to the hillside, surrounded by grey tailings cascades that sweep down the washes. Beneath the dust sits a network of rotting subterranean shafts and treacherous pits, standing as a blunt reminder of how quickly the desert reclaims human ambition.
What it's like
Getting here requires navigating a rough, unmaintained dirt trail that will test lower-clearance street cars—a high-clearance 4x4 or dirt bike is the right call. Once you cut your engine near the tailings, the isolation hits immediately, paired with wide open views across the Sandy Valley basin toward the Spring Mountains. Stick strictly to the surface ruins and tailings piles for photography; the timber inside the shafts is decayed, the rock is notoriously loose, and the ground around the open openings is prone to slumping without warning.
The move: Take a rugged 4x4 drive up the unmaintained access road to park near the tailings, where you can safely photograph the weathered wooden ruins and enjoy panoramic desert views of the Spring Mountains from a safe distance.
📍 Before you go The mine is located on public BLM land and accessible via a rough 4x4 trail, but the underground shafts and structures are extremely unstable, hazardous, and off-limits for entry.
- 📍 Sandy Valley
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Sandy Valley, NV 89019, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Pioneer Saloon — After rattling your vehicle's suspension along the mine roads, head into Goodsprings to grab a cold drink inside a 1913 tin-walled saloon.
- Columbia Mine — Pair your trip with another nearby relic of the Goodsprings district to see how early 20th-century copper and lead operations laid out their camps.
- Azurite Mine — Extend your off-road loop around Sandy Valley by visiting this turn-of-the-century copper and gold site tucked into the Shenandoah slopes.
Good to know
How do I reach the Sultan Mine?
You'll need a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle or off-road vehicle to handle the rocky, unmaintained trail leading off Sandy Valley access routes.
Can you go inside the mine shafts?
No. The underground tunnels and open shafts are severely degraded, extremely unstable, and strictly off-limits due to fall and collapse hazards.
Is the Sultan Mine on public land?
Yes, the ruins sit on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the historic Goodsprings Mining District.
What metals did the mine produce?
Primary operations focused on pulling lead, zinc, and silver from the mountain, with secondary yields of copper and gold.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: westernmininghistory.com · onxoffroad.com · vegasunderworld.com · onxmaps.com
last checked: 2026-07-20