Pyramid City

These are pictures taken at Pyramid City, another abandoned mining settlement outside of Reno.


The Pyramid Mining District is located in the Mullen Pass area, at the junction of the Pah Rah Range and Virginia Mountains, situated approximately 30 miles north of Reno. To get there, Take the Pyramid Highway toward Pyramid Lake. It is the second to the last dirt road you will come to before reaching the reservation boundary.

The settlement is like many mining operations; a combination past and present. There is an old ruined building that once housed a miner or miners. Next to the house is the remains of an abandoned, filled in mine shaft. Further on up the hill, there is a present day mining operation.


Nowadays, the dilapidated remains of the building appears to be a party hideout for local teens. Upon entering the building we found walls covered with graffiti, discarded beer bottles and an old mattress for what use we didn't care to dwell on.


While viewing the surrounding valley, we spotted another building about a mile down the mountain from where we were. Being the curious types we are, we had to investigate. Turns out it was a more recent dwelling. By the pieces of correspondence we found blowing around the structure, the place was inhabited in the not so distant past by "Claude". It appears that things didn't work out so well for old Claude, either he was bought out by the new mining operation up the road, or hard times struck, and he walked away from his home. The little house had a sad, lonely air about it. I can't help but wonder...

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