This Forgotten Nevada Ghost Town Sits Up A Rocky Road Where You’ll Rarely See Anyone
The pavement ended, the truck started rattling, and for a while it felt like a bad idea. Then the ridge opened up, and a scatter of old mining ruins appeared with nobody else in sight.
This quiet corner of Nevada once held real political weight, and now it mostly belongs to the wind, the wide-open views, and the occasional cow. For families and retirees who like their history with a side of adventure, it makes a low-cost day out that sticks with you long after the dust settles.
An Old County Seat Perched Above Dayton
Few Nevada towns can say they once ran a whole county, and fewer still have faded as completely as Como. The townsite sits in the rugged high country southeast of Dayton, in Lyon County, and it carries the title of former county seat.
Today it is listed as a historical landmark rather than a living community.
What remains is a scattering of mining ruins, foundations, and old equipment tied to the Como Mine. Visitors describe the standing structures as limited, so this is not a place of tidy storefronts and restored buildings.
Instead, the appeal comes from the setting, the history, and the sense of having a piece of the past nearly to yourself.
Getting there is half the story. Rough dirt roads lead up from Dayton and, for the bold, from the south through Johnson Valley.
Neither route suits a regular passenger car, and that difficulty keeps crowds away.
For budget-minded travelers in Reno, Carson City, or the surrounding valleys, the draw is simple. The trip can fill most of a day with scenery, exploring, and a lesson in how quickly boom-era Nevada could rise and fade.
The Weight of a Former Title
Picture county business being handled in a place that now hosts mostly wind. Being named a county seat meant something in early Nevada.
It usually signaled that a town had people, business, and enough importance to handle official records and county affairs.
Como earned that role in Lyon County, a detail that surprises many visitors who arrive to find only ruins. The mining activity tied to the Como Mine gave the settlement its reason to exist.
When a mining camp’s fortunes shifted, people often moved on, and official duties followed them to more practical spots.
Why does that matter on a visit today? It changes how you look at the scattered foundations and rusting equipment.
Those remains were once part of a place that mattered enough to anchor a county, even if only for a stretch of time.
Families with school-age kids can turn that into an easy history lesson. Ask them to imagine where people might have lived, worked, and gathered, then compare it to the empty hillside in front of them.
Specific dates and population figures are best checked with local historical sources, since the hillside offers few clues.
The Bumpy Main Route From Dayton
Most trips begin in Dayton, where the main access road climbs toward the old townsite. The first stretch sets the tone right away.
Visitors report that the first five miles are chunky, rocky, and loose with scree, and regular cars are not expected to make it.
Opinions on the drive vary with the vehicle. Some travelers with capable rigs call the Dayton road bumpy but manageable, while others strongly recommend all-wheel drive at minimum.
A high-clearance vehicle gives you far more margin for rocks and ruts.
Road conditions also seem to shift over time. One recent visitor described badly worn tracks, brush crowding the edges of the route, and spots where turning around or backing up felt nearly impossible once committed.
That is a real concern for anyone traveling with kids or driving solo.
Here is the practical approach. Check the weather, top off the tank in Dayton, and bring more water and snacks than you think you need.
Let someone know your route and expected return time, since cell coverage in remote Nevada hills can be unreliable.
Take it slow. Speed does nothing on a road like this except rattle your teeth and your tires.
Johnson Valley, the Hard-Core Back Door
Seasoned off-roaders sometimes skip the Dayton road entirely. A second approach comes up from the south through Johnson Valley, and it earns its reputation.
Visitors describe it as the hard-core option, with a long rock garden that demands slow, careful crawling over boulders.
Compare that with the northern route. The Dayton side is bumpy, but the southern path is unpleasantly rocky by most accounts, and a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle is the sensible choice.
Stock SUVs with low bumpers may struggle here.
Is it worth the effort? For drivers who enjoy technical terrain, looping in from the east and south turns the outing into a genuine adventure.
For everyone else, the rock garden may feel more stressful than fun, especially with passengers who get nervous on steep, uneven ground.
A few habits help on this route. Travel with a second vehicle if possible, carry a spare tire and basic recovery gear, and walk ahead to scout tricky sections before committing.
Airing down tires, for those who know how, can improve grip on rough rock.
Families heading out for the first time will likely prefer the Dayton route. Save Johnson Valley for a return trip once you know the area and your vehicle’s limits.
Foundations on the Hillside
Stone and concrete outlines tell the quietest part of the story. At the old Como Mine site, the standing structures are limited, but a short walk down the hill reveals the foundations of buildings that once supported the operation.
It is an easy stroll for most visitors, though the ground can be uneven.
Kids tend to enjoy this part the most. Foundations work like a puzzle, and guessing what each outline once held turns a simple walk into a game.
Was it a workshop, a storage building, or a place where miners took a break?
Sturdy shoes make a difference here. Loose rock and dirt slopes can be slippery, especially on the way back up.
Keep little ones close near any old mine openings or unstable spots, and never climb on crumbling walls.
Leave everything as you find it. Historic sites like this one lose a bit of their story every time a nail, bottle, or piece of metal goes home in a pocket.
Photos are the best souvenir, and they cost nothing.
A recent visitor also mentioned meeting a friendly, knowledgeable local historian on site. There is no guarantee of that on any given day, but it is a welcome bonus if it happens.
Tumbler and Sluice Boxes to the West
Rust has a way of making old machinery look like sculpture. Head a bit farther west from the main foundations, and more of the mine’s working parts come into view.
Visitors mention a tumbler and sluice boxes, pieces of equipment tied to processing ore from ordinary rock.
Why the fuss over a few old boxes and a drum? These are the tools that made a mining camp possible.
Seeing them in place, weathered and silent, gives a clearer picture of the hard, repetitive work that once filled these hills.
Sluice boxes, in simple terms, use flowing water to wash lighter material away while heavier bits settle out. A tumbler rolls material around to break it down or clean it.
Explaining that to kids on the spot makes the ruins feel less like junk and more like clues.
Photographers will find plenty to frame here. Textured metal, weathered wood, and the open landscape behind them make for striking shots, especially in the softer light of morning or late afternoon.
As with the rest of the site, look but do not touch or move anything. Old metal can have sharp edges, and the equipment is part of the history everyone else came to see.
Big Views, Few People, and a Herd or Two
Silence is the first thing many people notice after shutting off the engine. Once the rough climb is behind you, the road improves and the views open wide across the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Travelers regularly bring up the scenery as a highlight, sometimes even more than the ruins.
Crowds are simply not part of the experience. Visitors say you may see few people, if any, during a trip up here.
For retirees who prefer peace over packed parking lots, that kind of solitude is hard to find so close to Carson City and Reno.
Then there are the cows. One visitor joked that there is not much to see unless you like cattle, which suggests grazing herds share the range.
Kids often find that funny, and it adds a working-ranch flavor to the day.
Give animals plenty of space and drive slowly around them. Leave any gates the way you find them, and watch for livestock standing in the road around blind corners.
Pack a simple picnic and find a flat spot with a view. There are no mentions of facilities in the available information, so bring what you need, including a trash bag to carry everything back out.
A Punishing, Rewarding Ride on Two Wheels
Not every visitor arrives by truck. Mountain bikers have tackled the route too, and one rider’s account paints a vivid picture: roughly 30 miles round trip with about 4,000 feet of climbing.
That includes a non-stop six-mile climb right out of the gate.
Some sections were steep and loose enough that the rider had to get off and push. Gearing and tire choice matter a lot here, and narrow, smooth tires are a poor match for rocky scree.
Wide, knobby tires and a low gear range would likely make the ascent far more manageable.
So why do it? Past the brutal early miles, the road gets better and the views turn spectacular.
The rider described dropping down the backside of the mountain into the valley as worth every bit of the effort.
This is a ride for fit, experienced cyclists, not a casual family spin. Carry plenty of water, snacks, a repair kit, and layers, since conditions in the high country can change during a long day.
For a budget crowd, cycling has one big advantage. Beyond your bike and supplies, the main cost is sweat, and there is no fuel bill once you start pedaling.
Practical Notes: Vehicles, Timing, and Costs
Money-wise, this outing can be one of the more affordable day trips in western Nevada. The available information does not mention any admission fee, so the biggest expenses are usually fuel, snacks, and wear on your vehicle.
Confirm current access rules and conditions before heading out, since they can change.
Vehicle choice comes first. A high-clearance four-wheel-drive is the safest bet, and all-wheel drive is the minimum many visitors recommend for the Dayton route.
Regular passenger cars are not a good match for the rocky first miles.
No hours are posted in the available details, but daylight is your friend. Starting in the morning leaves time to drive slowly, explore the foundations and equipment, and return before dark on unlit backroads.
Expect the round trip plus exploring to take a good part of the day.
A short checklist helps:
Water and food for everyone, plus extra. A full tank of gas and a spare tire.
Offline maps, since signal may drop in the hills.
Weather matters too. Mud, snow, or heavy rain could make already rough roads much worse, so dry conditions are ideal.
When in doubt, ask locally in Dayton about the latest road reports.
A Verdict for the Curious and Well-Prepared
Not every destination needs a gift shop to leave an impression. Como offers something different: a former county seat reduced to foundations, old mining gear, and a view that stretches for miles.
The payoff depends heavily on what you enjoy.
Travelers hoping for rows of intact buildings may leave underwhelmed, and some visitors point toward larger, better-preserved ghost towns for that. Those who love a remote drive, a bit of history, and a quiet hillside, however, tend to come away happy.
Many describe the long ride as fun in its own right.
Families with a capable vehicle and adventurous kids fit right in. Retirees with off-road experience will appreciate the solitude and low cost.
Anyone driving a standard car, or uneasy on narrow, rocky tracks, should probably pick another outing.
Think of it as a slow day rather than a checklist stop. Take your time on the road, wander the foundations, spot the tumbler and sluice boxes, and pause for lunch with the cows as neighbors.
Prepared well, the trip can turn into a story your family retells for years. Few places in Nevada let you stand where county business once happened and hear nothing but wind.