Tag Archives: building

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Windows, Rhyolite School

June 9, 2008 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Windows of the abandoned school in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada look out over the Amargosa Desert. Students in the school who gazed out the western windows of the building were looking across a high sagebrush-filled valley at the range running along the eastern boundary of what is now Death Valley National Park.

keywords: ghost town, rhyolite, nevada, school, abandoned, ruins, mines, mining, historic, scenic, building, travel, death valley, national park, walls, windows, frame, stock

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Rhyolite Bank at First Light

May 25, 2008 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

My brother and I photographed these bank ruins and surrounding artifacts in the abandoned ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada – starting before dawn and continuing for the next few hours. This photograph was made just as the first light began to illuminate the town site through high clouds. This bank building is one of the least damaged buildings in the town.

I’m fascinated by how these buildings have weathered over the past century, being situation in a very hostile environment. In some ways it is amazing that they have proven durable enough to remain partially standing, but in other ways they remind me of very ancient ruins.

keywords: rhyolite, nevada, ghost, town, building, columns, windows, doors, steps, stairs, cement, concrete, wide angle, sidewalk, desert, first, light, dawn, morning, sunrise, abandoned, ruins, walls, usa, historic, mines, mining, death valley, national park, blm, bureau of land management, scenic, travel, stock, landscape

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Building Detail, Bodie

May 14, 2008 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Yes, there really is snow falling in this photo. You might be able to see it a bit if you click on the thumbnail to see the somewhat larger size. I was caught – somewhat pleasantly – by surprise when I encountered this rather cold weather at the end of May in 2006.

Update 2025: Bodie is a large ghost town east of the Sierra Nevada that is a California State park. The place is maintained in state of arrested decay — not restored to be like new, but not allowed to decay and disappear like typical ghost towns. It is located in pretty tough country — the sagebrush desert of the western edge of Basin and Range territory. It can be very hot and dry out here in the summer, but it is also one of the coldest places in the West in the winter. On this visit I caught a surprise late-season light snowfall.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Rhyolite School

May 9, 2008 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Wide angle photograph of the ruins of the Rhyolite School exterior at dawn. While the strong walls of this building are still standing, the roof and interior fittings are all gone.

keywords: rhyolite, school, building, doors, windows, walls, grafitti, blue, sky, clouds, perspective, concrete, ruins, abandoned, ghost, town, mining, mines, nevada, usa, travel, scenic, structures, death valley, national park, sunrise, morning, dawn, stock

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: building

Windows, Rhyolite School

Rhyolite Bank at First Light

Building Detail, Bodie

Rhyolite School

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.