Nipton offers gateway to the Mojave National Preserve
Just two miles from the Nevada state line off the I-15 freeway near Las Vegas is the small California town of Nipton. Nipton is not a ghost town; it was never much bigger than it is today. Nipton’s roots go back to when it was established as a railroad head in 1904 to serve mining and ranching in the area and continues to retain its historic character.
Today, Nipton is recognized as the “Gateway to the Mojave National Preserve.” Surrounded by shady-spotted mountains, Nipton is located in the Ivanpah Valley, a federally protected sanctuary for the desert tortoise and a site being discussed as a future location for a new Las Vegas airport.
When the famous “IT” girl of the silent screen, Clara Bow, married cowboy actor Rex Bell and retired from Hollywood, it was to settle on a nearby cattle ranch between Nipton and Searchlight, Nevada. The couple took their cattle overland to Nipton for rail transport.
It is said that. Clara often traveled with the cowboys to Nipton, where she visited the owners of the Nipton Mercantile Company (now Nipton’s General Store) and picked up mail from her admirers at the post office.
The Nipton Hotel was built between 1905 and 1910, during the area’s mining boom days. It was the crossing point of two overland wagon roads that ran east-west and north-south.
The hotel’s front landscaping is done with an attractive cactus garden, designed “…after traditional patterns used by Native American artisans.” In honor of Mrs. Bow, the current owner of the Nipton Hotel bed and breakfast has named room #3 the Clara Bow Room.
When Clara and Rex hosted friends at their Walking Box Ranch in the 1930s and 1940s, their guests would often arrive by train and get off at Nipton for the 16-mile drive to the ranch. The railway is what kept Nipton alive, once the trains stopped stopping here the town almost died.
When Mojave was recognized in the 1980s as a sensitive and threatened environmental area and with the establishment of the East Mojave National Scenic Area, Nipton took the title “Gateway to Mojave National Preserve” due to its northern boundary. with the Mojave Desert.
if you visit
You’ll find Nipton 20 miles west of Searchlight and 65 miles south of Las Vegas on I-15. The small community of Nipton lies along the minor highway, State Route 164, which connects US Highway 95 and Interstate 15. A portion of the area south of the highway has been established as a refuge for the endangered tortoise. desert.
During my visit, I found the General Store to be a useful place to stop. The merchant offered information about the area and the store had supplies as well as gift items and books about the desert and the history of the area.
Amenities include the Spanish Territory-style Adobe Hotel which was remodeled in the mid-2000s and is used as a charming bed and breakfast. There are RV hookups and an area for tent camping.