Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ambuluwawa Tower
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
Hesperus Mountain.
Hesperus Mountain
Miniature Collection at Museo del Pueblo de Guanajuato
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
U.S. Air Force Capt. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, passes over the flight line at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 9, 2024
Who Swarmed Langley Air Force Base With Drones?
Our producer Manolo Morales would spend his final days perusing the shelves at Book Off.
Where Would You Go to Wait for the Apocalypse?
This event showcasing the bounty of the Traverse City region’s amazing agriculture, craft, and creativity culminates with a Grand Tasting on August 23.
The Atlas Obscura Guide to Traverse City’s Event Season
She’ll get you and your little dog too.
Dear Atlas: Where Can I Explore Witch History Without the Kitsch?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Nevada St. Thomas Ghost Town
AO Edited

St. Thomas Ghost Town

This former Mormon settlement is reemerging from the receding waters of Lake Mead.

Nevada

Added By
Joshua Foer
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
St. Thomas ruins.   Wikipedia
  raisethestakeseditions.com/st-thomas/
many of the buildings were moved outside of town before the flood   raisethestakeseditions.com/st-thomas/
Foundation slab.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Watch your step! A drain or cistern that’s been partly screened with re-bar.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Artifacts.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Foundation.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
St. Thomas site as seen from near the trailhead, looking north. The tallest ruin can just be made out to left of center.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Foundation.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Foundation wall with artifacts.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Foundation.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Ruins   Avoiding Regret
the former ice cream parlor   raisethestakeseditions.com/st-thomas/
Tamarisk and sand   Avoiding Regret
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Originally founded in 1865 by Mormon settlers, the tiny town of St. Thomas, Nevada was eventually drowned after the building of the Hoover Dam, but now the dramatically disappearing waters of Lake Mead have lowered and the town's ruins have reappeared. 

Consisting of farms and businesses put in place by pioneers looking to tame the West, the town reached a population of 500 citizens at its peak. When the Mormon settlers established the settlement, they thought that they were building their town in Utah, but within a few years, a survey placed their town in Nevada. Now that a new town had appeared in its borders, the state of Nevada decided to levy taxes against the residents, including owed taxes from previous years. Unable to fork over the gold the state was demanding, the town was abandoned in 1871.

Others moved into the abandoned properties after the Mormon settlers moved to Utah. However once the Hoover Dam was built, the nearby Colorado River began to swell and soon the town had to be abandoned once again as the waters overtook it. By 1938, the town was no longer habitable and soon, it was completely submerged beneath the newly created Lake Mead. In June of 1938, the final remaining resident of St. Thomas set fire to his home before getting into his boat and rowing away.

After rampant water consumption has drastically lowered the level of the lake, the remains of St. Thomas are beginning to surface. Building foundations and chimneys are beginning to rise above the water, reminding visitors of the town that once was. Should the drought in the area ever abate the town may once again disappear, but for now the old settlement is once again ready for pioneers.  

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Water Ruins Underwater Travelnevada

Know Before You Go

The hike begins with an 85 foot descent to a flat loop that follows the old roads of the original settlements of St. Thomas. Take Northshore road just past mile marker 46 and turn onto Old St. Thomas access road, which is dirt and sometimes bumpy, 4×4 vehicle is recommended. The trailhead is located at the end of the 3.5 mile access road. There is a dirt trail leading to the town site from the parking area. Distance: 2.04 mile loop (3.28 km) loop Elevation Change: 85 feet Difficulty: Moderate

Community Contributors

Added By

Josh

Edited By

Avoiding Regret, neonconflagrations, MrCarl, slgwv...

  • Avoiding Regret
  • neonconflagrations
  • MrCarl
  • slgwv
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

April 2, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.mynews3.com/content/specials/videovault/story/From-the-Depths-of-Lake-Mead-St-Thomas-NV/vi3al6JcakKZomFKOEt26w.cspx
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Thomas,_Nevada
  • http://www.raisethestakeseditions.com/st-thomas/
  • http://www.avoidingregret.com/2016/10/photo-essay-lost-city-of-muddy-valley.html
  • https://www.google.com/maps/place/St.+Thomas+Ghost+Town/@36.4663043,-114.3728887,17z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x0!2zMzbCsDI3JzU4LjciTiAxMTTCsDIyJzE0LjUiVw!3b1!8m2!3d36.4663!4d-114.3707!3m4!1s0x80c968dc53db1409:0x2ac2d0e6684146f4!8m2!3d36.4669791!4d-114.3715248
St. Thomas Ghost Town
Nevada, 89040
United States
36.467199, -114.371544
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Lost City Museum

Overton, Nevada

miles away

Mouse's Tank

Moapa Valley, Nevada

miles away

Seven Keyholes Slot Canyon

Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nevada

Nevada

United States

Places 265
Stories 24

Nearby Places

Lost City Museum

Overton, Nevada

miles away

Mouse's Tank

Moapa Valley, Nevada

miles away

Seven Keyholes Slot Canyon

Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Nevada

Nevada

United States

Places 265
Stories 24

Related Stories and Lists

Visit the Ghost Towns of Nevada

abandoned

Sponsored by Travel Nevada

Drowned Towns Lost to Progress

ruins

By Chris White

Related Places

  • Antuni

    Castel di Tora, Italy

    Ruins of Antuni

    A semi-abandoned village destroyed by U.S. bombings during World War II dominates the valley of Turano.

  • The ruins of the Ritter Lumber Company’s sawmill at Hazel Creek near Proctor.

    Bryson City, North Carolina

    The Lost Town of Proctor

    The scant remains of this flooded historic village can be explored in one of the most remote areas of the Great Smokies.

  • Improvement District No. 9, Alberta

    Lake Minnewanka Underwater Ghost Town

    The only way to visit this old resort hotel is with scuba gear.

  • Liebesinsel at low tide.

    Edertal, Germany

    Love Island and Castle Bring

    Medieval ruins on a tiny island amid a flooded lake offer romantic respite to lovers seeking privacy.

  • Graves surfaced from Old Bluffton.

    Burnet, Texas

    Old Bluffton Underwater Ghost Town

    This underwater old Texas hill town only resurfaces during harsh drought.

  • Rummu Underwater Prison

    Rummu, Estonia

    Rummu Underwater Prison

    The ruins of an Estonian prison are drowning in the quarry lake where the convicts were once forced to work.

  • Fabbriche di Careggine emerging from the lake

    Vagli Sopra, Italy

    Lago di Vagli

    This Tuscan lake hides a 13th century town that is still visible when the water recedes.

  • Quiandao Lake

    Hangzhou, China

    Shi Cheng

    China's very own Atlantis is an ornate dynastic city resting at the bottom of a lake.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.