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History Tooele County

Which mining camps you can walk, and which are behind a gate

The ghost towns of Tooele County, and which you can walk through.

Silver and gold built a ring of mining camps in the Oquirrh canyons and out in the far west desert. What is left runs from a street you can walk with the porches still standing to a company gate you cannot pass. This is the honest survey: what each camp was, what stands today, and whether you can legally visit it now.

On this page The short answer Stockton Ophir Jacob City Gold Hill Mercur FAQ
By Scott Buehler, Moving Utah Updated August 2026

The short answer

Only one of these is a true walk through. Ophir, a canyon town on the west side of the Oquirrhs, keeps a historic street you can stroll, with about thirty eight people still living there. Mercur, one canyon south, is the opposite: the whole townsite sits behind a locked company gate and you cannot enter. Between them are Jacob City, reachable only by a rough high clearance climb, and, far out toward the Nevada line, Gold Hill and Clifton, standing ghosts in a tiny living community that ask for a long drive and a light touch. Stockton, still a lived in town just south of Tooele, is the easy gateway and where this survey starts.

Where The Oquirrh canyons south of Tooele, and the far west desert toward Wendover
From Tooele Ophir and Stockton inside half an hour; Gold Hill is a two and a half hour haul
Season Late spring through fall; the back roads are dry weather routes only
Cost Free to visit the open ones; Mercur is closed to the public entirely
Time needed An afternoon for Ophir and Stockton; a full day for the far west camps

The camps at a glance

Living town and gateway

Stockton

A working town on Utah's first smelter ground, sitting on a world class Ice Age shoreline.

Walk it, with manners

Ophir

The one camp with a preserved street you can walk, and people still living on it.

Rough road, right vehicle

Jacob City

A high canyon camp above Stockton, reached today as a serious off highway climb.

Look, do not touch

Gold Hill and Clifton

Standing ghosts at the Nevada line, in a living community on mostly private ground.

Closed, story only

Mercur

A gold camp of real importance, now fenced and gated by its owner. You cannot enter.

A different story

Iosepa

Often listed here, but it is a living Hawaiian pioneer memorial, told on the Skull Valley page.

Start in Stockton, the living gateway

SR-36, south of Tooele A lived in town Free to drive

Before the ghost towns, there is a town that never died. Stockton sits about fifteen minutes south of Tooele on SR-36, a small community of around six hundred people that began as the industrial heart of the whole district. In 1864 the Rush Valley Mining District was organized here, and Colonel Patrick Connor's soldiers, many of them California prospectors, opened the Oquirrh mines and founded Stockton, naming it for Stockton, California. They built what is remembered as the first smelting furnace in Utah Territory, and for a few years this was one of the busiest addresses in the young territory.

The reason to start here is not only the mining story. Just south of town, spanning the low divide between Tooele and Rush valleys, lies the Stockton Bar, a giant natural sand and gravel barrier built by the waves of ancient Lake Bonneville at its highest stand, roughly fifteen thousand years ago. The pioneering geologist G.K. Gilbert named the feature and mapped it for his landmark 1890 study, Lake Bonneville, the first monograph the U.S. Geological Survey ever published. The Utah Geological Survey calls it one of the largest and best preserved Lake Bonneville shorelines anywhere, and says no other feature in the Bonneville basin holds as complete a record of the old lake's history. You can see the long bench of it from the road as you drive through.

Stockton is where the pavement and the services stop. Fuel up and get your bearings here, because everything past this point, the canyons above town and the desert beyond, is remote country with no help for miles.

WhereOn SR-36 between Tooele and Rush valleys, on the old Rush Valley Mining District ground
From TooeleAbout fifteen minutes south on SR-36
SeasonYear round; the Stockton Bar bench shows best in low morning or evening light
CostFree to drive through and view
Time neededA half hour for the town and a look at the bar, before you head up or out

Most of what stands is on private property. A ghost town is not automatically open country. Ophir keeps a preserved public street, but people live along it, and the far west camps stand on ground that families still own and use. Mercur is fenced and gated outright. Stay on public roads and marked historic areas, do not enter buildings or cross a fence line, and never treat a standing wall or a gate as an invitation. The honest rule out here is simple: look, do not touch, and turn around at any closed gate.

Ophir, the one you can walk through

Off SR-73 About 30 residents Free, seasonal

If you only have time for one, make it Ophir. Tucked in a canyon on the west slope of the Oquirrhs off SR-73, it is the one camp in the county that has been kept as a place you can actually walk. Silver and lead were struck here in the 1860s, the town boomed in the 1870s, and unlike its neighbors it never entirely emptied out. Around thirty eight people still live in the canyon, and a preserved historic street of old houses and shops stands open to walk on foot.

Because people live there and much of the town is private, Ophir rewards a light footprint: park where you are directed, stay on the public street, and treat the yards and porches as the homes they still are. The historic park keeps seasonal hours, so it is worth checking before a special trip.

Ophir has its own full visit guide on The Local, with what stands, how the town came to be preserved, and exactly how to visit without stepping wrong. Read the Ophir guide before you go.

WhereA canyon on the west slope of the Oquirrhs, reached off SR-73
From TooeleAbout twenty five minutes
SeasonThe historic park keeps seasonal warm weather hours; confirm before you drive out
CostFree; the historic park is volunteer run
Time neededAn hour to walk the street; see the full Ophir guide for the details

Jacob City, for the right vehicle only

Above Stockton High clearance route Summer only

One canyon north of Ophir, high in the Oquirrhs above Stockton, sat Jacob City, a small silver camp of the 1870s. There is no drive up main street to see here. What survives is a scatter of mine works reached by a rough four wheel drive and off highway route that climbs from near Stockton toward the crest of the range, close to ten thousand feet at the top. It is a favorite among off highway riders precisely because it is hard to get to.

Treat Jacob City as a backcountry outing, not a sightseeing stop. You want a capable high clearance vehicle, a full tank, someone who knows the loop, and dry weather, because the narrow shelf road is no place to be caught in a storm. If that is not your kind of day, this one is fine to admire from the valley floor and leave to the riders.

WhereA high side canyon of the Oquirrhs above Stockton
From TooeleAbout thirty minutes to the base, then a slow, rough climb
SeasonDry summer and early fall only; the road holds snow and mud otherwise
CostFree; the cost is the right vehicle and the skill to drive it
Time neededA half day for the loop by high clearance or off highway vehicle

Gold Hill and Clifton, out at the Nevada line

Far west Tooele County Remote drive Living community

The most far flung standing ghost town in the county sits at the foot of the Deep Creek Mountains, near the Nevada line at the western edge of Tooele County. Gold was found nearby in 1858, the town of Gold Hill was established in 1892, and it became the center of a district that produced gold, copper, silver, lead, and, unusually, large amounts of arsenic and tungsten. It boomed twice, once for each World War: arsenic in the First, when a private line called the Deep Creek Railroad ran out to it, and tungsten in the Second. Today around fifty people live there, among standing brick and false front buildings, an old mercantile, and the remains of the depot.

A few miles off, Clifton was the earlier camp, worked from 1869 and largely faded by the mid 1870s, with only scattered remains today. Getting to this corner is a real expedition: much of the drive is unpaved, there are no services, and a good share of what stands is private property in a small, living community. Come with a full tank and a look but do not touch mindset, keep to the public road, and respect that people call this remote place home.

WhereThe foot of the Deep Creek Mountains, far western Tooele County near the Nevada line
From TooeleRoughly two and a half hours, much of it on unpaved road
SeasonLate spring through fall; the roads are dry weather routes
CostFree to look from the public road; the standing buildings are largely private
Time neededA full day, and a full tank of fuel

Mercur, closed behind the gate

South of Ophir Private and gated No public access

Mercur is the one that matters most in the history books and that you can least see. In a canyon south of Ophir, this hard rock gold camp is remembered as the place where the cyanide process for pulling gold from low grade ore was first used successfully in the United States, in the 1890s, a breakthrough that reshaped gold mining worldwide. Barrick Gold reopened a modern mine here in 1985 and closed it in 1997, then reclaimed the ground.

Today the entire townsite and canyon are fenced, gated, and closed to the public by the current owner, a Barrick foundation. There is nothing to walk and no way in; a small cemetery on a hill is often described as the last real trace of the town. Mercur belongs on this page for its story, not as a destination. Do not drive up to the gate expecting entry, and do not cross onto the posted property.

Can you visit?

No. The townsite is private and gated, with no public access. This entry is history to read, not a place to drive to. Keep to public roads and do not approach the gate.

Before you go

What to know first, out in this country.

Three things shape a ghost town day here more than anything else: the distances, the property lines, and the weather on unpaved roads. Everything below comes back to those.

These are remote drives

  • Fuel and food stop at Stockton; there is nothing out toward Gold Hill for hours
  • Cell signal drops fast in the canyons and the west desert, so download a map first
  • Carry water, a spare, and more fuel than the trip looks like it needs
  • Tell someone your route and your turnaround time before you leave pavement

Respect the property line

  • People live in Ophir and in Gold Hill; the streets are their front yards
  • A standing building can be private and unsafe; admire it from the public road
  • Mercur is fully closed and gated; do not test the gate or the fence line
  • Take nothing; old mining artifacts are protected and are part of the place

Watch the weather and the ground

  • The Jacob City and far west roads are dry weather only; rain turns them to trouble
  • Old mine openings and shafts are dangerous; never enter or approach one
  • Summer heat in the west desert is real; carry far more water than you expect
  • High country holds snow into late spring; the crest roads open late

Side by side

The camps compared, by whether you can visit.

Drive times are from Tooele in ordinary conditions and are estimates, not published figures. The one column that decides your day is the middle one.

The camp Where Can you visit? Getting there What stands
StocktonSR-36 south of TooeleYes, a living townPaved, 15 minutesA working town on the smelter ground and the Bonneville bar
OphirCanyon off SR-73Yes, on foot, seasonalPaved, 25 minutesA preserved historic street, homes still lived in
Jacob CityHigh canyon above StocktonOnly by high clearanceRough climb, summer onlyScattered mine works near the crest
Gold HillDeep Creek foot, far westFrom the public roadUnpaved, about 2.5 hoursBrick and false front buildings, a mercantile, the depot
CliftonNear Gold HillFrom the public roadUnpaved, far westScattered remains of an 1869 camp
MercurCanyon south of OphirNo, fenced and gatedClosed to the publicNothing to enter; a hillside cemetery remains

Living near the mining country

The towns at the edge of all this history.

The valley towns below the Oquirrhs are where people actually settle, and the sibling pages carry the rest of the county's far country. Start with a town, or keep reading the region.

The county seat

Tooele

The commuter city closest to all of this, with the services the back country lacks.

Open the city guide

West of Tooele

Grantsville

The old ranch town on the way toward the west desert and the Deep Creek country.

Open the city guide

Horse country

Erda

The newest of the valley towns, spread across acreage between Tooele and the lake.

Open the city guide

The county's front door

Lake Point

Where SR-36 meets I-80, the shortest hop to Salt Lake in the whole county.

Open the city guide

The same west desert

The Pony Express Trail

The drivable 1860 route across the desert south of the mining camps, with the wild horses.

Read the guide

A different valley

Skull Valley and Iosepa

The Hawaiian pioneer town, the bird springs, and the old Lincoln Highway west of the Stansburys.

Read the guide

Quick answers

The ghost towns, answered.

The main ones are Ophir and Mercur, in canyons on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountains south of Tooele, Jacob City high above Stockton, and Gold Hill with nearby Clifton far out at the Nevada line. Stockton itself is a living town that grew from the district's first smelter. Ophir is the only one you can walk through, and Mercur is closed and gated.

Yes. Ophir is the one camp in the county kept as a place you can walk, with a preserved historic street off SR-73 and about thirty eight people still living in the canyon. The historic park keeps seasonal warm weather hours, so check before a special trip, park where you are directed, and stay on the public street because much of the town is private. The full details are on the Ophir page.

No. The entire Mercur townsite and canyon are fenced, gated, and closed to the public by the current owner, a Barrick foundation. There is nothing to walk and no way in, and a small hillside cemetery is often described as the last trace of the town. Do not drive up to the gate expecting entry or cross onto the posted property; read Mercur as history rather than a destination.

Gold Hill still has standing brick and false front buildings, an old mercantile, and the remains of its depot, with around fifty people living there today. It sits at the foot of the Deep Creek Mountains in far western Tooele County near the Nevada line, and the town boomed twice, for arsenic in the First World War and tungsten in the Second. Much of what stands is private property in a living community, so look from the public road and do not enter buildings.

Only by a rough high clearance route. Jacob City sat high in the Oquirrhs above Stockton, and what survives is reached by a four wheel drive and off highway road that climbs toward the crest of the range, close to ten thousand feet. Treat it as a backcountry outing with a capable vehicle, a full tank, dry weather, and someone who knows the loop; it is a favorite among off highway riders and not a drive up stop.

No, Stockton is a living town of around six hundred people, but it is the gateway to the mining country. It began in 1864 as the industrial heart of the Rush Valley Mining District and is remembered as the site of the first smelting furnace in Utah Territory. It sits about fifteen minutes south of Tooele on SR-36, and it is the last place to fuel up before the canyons above town and the desert beyond.

The Stockton Bar is a giant natural sand and gravel barrier just south of Stockton, built by the waves of ancient Lake Bonneville at its highest stand roughly fifteen thousand years ago. The geologist G.K. Gilbert named it and mapped it for his 1890 monograph Lake Bonneville, the first the U.S. Geological Survey ever published. The Utah Geological Survey calls it one of the largest and best preserved Lake Bonneville shorelines anywhere, and you can see its long bench from the road.

Many of them are, in whole or in part. Ophir keeps a preserved public street but people live along it, and Gold Hill and Clifton stand on ground families still own in a small living community. Mercur is fenced and gated with no public access at all. The safe rule everywhere here is to stay on public roads and marked historic areas, keep out of buildings and off any posted or fenced ground, and turn around at any closed gate.

Ophir, by far. It is paved the whole way, about twenty five minutes from Tooele off SR-73, and it is the only camp with a historic street kept open to walk on foot. Time it for the historic park's seasonal warm weather hours, pair it with a stop in Stockton on the way, and you have an easy half day that needs no special vehicle. The far west camps and Jacob City ask for much more of your day and your car.

Scott Buehler, Moving Utah

Old camps are a day out. A valley to live in is a bigger question.

This page is for the drive, the history, and the honest question of which gate you can pass. What it cannot tell you is whether one of the valley towns below the Oquirrhs fits your household, and that comes down to schools, the commute, and the price on a specific street. Say what matters most in a move and I will hand you off to a partner agent who works Tooele County every day, then stay involved on the research and the loan side.

Open the Tooele guide Talk to Scott

Referral disclosure. Outside Southern Utah, I connect home sellers and buyers with partner agents I trust in their area. If you choose to work with an agent I refer, that agent's brokerage pays my brokerage (Real Broker, LLC) a referral fee. The fee comes out of the agent's compensation; it is not an added cost to you. You are always free to choose any agent you wish, and using a referred agent is never required.