Nipton offers gateway to the Mojave National Preserve
Just two miles from the Nevada state line off I-15 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 it continues to retain its historic character.
Today, Nipton is recognized as the “Gateway to the Mojave National Preserve.” Surrounded by shade-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 famous silent screen “IT” girl 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 Nipton Mercantile Company (now Nipton’s General Store) and picked up her fan mail at the post office.
The Nipton Hotel was built between 1905 and 1910, during the days of the mining boom in the area. It was the crossing point of two wagon land roads that ran east to west and north to south.
The front landscaping of the hotel is done with an attractive cactus garden, designed “…from 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 would host friends at their Walking Box Ranch in the 1930s and 1940s, their guests would often arrive by train, getting 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 the Mojave was recognized in the 1980s as a sensitive and threatened environmental area and with the establishment of the Eastern Mojave National Scenic Area, Nipton took the title of “Gateway to the 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 is located along the secondary 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 shopkeeper offered information about the area and the store had supplies as well as gift items and books about the desert and area history.
Amenities include the Spanish Territorial-style Adobe Hotel that was remodeled in the mid-2000s and is used as a charming bed and breakfast. There are RV hookups and a tent camping area.