Deer Lodge (Ghost Town)
Lincoln County, Nevada

Deer Lodge was built up by the Hackett Family around a gold ore prospecting claim that yielded a livelihood for the family. The Hacketts were from Salt Lake City. Three generations of Hacketts called Deer Lodge home from about 1900 to about 1960.

 

The canyon is graced with a small stream that provided the Hacketts with irrigation for small crops and livestock. They built two houses and several out-buildings that are still standing. The property is still privately owned and posted, due to the appearance that vandals have done their handiwork at the place.

A small cemetery is located just north of the homestead and has the graves of several members of the Hackett Family, some as recent as 1991.

The Hacketts were at Deer Lodge long enough to take advantage of a few modern conveniences. There are signs that there was electricity as well as indoor plumbing.

A visit to Deer Lodge is possible by taking a drive north and east from the community of Rose Valley and then turning off (right) on a good dirt road before getting to the town of Ursine. There are no obvious signs, so a good topo map is recommended, as is a vehicle with good ground clearance as you approach the site.

If you continue up the road from Deer Lodge you'll arrive at the old mines atop the adjacent hill. From there you can go down to an old sluess house that remains intact.

We've admonished readers several times to honor signs that warn of mine danger. This would be one place where such warnings should be taken seriously. Open shafts are everywhere and aimless wandering could cause you to disappear forever.

The remaining residents of Deer Lodge... Don't mess.

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