Eldorado Canyon Gold Mine Tour

The Eldorado Canyon Gold Mine Tour is a half-day trip from Las Vegas to the Techatticup Mine near Nelson, Nevada, one of southern Nevada's oldest and most famous gold mines, worked from 1861 until 1942. A custom Tour Trekker vehicle collects guests from most Strip and downtown hotels around 8am and drives about 45 minutes southeast into Eldorado Canyon.

A local guide leads a walking tour underground through the mine's narrow rock passages, telling stories of gold fever, claim jumping and the boom-and-bust fortunes that built and emptied the camp. The stop also takes in the old ghost-town settlement of Nelson, a well-known photo spot cluttered with rusted vintage cars, a crashed prop plane and Wild West film-set buildings. The mine stays cool year-round, a welcome break from the desert heat.

It is a small, low-key operation: the underground portion is short, under a quarter-mile of gravel on a single level, there is no meal or lunch stop, and roughly 90 minutes of the four hours is spent on the road. The narrow passages and uneven desert footing rule it out for anyone with claustrophobia, mobility limits or children under three. For history buffs and photographers, though, it is an easy, hassle-free escape into authentic Old West territory that most Strip visitors never see.