Silver Reef

Utah's ghost towns split between failed Mormon farm villages and the rough mining camps the faithful mostly watched from a distance.

Silver Reef is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States, about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of St. George and 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Leeds. John Kemple, a prospector from Nevada, discovered a vein of silver in a sandstone formation in 1866. Geologists were first unconvinced by the discovery because silver is not usually found in sandstone. In 1875, two bankers from Salt Lake City sent William Barbee to the site to stake mining claims. He staked 21 claims and an influx of miners came to work Barbee's claims and to stake their own.

Silver built Silver Reef's reputation before a single building went up — names like that were marketing.

Silver Reef survives as partial ruins — standing walls, collapsed roofs, and the bones of a town that once was. Ruin sites can be hazardous: watch for open shafts, unstable masonry, and wildlife sheltering in debris. Bring sturdy boots and photograph from safe distances.

Public access makes Silver Reef one of the easier ghost towns to actually stand in — though "public" in ghost-town country can still mean miles of dirt road, so check recent trip reports first.

Silver Reef is publicly accessible — but give the word "accessible" some respect. Out here it can still mean miles of unmaintained dirt road. Check recent trip reports, carry extra water and a spare tire, download offline maps, and let someone know your route. The mapped point for Silver Reef is roughly 37.2500, -113.3700 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.

The ground itself demands respect: open mine shafts, collapsing floors, and old wells hide in tall grass, cell service is often nonexistent, and help can be hours away. Tell someone your plans, pack more water than you think you'll need — and save the early morning or late afternoon light for your camera.

Want the full story? The Wikipedia article on "Silver Reef, Utah" covers Silver Reef in more depth — find the link in Sources below. County archives, historic newspaper collections, and the state historical society are the next stops after that: plat maps, census rolls, and old photographs fill in what a short visit can't. If you make the trip, consider sharing your photos and notes — firsthand reports are how the record of Silver Reef gets better.