Founded in 1904 and dead by 1916, Rhyolite was one of several short lived boom-towns from the late Gold Rush era. People were drawn to the desert on the edge of Death Valley by the promise of gold found amongst quartz in local mines, and by 1906 the town had all the promising indicators of permanence with largest population in the area. Dont be misled by the title ghost town given to Rhyolite, it is a beautiful place worth visiting if you are in Beatty Area.