St. Thomas Townsite

St. Thomas Townsite is the resurfaced remains of a desert town within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. I’d make time for it if you like history you can walk through: foundations spread across the old streets, and interpretive signs help the place read as a town rather than a scattering of walls. The route is a rough, unmaintained walk, so it’s not a quick roadside stop.

The loop is 2.5 miles round trip with about 85 feet of elevation change. It starts down a loose-rock slope, then crosses uneven rock and sand among the remains. Expect a moderate hike, not a paved ruins path; a hiking pole can help on the rough footing.

Parking is at the end of Old St. Thomas Access Road, just beyond milepost 46 on Northshore Road. The access road is about three miles of dirt and can be bumpy; most vehicles should manage it, but take care if yours sits low. There are no services or drinking water at the trailhead, so bring what you’ll need. The route is open year-round, but the exposed walk is more comfortable in cooler weather; in summer, start early or late.

Mormon settlers founded St. Thomas in 1865, believing they were still in Utah or Arizona Territory. The settlement sat near the Muddy and Virgin Rivers, where farming looked promising. A dispute with Nevada over back taxes led most of the settlers to leave; they burned their homes and moved to Salt Lake City. New residents arrived decades later, and the town grew into a stop on the Arrowhead Trail between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

At its peak, St. Thomas had about 500 residents, with a school, post office, stores, a church, a soda fountain and garages. It had no indoor plumbing or electricity. Hoover Dam’s reservoir eventually covered the town. Water reached St. Thomas in 1938; Hugh Lord, its last resident, rowed away on June 11 that year. The town has emerged again as lake levels fell, and former residents held reunions here in 1945, 1963 and 2012.

The route’s interpretive signs tell the town’s story, while the remains show up in low foundations, steps and fragments. The schoolhouse, store and post office foundations make the history easier to picture. Even small pieces of glass count as archaeological remains: don’t move artifacts, climb on structures or mark the walls. For a photo that shows the site’s character, include a stretch of foundation against the open lakebed; close views of steps and wall openings catch the details.