Smoke Creek Desert

The "Smoke Creek Desert" is roughly the same elevation and consistency as the Black Rock Desert, but is largely undriveable. It is located west and south of Gerlach and extends almost to Pyramid Lake.

The railroad skirts the eastern edge of the playa, and the Smoke Creek Road skirts the western edge.

In 1877, Thomas W. Symons traveled through the area: "Leaving Surprise Valley we set out going through the old outlet of the lake by the main road to Reno and separating at Clark's about 10 miles from the valley two courses were run to the Granite Mountain which was occupied as our last triangulation station October 26; A four days march from Granite Mountain brought us to Susanville passing by Wall Springs, Murphy's Salt Works, Smoke Creek, and Shafer's. Mr Murphy has built up quite an industry in the desert. On boring a few feet into the soil water is found which is a fully saturated solution of salt and which by means of a windmill he pumps into inclosed spaces of the ground and there it is evaporated and leaves the salt which is very pure and of excellent quality. From one gallon of water he gets two pounds and ten ounces of salt. He was extending his works so as to make more salt as he is at present unable to supply the demand."

See Also

• Bonham Ranch
• Buffalo Meadows
• Camp Smoke Creek
• Deep Hole
• Sand Pass
• Smoke Creek Station
• Wall Spring

External Resources

• Wikipedia

• John Evanoff, "Deep Hole and Sand Pass," February, 2007.

• Jeffrey D. Johnson, "Julia’s Unequivocal Nevada Klampout #32" (2011). Reproduced as An ECV History of the Smoke Creek Desert

• Records of California Men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 To 1867 The California Military Museum

• P.A. Glancy and F.E. Rush. "Water-resources appraisal of Smoke Creek–San Emidio Desert, Nevada and California." Water Resources Reconnaissance Series Report 44. 1968 (Cover includes image of the Smoke Creek Desert. Inside photo of the "deserted railroad town of Smoke Creek")

• Israel Cook Russell, "Sketch of the geological history of Lake Lahontan, a Quaternary lake of northwestern Nevada," 1885

• Colonel George Ruhlen, "Early Nevada Forts," p. 55, Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Volume VII, Number 3-4, 1964. Camp Smoke Creek (1862-1866), Camp Pollock (p. 47)
  • GNIS Camp Smoke Creek: temporary military camp and depot, 1862-1863
    • Citation: "Carlson, Helen S., 'Nevada Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary,' Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press, 1974, 282 pp. Reference work giving historical background on place names in Nevada. p219"
    • Alternate: Smoke Creek Depot
      • Citation: "U.S. Department of the Interior, General Land Office 'State of Nevada.' New York: Julius Bien, 1879. Scale 1 inch=16 miles. Compiled from the official records of the GLO and other sources, by C. Roeser, Principal Draughtsman, GLO."
  • GNIS Camp Pollock: Temporary military camp, 1864
    • Citation: "Carlson, Helen S., 'Nevada Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary,' Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press, 1974, 282 pp. Reference work giving historical background on place names in Nevada. p193"

Geologic

• Gravity, Magnetic, and Physical Property Data in the Smoke Creek Desert Area, Northwest Nevada
• Geophysical Investigations of the Smoke Creek Desert and their Geologic Implications, Northwest Nevada and Northeast California
• Geothermal Springs in the Smoke Creek Desert (UNR)