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Tonopah was a 20th-century mining boomtown, a sprawling city of 3,000 by the time it was 2 years old with stagecoach service, competing newspapers, more than 30 saloons, and two churches. Wyatt Earp moved there from Tombstone, Ariz.

The Tonopah Historic Mining Park covers 100 acres on the site of Jim Butler's original mining claim that started the rush to Tonopah in 1900 and became the Queen of the Silver Camps.

A self-guided outdoor tour winds through portions of four of the major mining companies with historical equipment, exhibits and old buildings open for examination; handicapped accessible; visitor's center; gift shop.

The Central Nevada Museum operated in Tonopah by the Central Nevada Historical Society features displays exploring the area's history of mining, ranching and pioneer life, as well as American Indians and the World War II Tonopah Army Airfield, also American Indians.

The outdoor exhibits include miners' cabins and railroad displays.

Getting There: From Las Vegas, take U.S. 95 northwest to Tonopah, a trip of about 200 miles through the desert past the Nevada Test Site and planned site of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility. From Reno, take Interstate 80 east 34 miles to Fernley, then U.S. 95-Alternate south 200 miles through high desert bordered by mountains.

Admission: The mining park's visitors center is free; the charge for the self-guided outdoor walking tour is $3 per individual, $5 per couple or $7 per family. The Central Nevada Museum is free.

Other Activities: More than 100 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails are located among the scenic mesas of the 98,000-acre Table Mountain Wilderness in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest within the Monitor Range, which stretches across the midsection of Nevada about 60 miles north of Tonopah. At its heart is Table Mountain, a 10-mile wide plateau with an average elevation of 10,000 feet.

Hours: The mining park is open seven days a week April 1-Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open Wednesdays from Oct. 1-March 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed federal holidays. The museum is open seven days a week from April 1-Sept. 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m; open Monday through Saturday from Oct. 1-March 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed most federal holidays and Nevada Day, Oct. 31.

Information:: Tonopah Convention and Visitors Authority: http://www.tonopahnevada.com/ or call (877) TONOPAH or (775) 482-3558

Central Nevada Museum: http://www.tonopahnevada.com/CentralNevadaMuseum.html or call (775) 482-9676

U.S. Forest Service Tonopah Ranger District: http://www.fs.fed.us/htnf or call (775) 482-6286

Nevada Commission on Tourism: http://www.travelnevada.com/ or call (800) NEVADA-8