This page has photographs of the Humboldt River canyon just east of Palisade, NV, as well as nearby sights of interest. I visited the area in September 2008 and October 2009. The photos on this page are from both visits.
During the 19th century, the canyon was one of the scenic highlights for travellers
on the American trans-
Looking east about a mile into the canyon. The canyon head shown in the view on this page is about a mile further east of here.
The line is the old Central Pacific. As far as I can ascertain, the ruins on the hill and track side are buildings once belonging to an old rock quarry established there in the late 19th century.
The eastern canyon entrance is about five miles south west of Carlin, NV. Above, looking south west from Highway 278, a panoramic view of the railway lines entering the eastern head of the canyon. The old Central Pacific line is on the right.
The Western Pacific completed a line through the canyon in 1907 as part of its Salt
Lake City, UT-
In 1885, the Southern Pacific took over operation of the Central Pacific line when the two companies combined. Then, in 1901, The Union Pacific took control of the Southern Pacific, although the old company continued to operate as a separate entity, and final merger did not occur until 1996. Finally, in 1983, the Union Pacific acquired the Western Pacific so both lines now carry Union Pacific trains. However, Amtrak and BNSF also have trackage rights on both lines.
A view of the Humboldt River just to the right of the view above. The old Western Pacific line is on the right in this photograph.
Looking west from from the same location as the previous two photographs. The line side structure on the right in this view appears to be the remains of a loading platform used by the old rock quarry. You can see the remains of a spur line to this in one of the next photographs.
As the Central Pacific had already laid its track on the wider, eastern floor of the canyon, the Western Pacific was forced to lay on the narrower, more difficult terrain of the western side. This meant tunnelling through the c.60’ “Red Cliff” outcrop.
Rail traffic is quite frequent through the canyon but, despite waiting for some time, I did not manage to get a photograph of a train emerging from the tunnel.
Looking east a half mile further on. An old mining company building is just visible on the flank of the canyon on the left. The dressed stone western portal of the tunnel is in the centre of this view.
This panorama encompasses the curve of the Humboldt River and alluvial wash where it is joined by Pine Creek. The cut in the lower foreground is all that remains of the E&P grade. From here, it ran 90 miles south to Eureka and the ore mines that sustained both the old railroad and the local economy.
Both the old WP and SP lines can be seen running from the right across the middle of this view.
Looking west from the same location. On the lower right are the remains of a spur line that once served the old rock quarry.
The challenge of stringing a line along the narrower parts of the western side of the canyon is evident on the left.
Above, two separate views, each a little further west show the sheer walls of the canyon that earned it the name “Palisade”.
Trains usually run east bound on the old Western Pacific line and westbound on the old Central Pacific line.
Looking west along the old Southern Pacific line. The original Central Pacific line curved off to the left of the clump of trees in this photograph but the SP later rebuilt the line along its current orientation.
Immediately to the left of the current line was the site of the Eureka & Palisade Railroad yard. Palisade was the headquarters of the railroad, and the narrow gauge line that ran south to Eureka was sustained by ore and freight shipped from Eureka and the Ruby Hill Mine. The passenger depot also served the Central Pacific (the Western Pacific had its own depot and freight station across the river).
To the right of this view, just behind the stop sign, are the remains of the foot of an incline that led to a large ore transfer trestle. Eureka & Palisade narrow gauge cars were hauled up to the trestle to drop their ore loads into standard gauge Southern Pacific cars.
Another view west along the old Southern Pacific line. The original Central Pacific line roughly followed the slightly overgrown track cutting across from the left.
Looking east across the old yard. The site has ruins of an ice house, car shop, store room, turntable, machine shop and engine house used by the Eureka & Palisade for its four locomotives. The railroad also rostered 58 freight cars and 3 bright yellow passenger coaches.
A view west. The road running through the middle of this photograph is the old route of the E&P. It is now a UP service road that connects to Palisade Ranch Road.
A view looking down from the location of John Swan’s Hotel, which was once part of the township of Palisade.
The road that cuts from the lower left of this photograph once crossed the Humboldt close to the left hand tunnel entrance. The old bridge embankment is still visible there.
A double-
The cemetery is on the west side of the hill overlooking what was once the township.
Palisade township took its name from the basalt “palisade” on the eastern side of the canyon, a term used in various parts of the U.S. for similar geologic features (e.g. New Jersey Palisades).
Most employment was provided by the Eureka and Palisade Railroad, but there was also a small hotel, shops and a school, as well as Odd Fellows and Masonic lodges.
The settlement may have numbered as many as 600 inhabitants at one time, but settled down to c.250 by the turn of the 20th century. As mining declined in Eureka, E&P runs became less frequent, and Palisade also declined. Heavy floods struck the town in 1910, destroying many businesses and damaging the rail beds and, within a few years, there were fewer than 150 inhabitants.
Then, when the E&P pulled up its rails in 1938, the township’s end was just a matter of time. The post office closed in 1962 and there are only farm houses and a few ruins at the location now.
Views of various ruins.
The lowest of these three photographs shows the steps of what was once the township’s courthouse.
When I visited in 2008, a trestle bridge carried the old Southern Pacific line over the Humboldt River. But, as you can see from other photographs on this page, a year later it was gone.
The old township nestled on the flat land and low hills on the left of the rail line. The CP/E&P station yard was on the right.
UP #5494 (GE Dash 9-
The bridge is clearly dated 1903, so it must have survived the devastating floods of 1910
The Southern Pacific tunnel exits on the right of these photographs. The exit on the left is the old Western Pacific line.
The E&P line once ran along the bank of the river between the tunnels and bridges. The road cutting across from the right on the other side of the river is the grade of the old Central Pacific line.
There is no visible date on the old WP bridge, but the old SP bridge is dated 1906 (another survivor of the 1910 floods?).
The old Southern Pacific tunnel is 879’ long.
The Western Pacific tunnel (on the left in most of the views on this page) is 1,060’ long.
The gravel road in the upper view is the old road west. The remains of road bridge embankment are visible to the left of the bridge in both of these photographs.
A view of both tunnel exist and bridges looking south from across the river valley.
The river and both lines enter a canyon defile at the far end of the alluvial wash.
The main part of the canyon from just south of Carlin to Palisade is only three miles long. However, if you include the section from here west through Barth and Two Hill Canyon, it is about 9 miles long.
Two views just west of Barth in Two Hill Canyon.
The top view looking east shows the characteristic basaltic rock formations of the canyon. The bottom photograph looks west.
The lines cross at Barth and traverse a wide plain from Harney to Beowawe. In the lower photograph, facing east, the old WP line is just visible on the left at Beowawe.
The back road in this part of the canyon is quite rough.
The view facing west with the old WP line in the foreground.
Related links:
www.elkorose.com/palisade.html
www.somewherewest.com/.../Palisade%20Canyon,%20Nevada.htm
Report a broken link or suggest a new one.
Left, Entering the Palisades of the Humboldt, from Crofutt’s 1879 New Overland Tour, p.137 (you can browse this book from the manuals page of this website, as well as downloading a word searchable PDF version from there).
The Central Pacific first drove a railroad line through here in 1868 as the company pushed east to join the Union Pacific at Promontory, UT (you can see photographs of the old Central Pacific grade from Lucin to Rozel, UT, on this website, as well as Promontory NHS, where the two railroads joined).
Above, Palisades of the Humboldt River, C.P.R.R., from Crofutt’s 1879 New Overland Tour, p.91 (you can browse this book from the manuals page of this website, as well as downloading a word searchable PDF version from there).
Crofutt described, somewhat hyperbolically: “In passing down this canyon, we seem to pass between two walls which threaten to close together ere we shall gain the outlet. ... The walls in places have crumbled, and large masses of crushed rocks slope down to the river brink. Seams of iron ore and copper bearing rock break the monotony of the color, showing the existence of large deposits of these minerals among these brown old mountains. Now we pass “Red Cliff” which rears its battered frontlet 800 feet above the water”.
Below, San Francisco Overland Limited, Palisade Canyon, Nevada, from the Southern Pacific Railroad’s early 20th century set of coloured views published as The Overland Trail (you can browse this book from the manuals page of this website, as well as downloading a word searchable PDF version from there). The Overland Trail reports:
“The road penetrates the range of mountains by way of this canyon. The walls rise on each side in rugged grandeur attaining in places a height of a thousand feet. The peculiar stratification of the rocks resembling that of the Hudson has lead to the term, Palisades of the Humboldt. Red Cliff is a striking promontory in the midst of the Canyon”.
All in all, this is not an overly exaggerated representation of the canyon.
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