Historic Sites

Historic Sites

Austin has eleven historic sites and buildings listed on the National Registry. These old and historic buildings are all easy to find and located in town, and nearby Stokes Castle is within walking distance.

Austin Nevada HISTORICAL MARKER
Click on the links below to access the Nevada State page and information about each marker.

Lander County HISTORICAL MARKERS

[8] Austin
[59] Stokes Castle
[66] Jacobsville
[67] Austin Churches
[119] Ruel Colt Gridley (Citizen Extraordinaire)
[136] Toquima Cave
[137] Hickison Summit
[176] The Surveyors
[208] International Hotel (First Commercial Building Constructed in Austin-1863)

Petroglyphs

Hickison Summit

A self-guided tour with interpretive signs, located on U.S. Highway 50, twenty-four miles east of Austin, Nevada. A short trail leads to the petroglyph sites from the parking area, as well as an overlook.

It is believed that prehistoric aborigines used this area as a site for ambushing migratory deer herds. These prehistoric hunters documented their stay with drawings etched into the volcanic rock walls of the pass. Many of these petroglyph panels are still legible. Their story tells of a time gone by, when the climate was wetter and a number of large lakes dotted the countryside. It was about 10,000 years ago that ancient tribes of humans camped around these lakes and carved their inscriptions. These petroglyphs are carved into a volcanic rock known as ignimbrite. The rock was formed even further back in history, about 40 million to 20 million years ago, during the Tertiary time, when sudden and violent volcanic eruptions shook the land.

Toquima Cave

Ancient Shoshone Indians painted the walls of this cave, which is located on Pete's Summit, in the Toquima mountain range. It is more than 7,000 ft. above sea level and is reached by foot from the nearby campground, about 1/4 mile.

Click here for more information about Toquima Cave Petroglyphs