Lake Valley, New Mexico

This stone building in the ghost town of Lake Valley was a schoolhouse in 1893, then a saloon in 1902. It later served as a general store before ending its life as a Conoco gas station. Apache Hill (elev. 5,885 ft.) is in the background behind the Conoco sign. Lake Valley's population peaked at 4,000 people in the late 1880s. Today, there are no residents in Lake Valley and it is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and a dedicated and knowledgeable on-site staff. Photo taken 8/26/07.