Battle Mountain
Located in the heart of northern Nevada, midway between Winnemucca and Elko, Battle Mountain is the seat of Lander County and home to more than 2,700 residents It is a small community deriving its economy from mining and ranching. There is one major power generation facility with plans to establish another within the next several months. The area is being studied for possible solar generation projects. Battle Mountain offers year-round access to vast public lands where residents and travelers alike can hike, camp, hunt, and fish without ever seeing another soul. Battle Mountain is home to a thriving community of descendants of Basque pioneers, who celebrate their heritage with a festival each winter and a come-one, come-all picnic each summer.

Austin
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada. As of 2006, its population is approximately 287. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of 6,605 feet. U.S. Highway 50 passes through the town.

Named for Austin, Texas, Austin was founded in 1862, as part of a silver rush reputedly triggered by a Pony Express horse who kicked over a rock. By summer 1863, the Austin and the surrounding Reese River Mining District had a population of over 10,000, and it became the county seat of Lander County (the seat was shifted to Battle Mountain in 1979).

The Nevada Central Railroad was built to connect Austin with the transcontinental railroad at Battle Mountain in 1880. However, by that time the boom was almost over. Major silver production ended by 1887, although there was a slight revival in the 1910s. In the mid 1950s there was a great deal of interest in uranium deposits in the area, but the ore proved to be of low quality. High quality turquoise is still mined in the area in small quantities. Gold and silver mining has continued in the area sporadically and at generally low levels of production.

Today Austin is perhaps the best preserved example of an early Nevada mining town.

Kingston Canyon
Kingston Canyon, a historic mining district, is a short 30-mile drive south of Austin. It is named after the Kingston Mine discovered in 1863 and was the location of a number of silver mines in the 1860s. Remnants of the mines are scattered throughout the canyon and one large stone mill can be seen across from the Kingston Lodge. The Kingston area hosts some of the best varied trout fishing in the state. Some of the most beautiful scenery in Lander County can be seen here, from the Kingston Canyon Creek Campgrounds to Groves Lake.

Kingston employers are mining, government (local and state) and self-employment. A large part of the population is retired. Last Population count was 306 with approximately 180 full-time and 120 summer owners.

Gilman Springs, a sister community to Kingston, is located on State Highway 376, 12 miles from Highway 50 and a few miles north of Kingston. It is composed of one acre family farms and has had a number of houses built in the last few years. Both Kingston and Gilman Springs are located in the Big Smoky Valley.