Esmeralda County, NV is situated in west-central Nevada with an area totaling 651 square miles containing around 800 people living across its span - almost all engaged either directly or indirectly into mining activities found here since gold was discovered near Aurora back during 1850s which continues up until now providing much needed income each year for those involved plus offering some recreational opportunities like visiting ghost towns left behind after gold ran out or exploring surrounding wildlife areas like Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge.