Explore the ghost towns of California and Nevada, where you can witness the remnants of abandoned buildings and experience the revival of some towns as popular tourist destinations. While some of these towns require a four-wheel drive to access, most can be explored in any vehicle. Visiting these ghost towns is an exciting adventure that offers a glimpse into the past and an opportunity to learn about history. Nevada Ghost Towns – Arizona Ghost Towns
California Ghost Towns
Bodie Ghost Town California High Sierra
Bodie Ghost Town is an excellent example of an abandoned, old-west mining town in California. Bodie is the official California Gold Rush ghost town. Bodie is located seven miles south of Bridgeport via Bodie Road (the last three miles are unpaved.) The California Department of Parks and Recreation cares for this unique ghost town. With around 200 buildings, you will have plenty of exploring to keep you busy.
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town Owens Valley
Cerro Gordo Ghost Town in the Inyo Mountains high above California’s Owens Valley. Cerro Gordo is on private property, and you’ll need permission from the owner to access the property. The mine and town are visible from the road but do not enter without permission. Cerro Gordo is eight miles up a steep gravel road from the Owens Valley town of Keeler.
Randsburg Ghost Town Kern County
Travelers will be transported back to California’s early gold mining days when they visit the Living Ghost Town of Randsburg. Although gold fever is no longer the main draw, the town still has an invasion of tourists, mainly summer travelers passing through the area, who stop to explore the town’s historical past. They are scattered along Butte Avenue between various dilapidated structures and historical monuments, including a tiny jail cell and rusted-out abandoned vehicles.
Dublin Gulch Miners Cave
Dublin Gulch was inhabited for over 100 years before being abandoned. Miners carved these living quarters into the side of a canyon near the entrance to Death Valley. The stone walls kept them comfortable in the summer and warm in the winter. Most of the caves consist of one room. However, a few of the most resourceful inhabitants dug several chambers. One of the cave dwellings even had a garage. As the mines played out, the miners moved on. More recent inhabitants included hippies and hobos. By the mid-seventies, all of the cave homes were vacant.
Calico Ghost Town Barstow, CA
Calico Ghost Town is a family-friendly friendly adventure near the high desert town of Barstow, California. At its height, Calico boasted a population of 1,200 people and over 500 silver mines. The usual assortment of bars, brothels, gambling halls, and churches existed. These days, the Calico is populated mainly by tourists, but well worth a look. Calico Ghost Town is off Interstate 15, three miles from Barstow.
Daggett California
Daggett was once a bustling mining town with two railroads, saloons, hotels, and three blacksmiths. These days, Daggett is bordering on being a ghost town. Plenty of remnants of the glory days, including The Stone Hotel and Alf’s Blacksmith shop that built 20-mule team wagons to transport ore from the nearby Calico Hills.
Keeler Ghost Town Owens Valley
Keeler once had a population of around 2500 people. Today, there are only 50 residents. Keeler has several landmarks on the eastern shore of the mainly dry Owens Lake, including the town swimming pool and the dilapidated train depot.
Mentryville Ghost Town Newhall, CA
Mentryville Ghost Town is a California Historic Landmark in the Santa Susana Mountains near Los Angeles. Mentryville is California Historical Landmark numbers 516-1 and 2. The few remaining structures, including a restored thirteen-room Pennsylvania-style mansion, the one-room Felton schoolhouse, and a period barn, are silent reminders of a long-gone era. Oil industry-related, and other artifacts are found along some trails leading into and out of Mentryville.
North Bloomfield Malakoff Diggins
The California gold rush town of Bloomfield grew from a small mining camp (Humbug) into a city of nearly 2000 residents. Bloomfield. After most of the gold was recovered, the town faded as quickly as it rose. Today, the ghost town of North Bloomfield and the Hydraulic mining area are located in Malakoff Diggins, Historical Park.
Coloma California
Coloma is where the gold was discovered in Northern California. Marshall Gold Discovery Park in Coloma features miners’ cabins, a general store, a replica of Sutter’s Mill, and various historic buildings dating back to the mid-1800s.
Pioneertown Yucca Valley, CA
Pioneertown Yucca Valley is not an actual Ghost Town but a western town built for filming movies in the 1940s. There is a saloon, livery stables, a post office, and a marshal’s office. During the summer, mock gunfights are held on the main street. The road to Pioneertown is a California Scenic Drive; if you like desert scenery, you are in for a real treat as you drive out to the old western town.
Melody Ranch Ghost Town
Melody Ranch has a nearly 100-year history in the film industry. It started in 1915 as a location for filming westerns. At that time, it was known as Monogram Movie Ranch. While not a real ghost town, it certainly looks the part. A small museum is on-site, and tours of the ranch and western village are available for groups with reservations.
Silver City Ghost Town Lake Isabella
Silver City Ghost Town features 20 historic buildings with thousands of treasures from mining camps and other local frontier settlements. While the town itself is not original, nearly all structures, along with their creepy mannequin displays, are authentic. Silver City is a diamond in the rough for antique lovers, with thousands of artifacts on display throughout the property. Some of them are for sale in the town’s main building.
Chemung Mine Mono County
Chemung Mine is located on the back road to Bodie Ghost Town. Chemung Mine is about 15 Bridgeport Reservoir via Masonic Road (dirt and gravel.). 4WD may be needed depending on road conditions. The Chemung Mine and Mill are worth checking out for Western history buffs. The area has several smaller mine sites and ruins from the Ghost Town of Masonic, California.
Brown Flour Mill
Built-in 1878, the Brown Flour Mill is one of the oldest structures in the Kern River Valley. What was once the Andrew Brown Ranch is now part of the Kern River Preserve. The buildings are off-limits but can be viewed from Highway 178 or via a nature trail around the old mill buildings. The Brown Flour Mill is located at Highway 178 and Kelso Valley Road east of Lake Isabella.
Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town
The middle of Orange County, California, is probably the last place you would expect to find a ghost town. While primarily a tourist attraction, this ghost town has original and replica buildings. Ghost Town buildings include the Gold Trails Hotel, formerly from a ghost town in Arizona, The Blacksmith Shop, Bird Cage Theatre, Boot Hill, Western Trails Museum, and The Ghost Town & Calico Railroad.
Kelso California
At one time, the population of Kelso, California, was nearly 2,000. In 1947, the nearby Vulcan Mine shut down, and the town’s residents slowly moved away. Today, the skeletons of a few buildings remain, along with a wonderfully restored train depot. The Spanish-style depot is a museum and visitor center for the Mojave National Preserve.
Death Valley Junction
Death Valley Junction was once a bustling stop along the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. Today, Death Valley Junction is not much more than a ghost town. The gas station is permanently closed. The Amargosa Death Valley Cafe is usually open on weekends, and a couple of times a year, you can watch a ballet at the Amargosa Opera House.
Leadville Ghost Town
Leadfield is located at the head of the Titus Canyon near Death Valley. Leadfield was only an active mining town for about two years. There was never any lead mined here. It was a boondoggle thought up by C.C. Julian to sell mine claims to unsuspecting investors.
Locke California
Locke came to be in 1915. It is a town built by the Chinese for the Chinese population of workers after many were displaced due to a fire in nearby Walnut Grove. This tiny little town is on the National Registry of Historic Places because it is the only town in the United States built by Chinese for Chinese. At the same time, not a ghost town, Locke is well worth a visit for history buffs.
Harmony Borax Works
Harmony was an active mining camp between 1882 and 1888. About 40 workers, primarily Chinese laborers, were used to process borax at the facility—several adobe buildings And the mill, including a dining hall and company store. Harmony Borax Works is one mile north of Furnace Creek Death Valley Visitors Center. A paved road can easily reach the ruins of Harmony Borax Works.
Laws Owens Valley
Laws museum and historical site preserve the Owens Valley railroad town of Laws. See the original train depot of the Carson and Colorado Railroad, plus many historic buildings from the unique city. Railroad artifacts and mining equipment around the Owens Valley are displayed on the museum’s grounds.
Little Pine Village
Tiny Pine Village is on the grounds of the Eastern California Museum of Independence, CA. While not an authentic ghost town, the village is made from buildings salvaged from mining camps in and around Owens Valley. The museum houses a massive collection of artifacts about the history of the Owens Valley. The Eastern California Museum is worth stopping while traveling along Highway 395.
Ballarat Ghost Town
Ballarat lasted only a few years, just long enough for the nearby mines to play out of minerals. Between 1897 and 1905, several hundred individuals resided in Ballarat. The town had multiple saloons, numerous hotels, a Wells Fargo station, and a post office. Once the ore was exhausted, only a few miners and prospectors remained before ultimately abandoning Ballarat. Today, visitors to Ballarat can stop by the Ballarat Trading Post, which may or may not be open, and view the remnants of the town. Ballarat can be accessed from California 178, north of Trona; there is a historical marker at the Ballarat Road turnoff.
Harmony California Central Coast
The little town of Harmony was founded in 1869. The Harmony Valley Dairy produced butter, cheese, and buttermilk, popular with Highway One tourists. William Randolph Hearst was said to stop sometimes on his way to Hearst Castle. In the mid-1950s, the dairy relocated to San Luis Obispo. The town was abandoned until the 1970s when it became popular with hippies. Today, a few hardy soles call Harmony home and rely on passing tourists to make a living.
Limekiln State Park
Rockland Lime and Lumber Company operated a small operation along the Big Sur Coast for three years in the late 1800s. Limestone was extracted from the canyon and processed into line using four large kilns. The nearby redwood forest provided the fuel to run the furnaces. The remains of furnaces and foundations of a few buildings are on an easy hike from the Limekiln State Park’s campground.
Nevada Ghost Towns
Nevada has some impressive ghost towns. Most were temporary mining camps; however, a few still survive today as tourist attractions. Our list of Silver State Ghost Towns will continue to grow as we travel around Nevada.
Nelson Ghost Town
Nelson Ghost Town is a gold mine turned tourist attraction about 40 miles south of Las Vegas. Techatticup Gold Mine was the most productive mine in Eldorado Canyon and operated from 1861 to 1942. Today, gold mine tours are offered to the general public. This historic property has been the location of numerous music videos and movies.
Stokes Castle Austin, Nevada
Stokes Castle sits above the mining town of Austin, Nevada. Mining baron Anson Phelps Stokes briefly used this unusual stone tower as a summer vacation home. While not a ghost town, Austin, Nevada, has some remarkable old buildings, including the International Hotel, the oldest in Nevada.
Berlin Ghost Town, Nevada
Berlin is one of the best-preserved Ghost Towns in Nevada due to its remote location and year-round park ranges. This silver mining boomtown boasted over 250 residents in its heyday. Many of the buildings still have the original artifacts. A self-guided walking trail with numerous signs tells the story of the Ghost Town of Berlin, Nevada.
Rhyolite Ghost Town, Nevada
Rhyolite was once a mining town of 10,000 people with over 50 saloons and 18 grocery stores. Today, all that is left is a few buildings. 1907, the city boasted concrete sidewalks, electric lights, water mains, telephone and telegraph lines, daily newspapers, and a monthly magazine. Rhyolite Ghost Town is 4 miles west of Beatty, Nevada, on HWY 374.
Goodsprings Nevada
Goodsprings Nevada Ghost Town. At its height, the population was over 800 people, with stores, seven saloons, a post office, a school, and a grand hotel. There are still a few residents today, with the main attraction in town being the Pioneer Saloon. Goodsprings is 30 minutes from Las Vegas. I-15 to Jean, then west 7 miles on SR 161 to Goodsprings.
Virginia City Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada, is not a ghost town these days, although it has come close several times in the past. Visitors can walk along authentic board sidewalks and view historic churches, 19th-century homes, and cemeteries. Old West saloons of years past offer a bridge to another era while the museums, shops, and restaurants expand the experience. Virginia City is 23 Miles From Reno – 15 Miles from Carson City – 40 Miles from Lake Tahoe
Gold Point Ghost Town, Nevada
Gold Point, Nevada, has gone from a bustling mining town to just a few residents. Ranchers and miners first settled the city during the 1880s, but it wasn’t until miner J.W. Dunfee discovered gold in the 1920s that the town would thrive and be aptly renamed Gold Point. If you love visiting a deserted location free from the constraints of the urban sprawl, then the old ghost town of Gold Point, Nevada, is the spot for you.
Belmont Ghost Town, Nevada
This high desert town had two saloons, restaurants, a post office, a bank, a school, and enough residents to support two newspapers. At the height of the silver mining boom, Belmont had over 10,000 town folk. Like many other towns, the city emptied when the mine played out. From 1876 to 1905, Belmont was the county seat of Nye County, Nevada, with a beautiful two-story brick courthouse that still stands today. Belmont Ghost Town is 46 miles from Tonopah, Nevada.
Genoa Nevada
Genoa was founded in 1850 as the first settlement of the Nevada Territory. Mormon pioneers first settled in the area, and the region acted as a trading post called Mormon Station for travelers on the California Trail. Genoa is home to the oldest continually operated saloon in Nevada. The Genoa Bar was patronized by Teddy Roosevelt and Johnny Cash and was used in John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies. Mormon Station has a small log cabin museum that houses artifacts from Nevada’s early days.
Pioche Nevada
At one time, Pioche was the largest mining town in southeastern Nevada, with nearly 10,000. Today, the city has fewer folks, but there are some impressive old buildings to check out if you decide to stay the night, including the remains of a tramway used to haul Silver Ore.
Fort Churchill Nevada Historic Park
The ruins of old Fort Churchill sit along the banks of the Carson River near the town of Silver Springs, Nevada. Fort Churchill’s buildings were made of adobe and worn down by the wind, rain, and snow. Fort Churchill has an excellent visitor center that displays artifacts from the fort.
Jarbidge Nevada
Gold was discovered near Jarbidge in 1909 by David Bourne. By the 1920s, Jarbidge was the leading gold-producing area in Nevada. Mining operations ended in 1932, and most town folks moved away. Jarbidge never became a complete ghost town. A few hardy people remained in this remote town. You have to want to visit Jarbidge to travel there. The easiest route is a 92-mile trip from Twin Falls, Idaho. The last 18 miles are on a graded dirt road. From Elko, Nevada, the journey is 104 miles, 64 miles on dirt roads.
Unionville Pershing County, Nevada
Unionville is not a complete ghost town. There are a few hardy folks that still live in the area. During its peak mining days between 1863 and 1870, over 1500 people called Unionville home. Mark Twain even spent some time in Unionville, intending to prospect for silver. Like most boom towns, folks moved on when the ore played out, what little there was. A few of the original buildings remain, including a one-room schoolhouse.
Several ranch houses and a bed and breakfast inn are along Unionville Road today. There are several old mines in the upper and side canyons. Unionville is 24 miles south of I-80 along State Route 400 and Unionville Road. One hundred fifty miles east of Reno, Nevada.
Tuscarora Nevada
Established by brothers Steve and John Beard, Tuscarora is a living ghost town that now operates as a ranching community and is home to several world-renowned artists in the area. The Tuscarora Pottery School offers two-week summer workshops in town with a room at the “Hotel.” Tuscarora is located in Elko County, Nevada.
Arizona Ghost Towns
Jerome Ghost Town, Arizona
Jerome Ghost Town was once known as one of the wickedest towns in America. Today, the town is a hub for the arts, music, and culture reminiscent of its incredible history.
Oatman Ghost Town, Arizona
You can be sure to enjoy wild west fun, replete with wild donkeys, wooden sidewalks, staged gunfights, unique souvenir shops, and quirky annual events when you visit Oatman. An easy drive from Laughlin, Nevada, or Bullhead City, Arizona, Oatman Ghost Town is fun to spend the day.
Chloride Arizona
While the town is not an abandoned ghost town, it’s like stepping back in time. Chloride features historic buildings, a recreated Western street, junk sculptures, and beautiful rock murals.
Goldfield Arizona
Goldfield is a resurrected Ghost Town. After being abandoned for many years, the town was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. Today, many of Goldfield’s buildings and Arizona’s only working narrow-gauge railroad are reconstructed. This popular tourist attraction is only a one-hour drive from Phoenix.
Lowell Arizona
If you ever find yourself in Bisbee, Arizona, visit Lowell, Arizona. It’s a must-see destination for history enthusiasts. Erie Street is the only remaining part of Lowell, a mining town in Arizona that dates back to the late 1800s. However, the only remaining buildings are a quarter-mile section from the 1950s.
Tombstone Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona, is about an hour and a half drive from Tucson. It is a historic city that was founded in 1879 in Cochise County. Tombstone was once the hub of the largest silver mining district in Arizona. Nowadays, Tombstone is renowned as a tourist destination, providing visitors with a taste of the ‘Wild, Wild West’ experience.
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