Best Ghost Town Road Trips: 10 Epic Routes Across America

Why Road Trip to Ghost Towns?

Ghost towns rarely exist in isolation. Mining booms, railroad routes, and geographic features created clusters of abandoned settlements across the American West. A road trip lets you experience multiple sites while enjoying spectacular scenery between stops.

Trip Planning Essentials

Before hitting the road:

Route 1: California Gold Country Classic

The Route

• Placerville — Gateway to Gold Country
• Coloma — Where gold was first discovered (Marshall Gold Discovery State Park)
• Downieville — Remote mountain mining town
• Alleghany — Active mining still happens here
• Columbia State Historic Park — Living history museum
• Chinese Camp — Remnants of Chinese immigrant miners' community
• Hornitos — Authentic ruins, Joaquin Murrieta legend
• Bodie — California's crown jewel ghost town

Highlights

• Marshall Gold Discovery State Park
• Scenic Highway 49 winding through Sierra foothills
• Bodie's 170+ preserved structures

Route 2: Nevada's Loneliest Road

The Route

• Rhyolite — Bottle House and Goldwell sculptures
• Bullfrog — Mining district near Rhyolite
• Goldfield — Still semi-inhabited, great hotels
• Tonopah — Historic mining center (overnight stay recommended)
• Belmont — Courthouse and mill ruins
• Austin — Historic Pony Express town
• Berlin — Intact ghost town with ichthyosaur fossils
• Virginia City — The Comstock Lode's greatest city

Highlights

• Extraterrestrial Highway nearby
• Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
• Tonopah's famous Clown Motel

Route 3: Colorado's Mining Triangle

The Route

• Silverton — Still alive, historic downtown
• Animas Forks — Iconic 12,000 ft ghost town
• Eureka — Mill ruins in spectacular alpine setting
• Howardsville — Mining camp remnants
• Ophir — Precarious mountain mining site
• Telluride (optional) — Former mining town, now ski resort

Highlights

• Million Dollar Highway scenic drive
• Durango & Silverton Railroad
• Alpine wildflower season (July)

[!] Warning

Many Colorado ghost towns require 4x4 vehicles and are inaccessible until mid-summer. Roads can wash out. Check conditions locally.

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Route 4: Arizona Copper Country

The Route

• Jerome — America's largest ghost town (now artsy)
• Clarkdale — Verde Canyon Railroad departure point
• Vulture City — Private ghost town with tours
• Wickenburg — Historic mining center
• Oatman — Wild burros roam the streets
• Tombstone — "The Town Too Tough to Die"
• Bisbee — Former copper town, now hip destination

Highlights

• Jerome's vertiginous hillside setting
• Gunfight reenactments at the O.K. Corral
• Bisbee's Queen Mine Tour

Route 5: Montana's Ghost Town Trail

The Route

• Butte — America's richest hill (still has population)
• Anaconda — Smelter stack visible for miles
• Granite — High-altitude silver town
• Phillipsburg — Sapphire mining, candy store
• Garnet — Excellently preserved ghost town
• Bannack — Montana's first territorial capital
• Virginia City — Montana's other famous ghost town
• Nevada City — Open-air museum of buildings

Highlights

• Bannack Days festival (July)
• Ghost hunting at Garnet (reportedly very active)
• Sapphire panning in Phillipsburg

Route 6: Texas Hill Country Ruins

The Route

• Luckenbach — Tiny, famous for music scene
• Gruene — Historic district, live music
• Indianola — Hurricane-destroyed port town
• Shafter — Remote mining town (permits required)
• Terlingua — Near Big Bend, chili cookoff fame

Highlights

• Live music at Gruene Hall
• Big Bend National Park nearby
• Famous Terlingua chili cookoff (November)

Route 7: Pacific Northwest Logging & Mining

The Route

• Roslyn, WA — Northern Exposure filming location
• Liberty, WA — Gold mining ghost town
• Shaniko, OR — "Ghost Town of Oregon"
• Boyd, OR — Railroad ghost town
• Golden, OR — Former mining camp church remains

Highlights

• Cascade Range scenery
• Historic Route 97
• Semi-arid Oregon high desert

Route 8: New Mexico's Turquoise Trail

The Route

• Golden — Church ruins
• Madrid — Artist colony in former coal town
• Cerrillos — Turquoise mining history
• Mogollon — Remote mountain ghost town
• Shakespeare — Private ghost town near Lordsburg (tours only)
• Lake Valley — Once world's largest silver deposits

Highlights

• Madrid's quirky art scene
• Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway
• Incredible New Mexico light for photographers

Route 9: Alaska's Gold Rush Trail

The Route

• Kennecott — Massive copper mine ruins (Wrangell-St. Elias NP)
• McCarthy — Gateway town to Kennecott
• Chitina — Historic railroad town
• Talkeetna — Not a ghost town, but essential stop
• Independence Mine — Hatcher Pass mining ruins
• Chatanika — Gold dredge and camp remnants

Highlights

• Kennecott's red mill buildings against glaciers
• Bush plane flights available for remote sites
• Northern lights possible in late August

[!] Note

Alaska requires more planning. Roads are rough, services are sparse, and weather is unpredictable.

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Route 10: Utah's Silver Belt

The Route

• Park City — Former mining town, now ski resort
• Eureka — Once called "richest city in Utah"
• Mercur — Ruins of massive gold operation
• Ophir — Well-preserved canyon town
• Frisco — Beehive kilns and smelter ruins
• Grafton — Near Zion, famous from Butch Cassidy

Highlights

• Grafton's scenic cemetery
• Frisco's 5-story beehive charcoal kilns
• Easy combo with Zion or Bryce Canyon

Road Trip Pro Tips

• Start early — Gates at state parks open at dawn, crowds arrive later
• Pack lunch — Restaurant options are limited in remote areas
• Carry cash — Some entrance fees are cash-only
• Document your route — GPS tracks help when roads aren't marked
• Be flexible — Weather and road conditions change plans

What to Pack

Beyond the basics:

• Tow strap — You might need to rescue (or be rescued)
• Shovel — Mud and sand happen
• Paper maps — Backup for when technology fails
• Camping gear — Opens up more options
• Camera with extra batteries — No charging stations