Ghost Towns in California
45 documented ghost towns
Explore on Map
History
California's Gold Rush of 1849 created hundreds of mining camps. When the gold played out, miners moved on, leaving ghost towns scattered across the Sierra Nevada.
Regions: Gold Country • Death Valley • Eastern Sierra
All Ghost Towns
Adelaida
Adelaida was a farming community that faded as residents moved to larger towns. Today, the Adelaida Cemetery and a few structures remain. The area is ...
Angels Camp
Angels Camp is where Mark Twain heard the tale that became 'The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County' (1865), launching his literary career. Th...
Ballarat
Ballarat supplied miners heading to gold strikes in the Panamints. When mining declined, so did Ballarat. For decades, the town had a single resident ...
Bodie
Bodie is the best-preserved ghost town in the American West. At its peak in 1880, this gold mining boomtown had 10,000 residents and a reputation as t...
Burson
Burson was a Gold Rush era supply stop and stage station in the Mother Lode. It marks our 400th ghost town in the collection!...
Calico
Calico was a booming silver mining town that produced $86 million in silver ore. When silver prices crashed in the 1890s, the town emptied. Walter Kno...
Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo was a silver town that helped fund early Los Angeles. Brent Underwood bought the entire town in 2018 and documents restoration on YouTube....
Chinese Camp
Chinese Camp was home to 5,000 Chinese miners. In 1856, the only Tong War in American history took place here when 2,000 Chinese fought with knives an...
Columbia
Columbia was believed to be the 'Gem of the Southern Mines' extracting $87 million in gold. At 15,000 residents it was California's second largest cit...
Coulterville
Coulterville had one of the largest Chinatowns in the Mother Lode (1,000 Chinese of 5,000 total). The Sun Sun Wo Co. Store (1851) survives—its adobe c...
Darwin
Darwin was a silver mining town that peaked at 3,500 people. Today, about 40 people live here, many attracted by the isolation. Historic buildings lin...
Downieville
Downieville was a major Gold Rush center that peaked at 5,000+ residents and was considered for state capital (finished 6th of 16 cities). Infamous fo...
Drawbridge
Drawbridge was a hunting and fishing village built on stilts in the San Francisco Bay marshes. Pollution and subsidence doomed the town. The last resi...
Fiddletown
Fiddletown was named because Missouri miners spent evenings playing fiddle. In 1878, embarrassed residents renamed it 'Oleta.' In 1932, they changed i...
Harmony
Harmony was a dairy town that peaked at about 100 residents. As dairy operations consolidated, the population dwindled to just 18 people at one point....
Holy City
Holy City was founded by William Riker as a white supremacist religious cult headquarters on the main road between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. At it...
Hornitos
Hornitos was called the wildest town in the Mother Lode. Outlaw Joaquin Murrieta allegedly escaped through a tunnel from fandango hall. The town had 1...
Iowa Hill
Iowa Hill burned down and was rebuilt 6 times between 1857-1922. At its peak, 8,000 people lived here during the Gold Rush. About 150 residents remain...
Keeler
Keeler was a railroad terminus for the Cerro Gordo mines. When LA diverted Owens Lake water, the lake dried up creating toxic dust storms. About 50 re...
Kennett
Kennett was a bustling copper smelter town with 10,000 residents, hotels, theaters, and a red-light district. In 1942, Shasta Dam was completed, and t...
Knights Ferry
Founded in 1849 by Dr. William Knight as a river crossing for Gold Rush miners. His ferry earned $500/day. Features the longest covered bridge west of...
Lake Dolores Waterpark
Lake Dolores (later Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark) was an unlikely attraction - a waterpark in the Mojave Desert. For decades, it drew visitors seeking relie...
Llano del Rio
Llano del Rio was the most successful socialist colony in American history. Founded by Job Harriman after his failed run for Los Angeles mayor, the co...
Locke
Locke is the only surviving rural Chinatown in America. Built by Chinese immigrants in 1915 after Walnut Grove's Chinatown burned, it's now a National...
Manzanar
Manzanar was one of ten camps where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated during WWII. At its peak, over 10,000 people lived here in barracks beh...
Masonic
Masonic is a remote ghost town in the Eastern Sierra, accessible only by rough 4WD roads. Stone foundations and mine ruins remain....
Mentryville
Mentryville was the headquarters of California's first commercial oil operation. Charles Mentry managed oil fields that would eventually become Chevro...
Mineral King
Mineral King was a silver mining ghost town until Walt Disney proposed a massive ski resort in 1965. Environmentalists fought back—the Supreme Court c...
Mokelumne Hill
Mokelumne Hill was so violent there was at least one murder per week for 17 straight weeks. It peaked at 10,000+ during the Gold Rush. The Hotel Léger...
North Bloomfield
North Bloomfield used giant water cannons to blast away mountainsides for gold. It created California's largest hydraulic mine pit. Environmental laws...
Panamint City
Panamint City boomed in a narrow canyon in the Panamints. Senators from Nevada funded it to evade California taxes. A massive 1876 flash flood destroy...
Randsburg
Randsburg is a 'living ghost town' - drastically reduced from its peak but with an operating general store, saloon, and about 70 residents....
Rough and Ready
Rough and Ready briefly 'seceded' from the United States on April 7, 1850 to avoid a mining tax, declaring itself the 'Republic of Rough and Ready.' T...
San Simeon
San Simeon was a whaling station and port before William Randolph Hearst built his famous castle on the hill above. The original village includes a 18...
Shasta
Shasta was the 'Queen City of the North' and Shasta County's original seat. The 1861 courthouse is now a museum. Brick ruins of stores line what was M...
Shoshone
Shoshone is a tiny hamlet on the edge of Death Valley with about 31 residents. It serves as a gateway to the national park. The Shoshone Museum has lo...
Skidoo
Skidoo was Death Valley's last great gold camp, named after the slang phrase '23 Skidoo.' Its stamp mill was powered by water piped 23 miles from Tele...
Swansea
Swansea marks our 500th ghost town! Named after the Welsh copper smelting city, it processed silver ore from the Cerro Gordo mines across Owens Lake. ...
Trona
Trona is an industrial town that extracts minerals from Searles Lake. The nearby Trona Pinnacles are otherworldly tufa formations used in many sci-fi ...
Tropico
Tropico was a gold mining town near Rosamond in the Mojave Desert. The Tropico Mine operated from 1894 to 1954. Ruins of the mill and cemetery remain ...
Volcano
Volcano built California's first cannon 'Old Abe' to defend against Confederate sympathizers. At 5,000 it had California's first library and debating ...
Volcanville
Volcanville was a Gold Rush placer mining town. After fire destroyed it, residents never rebuilt. Some foundations remain in the forest....
Weaverville
Weaverville was a gold mining town with a large Chinese population. The Joss House State Historic Park preserves California's oldest continuously used...
Whiskey Flat
Whiskey Flat (original Kernville) was a gold mining town that had to be moved when Isabella Dam was built. The original townsite is now under Lake Isa...
You Bet
You Bet got its unusual name from saloonkeeper Lazarus Beard's favorite expression. At peak, 1,000 residents supported hydraulic mining operations. Th...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ghost towns are in California?
We have documented 45 ghost towns in California. These range from completely abandoned mining camps to semi-inhabited historic settlements.
Are ghost towns in California safe to visit?
Most ghost towns are safe to explore, but exercise caution. Watch for unstable structures, mine shafts, and wildlife. Some are on private property - always check access rules before visiting.
What should I bring when visiting ghost towns?
Bring water, snacks, sun protection, sturdy shoes, a flashlight, and a first aid kit. Many ghost towns are in remote areas without cell service, so download offline maps.
Can I take artifacts from ghost towns?
No. Removing artifacts, bottles, or debris is illegal and destroys historical sites. Take only photos and leave only footprints.
What's the best time to visit ghost towns in California?
Spring and fall offer the best weather for exploring. Summer can be extremely hot in desert locations, while winter may make roads impassable.