Ghost Towns in California
32 documented ghost towns
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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
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 ...
Ballarat
Ballarat was a supply center for Panamint Mountains gold mines, named by an Australian immigrant after his homeland's gold region. At peak it had 7 sa...
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...
Calico
Calico was California's largest silver producer in the 1880s, with 500+ mines yielding millions in silver ore. After silver prices crashed, Walter Kno...
Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo was California's largest silver and lead producer, whose bullion shipments helped build early Los Angeles. Discovered by Mexican miners in...
Chinese Camp
Chinese Camp was home to 5,000+ Chinese miners who called California 'Gold Mountain.' Site of the First Tong War (1856) between Sam Yap and Yan Woo to...
Columbia
Columbia was the 'Gem of the Southern Mines'—at peak, one of California's largest cities with 25,000-30,000 residents. It produced $87-150 million in ...
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
Named after explorer Dr. Darwin French, this Inyo County town became California's leading lead producer. At peak it was the county's largest town with...
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 is San Francisco Bay's only ghost town—a hunting and fishing community on a salt marsh island, accessible only by railroad. At peak, 90 bui...
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
Founded by Mexican miners expelled from Quartzburg, Hornitos (Spanish for 'little ovens') was named for the distinctive above-ground tombs they built....
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...
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 ('Mok Hill') was one of the deadliest Gold Rush towns—at least one murder per week for 17 weeks. It was the first Calaveras County seat...
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...
Panamint City
Panamint City was a notorious silver mining town, reportedly founded by outlaws who needed a remote hideout. The town grew to 2,000 residents with a m...
Randsburg
Randsburg is a 'living ghost town' - drastically reduced from its peak but with an operating general store, saloon, and about 70 residents....
Randsburg
Randsburg was built on the Yellow Aster Mine—one of Southern California's most productive gold mines, yielding 500,000 ounces ($25M+). Named after Sou...
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...
Shasta
Shasta was the 'Queen City' of Northern California's Gold Rush, handling over $100,000 in gold dust weekly during its peak. Lost its role when bypasse...
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 was a smelter town that processed ore from Cerro Gordo mine. The town sits on the shore of Owens Lake, which LA drained for water - leaving th...
Volcano
Volcano produced $90 million in gold and was home to California's first astronomical observatory (1860), where the Great Comet of 1861 was discovered....
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...