California Ghosttowns

Atolia and mine in the Mojave Desert, circa 1908 postcard.

Atolia California – San Bernardino County Ghost Town

Atolia is a ghost town and tungsten mine located in the Mojave Desert in northwestern San Bernardino County, California. The town is located just off…
Aurora, NV Photograph by James L Rathbun

Aurora Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Aurora, Nevada is a ghost town in Mineral County about twenty eight miles southwest of Hawthorne, near the California border. Aurora is often mentioned as…
Ballarat, California - Marriedtofilm at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Malafaya using CommonsHelper.

Ballarat California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Ballarat, California Located in Inyo County, Ballarat California is a ghost town which supposedly has a few residents living their dream within the town. Ballarat…
The Standard Mill, Bodie, CA. Photograph by James L Rathbun

Bodie and Aurora rivalry continues to this day

Two towns located in the hills above Mono Lake maintain, the Bodie and Aurora rivalry continues even now, long past their demise.  Bodie, CA and…
The Standard Mill, Bodie, CA. Photograph by James L Rathbun

Bodie California – Mono County Ghost Town

Bodie, California is the ghost town by which all others are judged.  Located at 8300 in the Bodie Hills above Mono Lake, Bodie is the…
Calico California

Calico California – San Bernardino Count Ghost Town

Calico California is a ghost town located just outside of Barstow in Mojave desert of San Bernardino, California. The town began its like in 1881…
Cerro Gordo overlooking the then full Owens Lake.

Cerro Gordo California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Located in the Inyo Mountains on the eastern side of Owens Valley, Cerro Gordo California is a currently a ghost town after almost 100 years…
Crowells Mill under construction in Chloride City, CA about 1915

Chloride City California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Chloride City California is located within Death Valley National Park and Inyo County, California. The town arose out of silver discoveries in nearby Chloride Cliff…

Darwin California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Darwin is a unincorporated community, gold mining town and ghost town located in Inyo County, California about 22 miles from Keeler. The town was named…

Doble California – San Bernardino Ghost Town

Doble California is a gold mining town and ghost town which is located off the western shore of Lake Baldwin in San Bernardino, California. The…
Goffs, CA

Goffs California – San Bernardino County Ghost Town

Originally known as Blake, Goffs, California is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains.  Originally…
Greenwater Mining District, CA 1906

Greenwater California – Inyo County Ghost Town

In 1904, a copper strike near Greenwater Spring and ensuing rush to profit caused the formation of Greenwater in Inyo County, California. Originally known by…
Cashier Mill ruin and Pete Aguereberry, 1916. From Dane Coolidge Collection,

Harrisburg California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Harrisburg California is a ghost town is located at 4987 feet above sea level in Inyo County and currently part of Death Valley National Park.…
[Circa 1905] Tumco Historic Mining Town, California - Hedges California

Hedges California – Imperial County Ghost Town

Previously known as Tumco, Hedges California is a ghost town and former mining town located in Imperial County, California along the Tumco Wash in the…
Ivanpah - Bidwell Mill

Ivanpah California – San Bernardino County Ghost Town

Not of be confused with two others sites of the same name, Ivanpah is a ghost town and mine site located along the Eastern edge…
Leadfield Sign, Death Valley, California

Leadfield California – A Death Valley Ghost Town

Leadfield California is a ghost town located in Inyo County and Death Valley National Park and found on the Titus Canyon Trail. The town boom…
Mill site from the middle section of Masonic, California. Photograph by James L Rathbun

Masonic California – Mono County Ghost Town

Originally known as Lorena, Masonic California is a ghost town located in the mountains north east of Bridgeport, California.  Masonic was founded in 1860 by…
Panamint City Stamp Mill

Panamint City California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Panamint City California - 1875 Panamint City California is a ghost town and silver mine site located in Inyo County. The town site was built…
Potholes California is a Colorado River Steamship landing.

Potholes California – Colorado River Steamship Landing

Potholes is a former gold mining camp and ghost town located in Imperial County, California.
Photograph of the "Baby Gauge" (aka "Baby Gage") mine train at the mining camp of Ryan, Death Valley, ca.1900-1950. A car with one headlight can be seen at center on tracks pulling a platform with four benches upon it. Someone can be seen driving the car, while four men and women sit on the benches. A small wooden shack with a portion of the roof missing can be seen behind the platform, while a ladder, wooden planks, and more tracks are visible at left. A valley and mountains can be seen in the background. - “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

Ryan California

Ryan, California, is a small unincorporated community located in the southeastern region of San Bernardino County, California. The town is located in the Greenwater Range…
Skidoo, CA 1907

Skidoo California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Skidoo California was famous in the first decade of the 20th century when gold had been found in Inyo County and the town established in…
A metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California.

Vanderbilt California – San Bernardino County Ghost Town

A metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California. Located in the New York Mountains, Vanderbilt California was an…