If you visit, take a guided tour of the estate, the gardens, and the mineyard. The mine’s original owner, William Bourne Jr., was one of the wealthiest men in the United States at the time, and his lavish estate remains immaculately preserved. Today, the mines are closed and flooded, but you can still peer down the old mine shaft to the high water mark. That’s about the same driving distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles! The most mind-blowing fact about the Empire Mine was that it had 367 miles of tunnels in its heyday. This old mine was operational from 1850-1956 and extracted 5.8 million ounces of gold. Nearby accommodation: Inn Town Campground (4.1 mi), Flume’s End (4.6 mi)Įmpire Mine State Historic Park might be my favorite of the ghost towns in Northern California.Įmpire Mine State Park is one of California’s most famous ghost towns because it preserves an enormous old mining operation: the Empire Mine.
#Hidden ghost town most have not seen how to
How to get there: Take Highway 49 24 miles north of Auburn, CA. Why it’s worth visiting: It’s one of the “oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California.”Īddress: 10791 East Empire Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945 You can also walk inside some of the original living quarters, check out the cemetery, or make the self-guided driving loop. The interpretive panels do a fantastic job of paying homage to this horrible chapter in American history. The park rangers have converted the old community hall into a visitor center. I’ve visited Manzanar National Historic Site, which is well worth the stop.
#Hidden ghost town most have not seen free
While the residents were more or less free to walk around the compound, armed guards patrolled the entire exterior. Up to 10,000 people lived in internment at Manzanar during the war in long barracks with a mess hall and a community building. Manzanar National Historic Site was one of 10 camps. Manzanar National Historic Site isn’t your typical California ghost town because it isn’t related to the gold rush.ĭuring World War II, the United States Government interned over 100,000 Japanese immigrants and American citizens of Japanese descent at war relocation centers around the country.
Nearby accommodation: Independence Creek Campground (6.7 mi), Mt. The historic site is on the west side of Highway 395. How to get there: Go nine miles north of Lone Pine, CA or six miles south of Independence, CA. Why it’s worth visiting: Learn the US’s history of Japanese internment camps.Īddress: Manzanar National Historic Site, 5001 Highway 395, Independence, CA 93526 Looking to visit more state parks? Reference our complete list of California state parks. One of the neat things about Bodie Ghost Town is that some old buildings still have furniture and supplies.įor instance, the general store remains stocked the way it was in 1964 when Bodie became a state historical landmark. You can take a guided tour of Bodie Ghost Town or meander on your own with a self-guided walking tour among the 200 remaining buildings. Today the Wild West town is preserved in a state of “arrested decay” as a state park. By 1880, the city had grown to almost 10,000 and was famously lawless.ĭuring the town’s heyday, there were a reported 65 saloons, not to mention several brothels and gambling halls.
Bodey founded Bodie in 1859 after discovering a modest amount of gold in the hills around the town. Bodie ghost town is situated south of Bridgeport, CA and north of Lee Vining, CA. Nearby accommodation: Lundy Canyon Campground (28 mi), Lake View Lodge (32 mi)īodie State Historic Park may be one of California’s most famous mining towns. Bodie State Historic Park is 13 miles down the road. How to get there: Turn east onto Bodie Road off Highway 395, seven miles south of Bridgeport, CA. Why it’s worth visiting: It’s one of California’s most famous ghost towns.Īddress: Highway 270, Bridgeport, CA 93517
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