Top ghost towns
Ghost TownBodie
Ghost TownDarwin
Ghost TownShasta
Ghost TownKeeler
Ghost TownChinese Camp
Ghost TownAmboy
Ghost TownCalico
Ghost TownSkidoo
Ghost TownCaribou
Ghost TownDrawbridge
Ghost TownLudlow
Ghost TownValley Wells
Ghost Towns by county
- Contra Costa County3
- Inyo County12
- Mono County4
- San Bernardino County12
- Santa Clara County4
- Santa Cruz County4
All ghost towns (62)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodie | Mono County | 2,554 m | Hawthorne | 2 |
| Darwin | Inyo County | — | Lone Pine | 2 |
| Shasta | Shasta County | — | Shasta | 5 |
| Keeler | Inyo County | — | Lone Pine | 2 |
| Chinese Camp | Tuolumne County | — | Jamestown | 4 |
| Amboy | San Bernardino County | — | Twentynine Palms | 3 |
| Calico | San Bernardino County | — | Barstow | 4 |
| SkidooDeath Valley | Inyo County | 1,734 m | Death Valley | 2 |
| Caribou | Plumas County | — | Greenville | 2 |
| Drawbridge | Alameda County | 3 m | Milpitas | 7 |
| Ludlow | San Bernardino County | — | Twentynine Palms | 3 |
| Valley Wells | San Bernardino County | — | Searles Valley | 3 |
| Cerro Gordo Mines | Inyo County | — | Lone Pine | 2 |
| Ballarat | Inyo County | — | Searles Valley | 2 |
| Bennettville | Mono County | 2,986 m | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| LeadfieldDeath Valley | Inyo County | — | Beatty | 2 |
| Cima | San Bernardino County | — | Laughlin | 2 |
| Panamint City | Inyo County | — | Death Valley | 2 |
| New Idria | San Benito County | — | Coalinga | 3 |
| Bagdad | San Bernardino County | — | Twentynine Palms | 3 |
| Kelso | San Bernardino County | — | Fort Irwin | 2 |
| Alma | Santa Clara County | — | Lexington Hills | 6 |
| Mono Mills | Mono County | — | Mammoth Lakes | 2 |
| Dog Town | Mono County | — | Yosemite Valley | 2 |
| Harmony Borax WorksDeath Valley | Inyo County | — | Death Valley | 2 |
| Cuyamaca | San Diego County | — | Descanso | 4 |
| Essex | San Bernardino County | — | Needles | 2 |
| Chambless | San Bernardino County | — | Twentynine Palms | 3 |
| Betteravia | Santa Barbara County | — | Guadalupe | 5 |
| Atolia | San Bernardino County | — | Ridgecrest | 3 |
| Eckley | Contra Costa County | — | Crockett | 7 |
| Wrights | Santa Cruz County | — | Lexington Hills | 5 |
| Holy City | Santa Clara County | — | Lexington Hills | 6 |
| Freeman Junction | Kern County | — | Inyokern | 3 |
| Glenwood | Santa Cruz County | — | Lompico | 5 |
| Llano Del Rio | Los Angeles County | — | Lake Los Angeles | 5 |
| Mormon Island | El Dorado County | — | El Dorado Hills | 7 |
| Swansea | Inyo County | — | Lone Pine | 2 |
| WhiskeytownWhiskeytown | Shasta County | — | Shasta | 4 |
| Winehaven | Contra Costa County | — | North Richmond | 7 |
| Hedges | Imperial County | — | Donovan Estates | 3 |
| Forest | Sierra County | — | Nevada City | 3 |
| Cement | Solano County | — | Fairfield | 7 |
| Laurel | Santa Cruz County | — | Lexington Hills | 5 |
| Mentryville | Los Angeles County | — | Stevenson Ranch | 7 |
| San Joaquin City | San Joaquin County | — | Ripon | 5 |
| Cerro Gordo,California, United States | Inyo County | — | Lone Pine | 2 |
| Patchen | Santa Clara County | — | Lexington Hills | 6 |
| Purissima | San Mateo County | — | Half Moon Bay | 5 |
| Chloride City | Inyo County | 1,454 m | Beatty | 2 |
| Greenwater | Inyo County | 1,307 m | Death Valley | 2 |
| Ambrose | Contra Costa County | 5 m | Bay Point | 7 |
| Minersville | Trinity County | 723 m | Lewiston | 2 |
| Jamison | Plumas County | 1,455 m | Portola | 3 |
| Salmon Falls | El Dorado County | 143 m | El Dorado Hills | 5 |
| Goffs | San Bernardino County | — | Willow Valley | 2 |
| Clems | Santa Cruz County | 241 m | Lompico | 5 |
| Tuolumne City | Stanislaus County | 15 m | Riverdale Park | 5 |
| Monroeville | Glenn County | 39 m | Hamilton City | 4 |
| Lexington | Santa Clara County | 191 m | Los Gatos | 7 |
| Crucero | San Bernardino County | 311 m | Fort Irwin | 3 |
| Michigan Bar | Sacramento County | 86 m | Rancho Murieta | 5 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph ghost towns
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.