There are an estimated 3,800 ghost towns scattered across America’s vast landscape, each with a story of boom and bust.
These now-abandoned settlements sprang up around opportunity: a gold rush, mining booms, frontier expansions, and beyond. Today, they stand as near-silent relics of bygone eras, with weathered buildings and dusty streets telling the stories of forgotten dreams and missed fortunes.
For history enthusiasts or people simply drawn to the mysterious allure of the abandoned, here are some of the best ghost towns to visit in the United States.
1. St. Elmo, Colorado
Promises of gold saw fortune seekers streaming into Colorado in the late 1800s, with communities springing up around the largest deposits. While some areas, like Breckenridge and Boulder, survived into the new millennium, many didn’t; there are more than 700 ghost towns in the Centennial State alone. Perhaps the best preserved is St. Elmo. Established in 1880 and abandoned in 1922, this community served as a hub for smaller nearby mining areas. Today, St. Elmo and its more than 40 intact buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can wander the streets and check out the facades of the saloon, the courthouse, the hotel, the church, the post office, the mercantile, and some private homes. In recent years, a general store has reopened seasonally, providing adventurers souvenirs and snacks.
Where to stay
The closest accommodations are in Buena Vista: The Inn and The Surf Hotel & Residences are good options. Alternatively, Eleven Taylor River Lodge offers spectacular riverside cabins.
Calico’s roots date back to the 19th century as a mining town.
Photo by Iv-olga/Shutterstock
2. Calico, California
Founded in 1881 during California’s silver rush, Calico once boasted nearly 500 mines and a population of about 1,200. When silver prices bottomed out in the 1890s, the town’s fortune declined quickly, and Calico was abandoned. In the 1950s, it was restored by Walter Knott (founder of Knott’s Berry Farm) and later declared a California Historical Landmark.Now visitors can walk along dirt streets lined with old saloons, general stores, and miner’s cabins. Some of the structures are original, while others have been carefully reconstructed to capture the essence of life in the 1880s. Calico is a bit more touristy than most ghost towns, but with experiences like staged gunfights, gold panning, and even ghost tours, it’s an excellent destination for families and history buffs alike.
Where to stay
Calico is roughly two hours from Los Angeles, where there is no shortage of incredible hotels, ranging from the Beverly Hills Hotel to Nobu Ryokan Malibu.
The mining town of Kennecott has been a National Historic Landmark since 1986.
Photo by Steven Schremp/Shutterstock
3. Kennicott, Alaska
In Southeast Alaska, Kennicott was established in 1903 after a pair of prospectors unearthed copper ore. At its peak, the Kennecott Mines (which unlike the town is spelled with an “e” instead of the “i” because of a clerical error on the original official paperwork) attracted more than 600 workers and pumped out the precious metal around the clock. By the time the site ran dry in 1938, the workers had dug up about $200 million worth of copper.
For decades, the town sat abandoned. Then, in 1998, the National Park Service purchased the mill, the power plant, and many other camp buildings, ranging from sun-bleached shops to weather-worn bunkhouses, from private owners and began restoring them. The town’s now a part of the lesser-known Wrangell–St. Elias National Park. Visitors can tour the mill, a fire-engine–red 14-story behemoth that was used to process ore (it’s worth a visit for the glaciers and mountain views from the top floors and the opportunity to check out the massive supercentenarian machinery). Other buildings, like the recreation hall, the railroad depot, and the general manager’s office, are open to visitors too.
Where to stay
While none of the original structures are open for overnight stays, the Kennicott Glacier Lodge offers comfortable rooms and a panoramic porch with stunning views of the glacier valley.
Bodie offers visitors a window into the rough-and-tumble life of the Old West.
4. Bodie, California
During its peak in the late 1800s, Bodie was a bustling gold-mining town with more than 10,000 residents. Today, it’s a preserved state historic park, with roughly 200 structures, from saloons to churches, still standing. Unlike some of the other ghost towns on national parkland, Bodie is kept in a state of “arrested decay,” meaning the buildings are preserved but not restored, and as a result, it looks like a town frozen in time. Many buildings are stocked with goods, the schoolhouse still has lessons written in chalk on the board, and rusting automobiles sit outside old homes.
Where to stay
Bodie forms a triangle with South Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, meaning there are oodles of incredible hotels within a two-hour drive.
The town is arguably the most happening during the annual Original Terlingua Chili Cookoff, which draws thousands of visitors to this tiny corner of the desert to celebrate spicy food each autumn.
Photo by jamsedel/Shutterstock
5. Terlingua, Texas
Located just outside of Big Bend National Park, Terlingua was a bustling quicksilver mining town in the early 1900s. When the demand for mercury declined, the town’s population plummeted, leaving behind the community’s ruins, including crumbling adobe homes and mine shafts, scattered across the desert. Today, Terlingua is considered a ghost town, but it’s far from desolate. The town has experienced a resurgence in recent years, attracting artists, adventurers, and lovers of the unusual. Visitors can stop by the original Chisos Mining Company store, now Terlingua Trading Company, a general store, or have a meal at Starlight Theatre, a former cinema for miners turned lively bar and restaurant.
Where to stay
If you’re looking to bed down in the ghost town, consider Basecamp Terlingua, with its modern casitas and bubble domes, or Buzzard’s Roost, with glamping tipis.
Glenrio is a ghost town on Route 66.
Photo by Svetlana Foote/Shutterstock
6. Glenrio, Texas/New Mexico
Straddling the Texas–New Mexico border, Glenrio was once a bustling stop along Route 66 with Western-themed hotels, a dance hall, and bars bedecked in neon lights. It thrived as a service town for travelers in the 1930s but was abandoned when the interstate bypassed it in the 1970s. Now it’s a quiet, forgotten stretch of Americana with gas stations, motels, and diners slowly succumbing to time.You can still identify a handful of the buildings, such as the Little Juarez Diner and the State Line Motel, whose sign reads “Motel, Last in Texas.” If you’re a Route 66 enthusiast, Glenrio offers a haunting reminder of the glory days of the “Mother Road.”
Where to stay
Amarillo is the closest major town to Glenrio. If you stay, we’d recommend staying at The Barfield.
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Publish date : 2024-09-29 13:19:00
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