California’s various mining booms created tons of new little towns that later turned into ghost towns after the mines went bust. Visit these eight towns to see some California history! Some are hauntingly beautiful, but some are just downright creepy – either way: the ghost towns in Southern California are long gone but still somehow immortal. Come out and visit… if you dare.

1. Darwin
mlhradio/flickr
Darwin, CA 93522, USA
mlhradio/flickr
During its boom in 1877, Darwin was home to 3,000 people, but by 1880 most miners and their families had moved on and the population had dwindled to less than 100 people. There was a brief resurgence in the town in the early 1900s, but a fire destroyed the mine in 1917.
2. Ballarat
mlhradio/flickr
Ballarat, CA 93592, USA
mlhradio/flickr
Ballarat is very remote, situated between the Panamint Valley and the mountains that separate it from Death Valley. It was established as a resupply post and had as many as 500 residents. The town included seven saloons, three hotels, a school, a post office and a jail (shown here). As the surrounding mines went bust, Ballarat suffered. It was all but empty from 1917 until the 1960s, when the Manson Family briefly made their home here.
3. Randsburg
Don Graham/flickr
Randsburg, CA, USA
Randsburg, CA, USA
Don Graham/flickr
When gold was discovered at the Rand Mine in 1895, a town quickly popped up. Around 70 people still live here, and Randsburg is considered a "living ghost town." Visitors come from all over the state to see the Main Street. You can even get an ice cream at the General Store.
4. Calico
Calico, CA 92311, USA
Karol Franks/flickr
Just three miles from Barstow, you'll find the little ghost town of Calico, dubbed "California's Silver Rush Gold Town." The town got its start as a silver mining town in 1881. In its heyday between 1883 and 1885, Calico had 500 mines and was home to 1,200 people. The town is now owned by the county and is operated as a county park. Buildings have been restored or replaced and are available for tourists to see up close.

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5. Willow Springs
Don Graham/flickr
Willow Springs, CA 93560, USA
Don Graham/flickr
Willow Springs was a resort town near the Tropico mine. Built by the mine's owner, it boasted a swimming pool, hotel, restaurant, post office, and five reservoirs that held spring water. The springs here were long popular with Native Americans, traders, and trappers, as a place to get water in the desert. These buildings were built around 1900; the site is a California Historical Landmark.
6. Tropico
Don Graham/flickr
Tropico, Glendale, CA, USA
Don Graham/flickr
Ezra Hamilton originally bought this land for the high-quality pottery clay here. In 1896, he found gold, and the rest is history. The gold mine produced until around 1956, when the mining camp closed for good. Some of these buildings were part of the original camp; others were brought in by an entrepreneur who purchased the land and had hoped to make a tourist attraction.
7. Red Mountain
Don Graham/flickr
Red Mountain, CA 93528, USA
Don Graham/flickr
Red Mountain was a mining town in the 1920s and gained quite a reputation during Prohibition. The town was one of three in the Yellow Aster Mine area.
8. Bombay Beach
Beth Wilson/flickr
Bombay Beach, CA 92257, USA
m01229/flickr
Bombay Beach was a popular resort town in the 1950s and 1960s. The Salton Sea was created here when the area flooded in the early 1900s. However, by the 1970s, the lake had dried up so much that it was mostly just dead fish, and the tourists stopped visiting. A few people still live here today, but it's mostly abandoned.

What’s your favorite California ghost town? Let us know!

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More to Explore

Ghost Towns in Southern California

Tori Jane | October 04, 2023

What are some of the spookiest ghost towns in Southern California?  

There are dozens (if not more) of spooky old ghost towns in Southern California that are little more than memories today. Many of them, however, still have some (or many) buildings remaining and can be quite fun to check out. Some of the most notable spooky ghost towns in Southern California include towns like:  

  • Darwin – Once home to more than 3,000 people, Darwin used to be a booming mining town. It was all but dead by 1880, and the remaining residents left following a devastating fire in 1917 that destroyed the mine.  
  • Calico – This cute little town isn’t terribly far from Barstow (just three miles), and once upon a time it was a major silver rush town. It once had 500 mines during its heyday! Now, it’s a county park, which is nice because it saves it for the rest of us.  

Learn more about some of the spookiest Southern California ghost towns.   

Which Southern California ghost towns can I still explore today?  

Good news: there are many SoCal ghost towns that you can still explore these days. While some ghost towns are little more than memories, others still have some structures intact, making them very interesting to those who love exploring these places. Some of the best Southern California ghost towns you can explore today are:  

  • Bombay Beach – This resort town was huge in the 1950s and 60s. Back in the early 1900s, an incredibly salty body of water named the Salton Sea was born in the area following a flood. When it dried up, however, so did the economy.  
  • Calico – Now a county park, Calico is an interesting place for urban explorers and hikers alike, with plenty to see and lots to explore.  

Learn more about the town of Calico.  

What are some other interesting abandoned places in Southern California?  

Of course, the list of interesting abandoned places in Southern California doesn’t end with the above-mentioned items! There are many more across the whole state, including creepy places such as:  

  • The Griffith Park Zoo – This abandoned zoo is hidden in plain sight in Los Angeles.  
  • Rock-A-Hoola Water Park – What's cooler than an abandoned water park? Well, maybe a water park with some actual water left, for one.  

Learn more about some of the most interesting abandoned places in Southern California.  

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