We have abandoned towns all over Washington, but you can find many of them along a short loop in the Okanogan Highlands. Filled with empty, century-old buildings and dozens of historic relics, these former towns can really give us a first-hand look into our state’s fascinating past. Check out the directions on this Google Map for the ultimate ghost town road trip in Washington!

Google Maps
1. Govan
Andrew Filer/Flickr
Govan makes for a perfect, creepy place to kick off your trip along Highway 2. Founded as a ranching community in the 1800s, this old town was slowly abandoned as farming in the area started to decline.
As highways and vehicles began to improve, it became easier for people to travel to larger towns for better selections and prices.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
There isn't much left in town, but you can still walk around this abandoned schoolhouse, as well as their old post office and a few other structures.
2. Sherman
JF/Flickr
Head about 15 miles northeast, and you'll reach the old town of Sherman. It once thrived like many small towns during the agricultural boom of the 1880s and 1890s, but as the price of wheat fell and better roads and vehicles made traveling easier, the town was eventually completely deserted.
Today you can still find their old schoolhouse, church and cemetery remaining.
JF/Flickr
Browse among the graves and take the time to read them - many of them are well over a century old now.
3. Bodie
Mario F./TripAdvisor
Not to be confused with a ghost town in California of the same name, Bodie was originally founded as a mining town around 1888 by the mouth of Bodie Creek.
Up until the 1930s, high quality ore was processed and milled here until falling gold prices closed the mine and eventually emptied the town's buildings by 1934.
JHF/Flickr
While passing through the area now, you'll still be able to see many of their old log buildings along both sides of the main road.

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4. Chesaw
Robert Ashworth/Flickr
The old community of Chesaw sits about 15 miles west of Bodie.
This near-ghost town only thrived for a few years from 1896 to 1900, but the area's still filled with old buildings and forgotten cabins.
A. Balet/Wikimedia
Be careful if you plan on exploring any of the buildings; many are in rough shape and may be dangerous to enter.
5. Molson
JF/Flickr
Located not far from the Canadian border, Molson was booming back in 1900.
Larry J./TripAdvisor
In only a year, the population shot up to 300 and the town was complete with a newspaper, stores, an attorney, a doctor, a saloon and even a hotel. It didn't last long, though - by 1901, the mining started to fail and the population fell to only 12 people.

By 1905, it grew again when news came around that a railroad was being built. In the meantime, a local who ran a barn and stage line filed for a homestead that included most of the town. By 1909, he published a notice for everyone on the land to depart, forcing citizens to found the site of New Molson about 1/2 mile north. The empty town is now preserved as an "open-air museum" with pioneer buildings (including an old schoolhouse), farm machinery and other vintage artifacts.
6. Nighthawk
JF/Flickr
Situated by the Similkameen River, Nighthawk got its cool, peculiar name from a nearby mine that's now closed.
JF/Flickr
In the early 1900s, it had been a booming town with hotels, a saloon and even a railroad depot. But, as with a lot of the towns in the Okanogan area, the mines were eventually shut down due to operating expenses and a sharp drop in metal value. The population is now less than ten people, but several of the old structures still remain - many of which date back to 1903.
7. Dyer
Andrew Filer/Flickr
Before looping back to Govan (or heading home), swing by the old town of Dyer.
This former community in Douglas County has been empty for years, but it's still home to several deserted homesteads, old pottery and other relics.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
We can only imagine the stories that these old towns (and their now-abandoned buildings) have known. The streets of the towns in our ghost town road trip in Washington were once full of life, and now are full only of memories.

What do you think? Would you like to take this eerie trip through some of our old, abandoned towns in Washington?

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More to Explore

Ghost Town Road Trip in Washington

Tori Jane | February 15, 2021

How many ghost towns are in Washington?

Washington state is a state full of history, which almost always means it'll also be full of spooky old memories in the forms of ghost towns and abandoned buildings. There are literally hundreds of ghost towns scattered throughout the evergreen state, and it's definitely impossible to list them all here in this little box! Some more notable ghost towns of Washington state include Monte Cristo, Bodie, and Nighthawk.

What are some creepy, abandoned places in Washington?

Washington has no shortage of abandoned buildings, given that it has no shortage of ghost towns. Some more-famous (or should we say infamous?) now-derelict buildings in the evergreen state include crazy things like an old, abandoned schoolhouse in Govan, a nuclear power plant in Satsop, an abandoned hospital in Sedro-Woolley, and so, so, SO many more. Washington truly appears to be an urban explorer's dream come true. Take a look at our picks for some of the most interesting abandoned buildings in Washington state! 

Are there any haunted places in Washington?

Tons, my friend, tons. Ghosts are said to wander the halls of hundreds of places, including (but not limited to) old theaters, hotels, saloons, and more. There have even been alleged cases of haunted homes throughout the state. If you're interested in a list of some of the most haunted places in Washington, check out this article.

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Featured Addresses
Govan, WA 99185, USA
Sherman, WA 99185, USA
Bodie, WA 98859, USA
Chesaw, WA 98844, USA
Molson, WA 98844, USA
Nighthawk, WA 98827, USA
Dyer, WA 98830, USA