Off-Road One of These Legendary Ghost Towns or Trails
Autumn is a favorite time of the year for off-road enthusiasts to enjoy off-roading and colorful fall foliage. It also means Halloween is around the corner, which is a perfect reason to explore one of the many legendary ghost towns throughout the American West.
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Ghost Towns in the American West
Off-roaders and overlanders share an insatiable curiosity and a desire to test their limits. Consider the pioneers, explorers, and adventurers of old who bravely traveled into the unknown. Many were driven by the promise of gold, fertile lands, or simply the exhilaration of venturing into new territory. Settlements sprung up, thrived, and were often abandoned when the boom was over. Now, ghost towns dot landscapes of the west and have become natural waypoints for off-roaders.
With Halloween in mind, we’ve compiled a list of popular ghost towns off-road enthusiasts can navigate to and explore using the onX Offroad App. The following list of western ghost towns and trails with spooky lore and abandoned buildings is ideal for a fall day trip of Halloween holiday spookiness.
CALIFORNIA
Calico Ghost Town
Located in the southern California high desert, not far from Barstow, Calico is an old mining town founded in 1881 that was abandoned in the 1890s. Attractions include the Lucy Lane Museum with information about Calico’s origins, Maggie Silver Mine, Calico Odessa Railroad, gold panning, fourteen gift shops, and many other family-friendly attractions.
Bodie State Historic Park
Near Yosemite National Park and Mono Lake in central California, Bodie is an authentic gold-mining ghost town. Gold was discovered in the area around 1859 and, at one point, had a population of nearly 10,000 at the height of its gold rush period. Today, Bodie is a National Historic Site that’s been preserved in “a state of arrested decay,” where the interiors of each building can be viewed “as is” from when they were left deserted.
North Bloomfield Ghost Town
Located roughly 80 miles northeast of Sacramento, North Bloomfield is an authentic gold mining ghost town within the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. Dubbed “Humbug” in 1851 by some of the town’s unlucky miners, today, North Bloomfield is well-preserved and includes many of the original buildings from the late 1800s. Visitors can take part in daily tours of the facilities during the summer and on weekends during the winter.
Spooky Trails
MONTANA
Garnet Ghost Town
Located within the Garnet Mountain Range midway between Missoula and Helena, Garnet is Montana’s most intact ghost town. Named for the ruby-colored stones found in the area, the mountains surrounding Garnet were rich in gold-bearing quartz, which brought miners from California and Colorado. Named one of America’s coolest ghost towns by Travel + Leisure, visitors can explore the town’s remaining buildings, hike area trails, and learn more about the town’s place in Montana’s history.
Bannack State Park
Bannack was the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery site in 1862. It was also Montana’s first territorial capital, with its population growing to nearly 3,000 residents by 1863. As with most gold towns, as the gold dwindled, so did its population. Today, Bannack still has over 50 historic buildings—including the beautiful Hotel Meade—and has been called one of Montana’s best-preserved landmark mining towns.
COLORADO
St. Elmo Ghost Town
Dubbed “Colorado’s most original ghost town,” St. Elmo was founded in 1880 when many moved to the area for gold and silver mining. St. Elmo was home to nearly 2,000 residents at its peak and was an important hub for acquiring supplies arriving via train. Today, visitors can visit St. Elmo and still walk its streets. And although some of the buildings were lost in a fire in 2002, many remain, while others, such as the town hall, are being rebuilt to their original state.
Independence Ghost Town
Located roughly 16 miles east of Aspen, Independence was founded in 1879 as the first mining site in the Roaring Fork Valley not far from the Continental Divide. At its peak, the town had nearly 1,500 residents and was a thriving mining camp and stagecoach layover stop. Today, visitors can walk the site on a self-guided tour that includes many of the town’s original log cabin structures.
Spooky Trails
Alpine Loop Silverton to Animas Forks
NEVADA
Rhyolite Ghost Town
About 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, not far from the border with California, is the ghost town Rhyolite, founded in 1905. The town sprang up after quartz was found in the area filled with free gold, and soon after that reached its estimated peak population of 5,000 residents. Today, although much of the town lies in ruin, the area is one of the most photographed ghost towns in the West.
IDAHO
Silver City Ghost Town
Located southwest of Boise in the Owyhee mountains, Silver City is an old mining town with many of its original structures from the 1860s. One of its main attractions is the Idaho Hotel, which is still in operation despite being over 100 years old. Today only three businesses remain—including the Idaho Hotel—and the town of Silver City is a picturesque place to explore the old West during a weekend off-roading adventure.
ARIZONA
Ruby Ghost Town
Near the border with Mexico in southern Arizona and about 70 miles from Tucson is the old mining town of Ruby, where gold was first discovered around 1870. Today, visitors to Ruby can peruse nearly 25 buildings, including the old jail, school, playground, and more. As one of its best-preserved ghost towns, Ruby allows one to take a glimpse at Arizona’s mining history.
Spooky Trails
Maple Canyon to Stone Cabin (Black Rock Rd 1004)
There are many opportunities to get out and discover one of the many western ghost towns, and Halloween is a perfect excuse for a visit in one’s off-road vehicle of choice. Choose your destination, queue up your route on the onX Offroad App, and set off on a full-filled and educational adventure in the historical wild West.
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