During the Gold Rush, hundreds of rough and rowdy men flocked to Northern California’s most remote and rugged edges to strike it rich. They made their homes in places like Bodie, one of the most infamous but also eerie ghost towns throughout the Wild West. Bodie was originally what was known as a boom town, a place that seemingly sprang up overnight in the late 1800s. Along with the gold miners came prostitutes, gamblers, and saloons. It was an uncouth and uncivilized place, and its ghosts do not rest easy. Today, it is often recognized as the creepiest abandoned town in California.
There are several allegedly haunting souls that still remain in this empty town. You’ll have to visit it for yourself to see why anyone with a lick of sense stays far, far away from its creepy structures that are almost preserved in time.
The Bodie Hotel was likely the sight of murders and other debauchery in the 1800s. Visiting this spooky site, especially at night, is an action not for the faint of heart.
JLeditor/Wikipedia
Bodie is a classic Wild West town. Take a walk around and you’ll feel like you were transported back in time. The only thing missing is other living people.
Mispahn/Wikimedia Commons
Probably the most well preserved ghost town in the country, Bodie is rumored to be cursed by the ghosts that dwell here. It was looted in the 1940s and since then it’s been rumored that whoever takes something that belongs in the town is haunted by its residents until each item is returned to its natural place.
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
Many of the structures look like someone stepped outside for just a few moments and forgot to come back.
PDP Photos/Pixabay
Artifacts like these old bottles leave visitors speculating about the people who once dwelled in these homes.
m01229/Flickr
The landscape here is truly wild, but there is a strange beauty to it as well.
Bureau of Land Management/Wikimedia Commons
It’s amazing how these structures still stand as if no one has touched them for a hundred years.
PDPhoto.org/Wikipedia
Bodie is dramatic and foreboding, but there is no denying that it compels thrill seekers to experience its disarming allure for themselves.
Photographersnature/Wikimedia Commons
Bodie may be abandoned, but it is not forgotten. Now a state park, it will continue to be preserved with or without the presence of territorial ghosts. Any travelers to this part of Northern California can go see it for themselves… if they dare.
JLeditor/Wikipedia
Mispahn/Wikimedia Commons
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
PDP Photos/Pixabay
m01229/Flickr
Bureau of Land Management/Wikimedia Commons
PDPhoto.org/Wikipedia
Photographersnature/Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever visited Bodie before? Do you agree that it’s the creepiest abandoned town in California?! We’d love to hear about your experience! Share your thoughts and photos in the comments.
Craving more abandoned adventure? You must swing by the coziest and most haunted small town in Northern California.
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Address: Bodie, CA, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
The Creepiest Abandoned Town In California September 22, 2019 Nikki Rhoades What other abandoned places are there in California? Across the 164,000 or so square miles of California, visitors will find all sorts of delights. Some, however, can’t resist the allure of abandoned places in California. The Golden State is home to a number of former gold rush settlements, but it’s home to just as many abandoned relics of the modern era. The abandoned Nevada County Hospital still stands to terrify onlookers, just as Preston Castle does with its purported ghostly inhabitants. If you’re craving a longer trip into the unknown, perhaps a drive down the haunted Highway 299 will help you unwind. Are there any hiking trails to abandoned places in California? All throughout California, visitors will find incredible opportunities to spend time in the great outdoors. Fortunately, for those with a hankering for dark tourism, some hiking trails lead to abandoned destinations. In Southern California, you’ll find a hike to an abandoned mansion. Up North, you can follow the path of an old railroad in search of adventure. You’ll find a number of ruins along hikes in California, so outdoor lovers and those in search of historical relics will easily find common ground along these incredible routes. What ghost towns can you find in California? The Golden State is home to a number of incredible ghost towns, some of which rank among the scariest places in California. Chinese Camp is one of the saddest – after all, it was once home to thousands of Chinese laborers. While its abandoned streets are in a state of decay, those of North Bloomfield are surprisingly well-preserved. These are just two of several ghost towns in California that have grown iconic in local legend. However, none of the aforementioned ghost towns feel quite like home. If you’re longing for a cozy, abandoned town to call your own, this one is for sale.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The Creepiest Abandoned Town In California
September 22, 2019
Nikki Rhoades
What other abandoned places are there in California? Across the 164,000 or so square miles of California, visitors will find all sorts of delights. Some, however, can’t resist the allure of abandoned places in California. The Golden State is home to a number of former gold rush settlements, but it’s home to just as many abandoned relics of the modern era. The abandoned Nevada County Hospital still stands to terrify onlookers, just as Preston Castle does with its purported ghostly inhabitants. If you’re craving a longer trip into the unknown, perhaps a drive down the haunted Highway 299 will help you unwind. Are there any hiking trails to abandoned places in California? All throughout California, visitors will find incredible opportunities to spend time in the great outdoors. Fortunately, for those with a hankering for dark tourism, some hiking trails lead to abandoned destinations. In Southern California, you’ll find a hike to an abandoned mansion. Up North, you can follow the path of an old railroad in search of adventure. You’ll find a number of ruins along hikes in California, so outdoor lovers and those in search of historical relics will easily find common ground along these incredible routes. What ghost towns can you find in California? The Golden State is home to a number of incredible ghost towns, some of which rank among the scariest places in California. Chinese Camp is one of the saddest – after all, it was once home to thousands of Chinese laborers. While its abandoned streets are in a state of decay, those of North Bloomfield are surprisingly well-preserved. These are just two of several ghost towns in California that have grown iconic in local legend. However, none of the aforementioned ghost towns feel quite like home. If you’re longing for a cozy, abandoned town to call your own, this one is for sale.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Across the 164,000 or so square miles of California, visitors will find all sorts of delights. Some, however, can’t resist the allure of abandoned places in California. The Golden State is home to a number of former gold rush settlements, but it’s home to just as many abandoned relics of the modern era. The abandoned Nevada County Hospital still stands to terrify onlookers, just as Preston Castle does with its purported ghostly inhabitants. If you’re craving a longer trip into the unknown, perhaps a drive down the haunted Highway 299 will help you unwind.
Are there any hiking trails to abandoned places in California?
All throughout California, visitors will find incredible opportunities to spend time in the great outdoors. Fortunately, for those with a hankering for dark tourism, some hiking trails lead to abandoned destinations. In Southern California, you’ll find a hike to an abandoned mansion. Up North, you can follow the path of an old railroad in search of adventure. You’ll find a number of ruins along hikes in California, so outdoor lovers and those in search of historical relics will easily find common ground along these incredible routes.
What ghost towns can you find in California?
The Golden State is home to a number of incredible ghost towns, some of which rank among the scariest places in California. Chinese Camp is one of the saddest – after all, it was once home to thousands of Chinese laborers. While its abandoned streets are in a state of decay, those of North Bloomfield are surprisingly well-preserved. These are just two of several ghost towns in California that have grown iconic in local legend. However, none of the aforementioned ghost towns feel quite like home. If you’re longing for a cozy, abandoned town to call your own, this one is for sale.
