Washington is home to quite a few ghost towns. Melmont is a mesmerizing place to check out in particular, located near the Carbon River Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. This abandoned town features an easy trail that follows along an old rail grade and fascinating ruins being reclaimed by nature.
Rickad/Wikimedia This old town was originally founded in 1900 when a subsidiary of the Northern Pacific Railway opened a coal mine. However, the coal was only used by Northern Pacific, so when they switched from steam locomotives to diesel and electric, the economy was pretty much destroyed. The mines closed up and town’s buildings were emptied by the 1920s.
JF / Flickr Melmont can be found south of Carbonado, just off Highway 165. To get here, you can cross the Fairfax Bridge and there will be a small area for parking. Then walk back over the bridge and look out for the short, steep path on the side that descends to the railroad grade. To access the trail, you can step over the rail and follow the route down. From there, you’ll be able to start exploring what’s left of this old mining town.
Light In Colors/Flickr Along the trail, you’ll come across this old structure covered in moss and missing a few stones. It used to serve as a dynamite shack where the railroad stored a number of explosives.
J F/Flickr Perhaps the most notable feature of this old ghost town is the foundation that remains of the old schoolhouse. It used to have three stories, but the top two were demolished after abandonment so that the wood could be used to construct the Carbon River Ranch a few miles down the road.
J F/Flickr In this shot, you can see the remains of the old townsite. The field may look flat, but there are several pits and mounds that mark where some of the buildings used to be. After the town’s abandonment, structures that weren’t salvaged for construction were destroyed in a forest fire.
J F / Flickr
J F / Flickr This abandoned truck cab can also be spotted near the old schoolhouse and townsite. It’s almost completely reclaimed by nature and lies covered in moss. Even though it sits on a hill, the trees that grow around it help hold it in place.
Light In Colors / Flickr This dog-friendly trail is known to be muddy, so wearing good shoes is essential. Even though little remains, the short trip though this old mining town still makes for a fascinating adventure.
Have you been to this ghost town in Washington before? Share your stories with us below.
Rickad/Wikimedia
This old town was originally founded in 1900 when a subsidiary of the Northern Pacific Railway opened a coal mine. However, the coal was only used by Northern Pacific, so when they switched from steam locomotives to diesel and electric, the economy was pretty much destroyed. The mines closed up and town’s buildings were emptied by the 1920s.
JF / Flickr
Melmont can be found south of Carbonado, just off Highway 165. To get here, you can cross the Fairfax Bridge and there will be a small area for parking. Then walk back over the bridge and look out for the short, steep path on the side that descends to the railroad grade. To access the trail, you can step over the rail and follow the route down. From there, you’ll be able to start exploring what’s left of this old mining town.
Light In Colors/Flickr
Along the trail, you’ll come across this old structure covered in moss and missing a few stones. It used to serve as a dynamite shack where the railroad stored a number of explosives.
J F/Flickr
Perhaps the most notable feature of this old ghost town is the foundation that remains of the old schoolhouse. It used to have three stories, but the top two were demolished after abandonment so that the wood could be used to construct the Carbon River Ranch a few miles down the road.
In this shot, you can see the remains of the old townsite. The field may look flat, but there are several pits and mounds that mark where some of the buildings used to be. After the town’s abandonment, structures that weren’t salvaged for construction were destroyed in a forest fire.
J F / Flickr
This abandoned truck cab can also be spotted near the old schoolhouse and townsite. It’s almost completely reclaimed by nature and lies covered in moss. Even though it sits on a hill, the trees that grow around it help hold it in place.
Light In Colors / Flickr
This dog-friendly trail is known to be muddy, so wearing good shoes is essential. Even though little remains, the short trip though this old mining town still makes for a fascinating adventure.
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Address: Melmont Ghost Town Hike, 23689 Mowich Lake Rd, Carbonado, WA 98323, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Ghost Town in Washington October 13, 2021 Tori Jane Are there any interesting ghost towns in Washington? Washington is a state with numerous ghost towns that just so happen to be pretty dang interesting – well, if you’re into that kind of thing, anyway! Some of the most interesting ghost towns in Washington include Claquato, which was once a teeming little town during the 1800s until the building of a railroad – a common death knell for small, old-school towns back in the day – was completed. There’s also Govan, which was an old ranching community back in the 1800s (around the same time as Claquato) which fell to history long ago, and all that remains is an old school building. Bodie is another fairly famous ghost town of Washington State, which is interesting because there’s a ghost town by the exact same name in Southern California. The town of Lester is another interesting one. For a list of all these and then some, take a look at these eight interesting ghost towns in Washington state. Are there any creepy, haunted places in Washington? Washington is kind of a spooky place if you want to look at it like that. Surrounded by dense forests so thick the sun sometimes can’t shine through and often blessed with rain and fog, it’s like it’s almost meant to be haunted. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Washington – and there are many! - include places like the Oxford Saloon, in Snohomish, where numerous infamous EVP recordings have been made of ethereal, otherworldly voices. There’s University Heights, which is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the whole state, where the ghost of a long-deceased boy is said to roam the halls and frighten the living. Oh, and when in Seattle, don’t forget to visit the Butterworth Building, which is known nowadays as Kells Irish Pub. No biggie – it only just used to be a mortuary. We’re sure it’s nothing.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Ghost Town in Washington
October 13, 2021
Tori Jane
Are there any interesting ghost towns in Washington? Washington is a state with numerous ghost towns that just so happen to be pretty dang interesting – well, if you’re into that kind of thing, anyway! Some of the most interesting ghost towns in Washington include Claquato, which was once a teeming little town during the 1800s until the building of a railroad – a common death knell for small, old-school towns back in the day – was completed. There’s also Govan, which was an old ranching community back in the 1800s (around the same time as Claquato) which fell to history long ago, and all that remains is an old school building. Bodie is another fairly famous ghost town of Washington State, which is interesting because there’s a ghost town by the exact same name in Southern California. The town of Lester is another interesting one. For a list of all these and then some, take a look at these eight interesting ghost towns in Washington state. Are there any creepy, haunted places in Washington? Washington is kind of a spooky place if you want to look at it like that. Surrounded by dense forests so thick the sun sometimes can’t shine through and often blessed with rain and fog, it’s like it’s almost meant to be haunted. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Washington – and there are many! - include places like the Oxford Saloon, in Snohomish, where numerous infamous EVP recordings have been made of ethereal, otherworldly voices. There’s University Heights, which is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the whole state, where the ghost of a long-deceased boy is said to roam the halls and frighten the living. Oh, and when in Seattle, don’t forget to visit the Butterworth Building, which is known nowadays as Kells Irish Pub. No biggie – it only just used to be a mortuary. We’re sure it’s nothing.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Washington is a state with numerous ghost towns that just so happen to be pretty dang interesting – well, if you’re into that kind of thing, anyway! Some of the most interesting ghost towns in Washington include Claquato, which was once a teeming little town during the 1800s until the building of a railroad – a common death knell for small, old-school towns back in the day – was completed. There’s also Govan, which was an old ranching community back in the 1800s (around the same time as Claquato) which fell to history long ago, and all that remains is an old school building. Bodie is another fairly famous ghost town of Washington State, which is interesting because there’s a ghost town by the exact same name in Southern California. The town of Lester is another interesting one. For a list of all these and then some, take a look at these eight interesting ghost towns in Washington state.
Are there any creepy, haunted places in Washington?
Washington is kind of a spooky place if you want to look at it like that. Surrounded by dense forests so thick the sun sometimes can’t shine through and often blessed with rain and fog, it’s like it’s almost meant to be haunted. Some of the most interesting haunted places in Washington – and there are many! - include places like the Oxford Saloon, in Snohomish, where numerous infamous EVP recordings have been made of ethereal, otherworldly voices. There’s University Heights, which is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the whole state, where the ghost of a long-deceased boy is said to roam the halls and frighten the living. Oh, and when in Seattle, don’t forget to visit the Butterworth Building, which is known nowadays as Kells Irish Pub. No biggie – it only just used to be a mortuary. We’re sure it’s nothing.
