Treasure Hunting

Ever wonder why there were so many ghost towns out west, especially in California, Arizona, and Nevada?  A lot of these places are old mining towns that were abandoned when the mines ran dry.  Some of these towns have been recreated to give visitors a feel of what it was like to live in the Old West.  Places like that can be fun to visit, especially if you have children, but I much prefer the ghost towns that have been left alone and abandoned. 

The site Ghost Towns and History of the American West keeps very detailed lists of ghost towns that fit both these categories, abandoned and reconstructed.  One huge plus that I love about this site other than the maps is that it provides information on best time of year to visit, what kind of vehicle you need to get there (if you need 4WD or not), and the state of decay of the location.  Their list for California is so comprehensive that it’s been broken down into two subcategories - Northern California and Southern California.  Within each of those categories, you can choose to view the listings by county.  This is particularly nice if you’re planning a trip and want to try to hit several ghost towns in California that are fairly close together.  There are also some great photographs there for several of the ghost towns - these will give you a feel for if that location is a place that you’d like to visit.

If you’re planning on doing a little treasure hunting during your ghost town explorations, make sure you find out if the site has been designated a national park or historic area first.  While it might be okay to pick up a rock or two at such a place, you won’t be able to do much else.  These areas are protected by the government and a high emphasis is placed on preservation.  So, if your plan for visiting ghost towns is to look for interesting souvenirs, you’re much better off looking for those that are off the beaten path.