Ghost towns built on gold and silver — the engine of the American West’s boom and bust cycles.
Home › Montana Ghost Towns › Garnet Ghost Town Garnet Ghost Town, Montana: Two Gold Rushes, a Depression Revival, and 30 Buildings That Refused to Fall Montana Gold & Silver Mining Entrance fee applies · ~12 min read Quick facts First gold discovery (Beartown)1865 Garnet townsite founded1895 (as Mitchell) Renamed Garnet1897 Peak population (1st boom)~1,000–1,200…
Home › Arizona Ghost Towns › Jerome Ghost Town Jerome Ghost Town, Arizona: The Billion-Dollar Copper Camp That Slid Downhill Arizona Gold & Silver Mining Free to explore · ~14 min read Quick facts First mining claims1875 Town incorporated1899 Peak population~15,000 (1920s) Current population~450 residents Elevation5,200 ft on a 30° slope Primary industryCopper mining Major…
Home › California Ghost Towns › Calico Ghost Town Calico Ghost Town, California: The Silver Camp Saved by a Theme Park Legend California Gold & Silver Mining Entry Fee Applies · ~10 min read Quick facts Silver discovery1881 Peak population1,200 – 3,000 (1887-1890) Major mineSilver King Mine Decline began1896 (Silver price crash) Completely abandoned1907 Total…
Home › Arizona Ghost Towns › Oatman Ghost Town Oatman Ghost Town, Arizona: Gold, Route 66, and Wild Burros Arizona Gold & Silver Mining Free to visit · ~10 min read Quick facts Gold discovery1902 (Vivian Mine) Town renamed1909 Peak population3,500 – 10,000 (1920s-30s) Major mine closed1924 (United Eastern) Effectively abandoned1960s Total gold output2 million…
Home › Montana Ghost Towns › Bannack Ghost Town Bannack Ghost Town, Montana: Gold Rush, Vigilantes & Montana’s First Territorial Capital Montana Gold & Silver Mining Entrance fee applies · ~12 min read Quick facts Gold discoveryJuly 28, 1862 Peak population3,000+ (by 1863) Post office closed1938 Buildings remaining50+ on Main Street DesignationNational Historic Landmark (1961)…
Home › Colorado Ghost Towns › St. Elmo Ghost Town St. Elmo Ghost Town, Colorado: The Best-Preserved Town in the Rocky Mountains Colorado Gold & Silver Mining Car accessible · ~16 min read Quick facts Founded1880 (originally “Forest City”) IncorporatedDecember 1880 Peak population~1,800 (mid-1880s) 1900 census population145 1930 population7 Primary industryGold & silver mining ·…
Home › South Dakota Ghost Towns › Deadwood Deadwood, South Dakota: Wild Bill, Calamity Jane & the Most Lawless Camp in the Black Hills South Dakota Gold & Silver Mining National Historic Landmark · ~18 min read Quick facts Camp formedEarly 1876 (illegal settlement) Townsite formally laid outAugust 26, 1876 Peak rush population~25,000 (rush-era estimate)…
Home › California Ghost Towns › Bodie Ghost Town Bodie Ghost Town, California: The Most Lawless City in the American West California Gold & Silver Mining State Historic Park · ~18 min read Quick facts Gold discoveryJuly 1859 Major boom triggered1876 (Bunker Hill Mine) Peak population8,000–10,000 (c.1879) Decline began1879 Mining ended1942 Total gold & silver…
In 1904, two prospectors discovered gold in the Nevada desert. Within four years, Rhyolite had exploded into a city of thousands — with three railroads, a stock exchange, and a three-story bank. By 1916, it was completely silent. Today it’s one of the most dramatic and accessible ghost towns in the American West, free to visit near Death Valley.