Nestled between dramatic mountains and in the arid land of the desert are the ghost towns of Death Valley National Park. Examples of what life was like a century ago still remains in the silence of these majestic abandoned places, waiting hopelessly for someone to come by and reinvigorate them.
Map of Death Valley Ghost Towns
With 3.4 million acres in Death Valley National Park, it’s hard to know exactly where to go to find the worthy spots. Below you’ll find a map with 7 different ghost towns throughout the park. Some have buildings still standing, some feature only a pile of rubble. Others are simply former townsites, smaller settlements not large enough to be called a town.
Being the largest National Park in the lower 48, Death Valley is extremely massive so you probably won’t be able to access every ghost town in one visit. Driving from one location to another could take hours and it’s important to note that many of the roads require a high-clearance vehicle and/or 4-wheel drive. I’ll mention that in my description of each below.
Be sure to check the NPS website here for any current alerts and info on road conditions!
Ghost Towns of Death Valley
Although there were an estimated 100 ghost towns in Death Valley at one point, factors like weather and vandalism have reduced that number down immensely.
Check out the 7 worthy ghost towns to visit in Death Valley:
Rhyolite
In a single decade, Rhyolite went from being southern Nevada’s largest city (even bigger than Las Vegas) to becoming a ghost town. Boasting nearly 10,000 residents, 20 hotels, 50 saloons, an opera house and even a red light district, Rhyolite was one of the first cities to implement electricity in 1907. With the financial panic of 1907 came the town’s demise only 4 years later when the mill closed.
While Rhyolite is actually a few miles outside the northeast border of Death Valley National Park, it’s one of the more popular stops because it’s easily accessible with any vehicle. Find it on Rhyolite Road off of CA-374, about 5 miles from Beatty, Nevada.
Read More: Rhyolite Ghost Town – A Worthy Death Valley Detour
Leadfield
The ghost town of Leadfield was established as a mining town for copper and lead. A man by the name of Charles Julian was responsible for bringing hundreds of hopefuls to this remote spot, using distorted advertising tactics. A post office was established in August of 1926 but, by February of 1927, lead became too scarce to mine and Julian went bankrupt, amid claims of fraud. Within 5 months Leadfield went from a new settlement to a ghost town.
Want to learn more about the abandoned mines and mills in Death Valley? Click here!
Leadfield ghost town is located in the northeast side of Death Valley National Park. Accessing the abandoned settlement isn’t the easiest as it’s located 16 miles into the one-way Titus Canyon Road. You will need a high-clearance vehicle for this drive and 4-wheel drive is recommended. Find the entrance to Titus Canyon Road via CA-374 about 6 miles from Beatty, Nevada.
Read more about Leadfield Ghost Town in Death Valley
Chloride City
When the mine workers in Rhyolite went on strike in 1905, many headed 20 miles south to Chloride City. Within a single year it became a ghost town. While there are no longer town ruins, 3 different stamp mills remain as well as a number of mine passageways and dumps. Located within Death Valley National Park, find Chloride City today via a 4-wheel drive road off of CA-374.
Skidoo
Two men who were on their way to the newly-discovered gold strike in Harrisburg found gold themselves in 1906. Establishing the townsite of Skidoo, it reached a population of nearly 700. Accessing Skidoo is pretty difficult as it’s located on a one-way unpaved road. You must have a high-clearance vehicle for this drive and sometimes 4-wheel drive.
Harrisburg
By the early 1900s, mining towns on the east side of Death Valley were strongly established. Many hopefuls set out into other areas to try and strike it rich. In 1905, two men found gold in the central mountains, leading to the opening of the Eureka Gold Mine. Harrisburg operated as a tent city, housing around 300 people. All that remains of the ghost town today is one of the original founders’ home and the mine. Find it on the southwest side of the park via the paved Emigrant Canyon Road, 14 miles south of CA-190.
Panamint City
While I haven’t had the pleasure of hiking to the Panamint City ghost town, the story behind it entices me. Two outlaws hiding from law in the Panamint Mountains discovered silver in a place called Surprise Canyon. By the year 1874, nearly 2000 residents called the town home. In 1876, a massive flash flood destroyed most of the town and the only road coming in, forcing the residents to abandon it. Panamint City is accessible today via a very strenuous 12 mile roundtrip hike. The trailhead is located at Chris Wicht’s Camp, 6 miles northeast of Ballarat.
Ballarat
The Panamint Mountains on the southwest side of Death Valley National Park brought a land rich of gold in the late 1800s. More than 400 people called the settlement home by 1900, including a number of legendary Death Valley men. While Ballarat is privately owned today, it sits in a remote area just outside the park boundary. Find the ghost town 30 miles south of Panamint Springs via a paved road, except for the last 3.5 miles.
Be sure to check out my Death Valley archive here for more first-hand tips for exploring!
Before heading into historic places, it’s imperative that you’re familiar with the “Leave No Trace” principles.
Read More: Leave No Trace: The 7 Rules of the Backcountry
Learn more about Leave No Trace on their website here.
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This place is really scary, hats off to you traveling to these places, if I would have been in your place I would have never traveled, but my husband who does not believe in ghosts would definitely try out this place and i will surely share this with him and make him go alone.