About Abandoned Towns

What this is

We keep an index of 6,591 ghost towns, mining camps, railroad stops and abandoned settlements in all 50 states. Every site has its own page with what is known about it: location, county, elevation, a USGS topographic map, the historic maps that show it, and the sites nearby. 503 towns in 39 states have a full guide, and 50 states have a hub with a map of every known site.

What a guide tells you

Every guide answers the questions you have before you drive out: is it open, who owns the land, what is still standing, and how rough is the road. It starts with a field sheet (status, access, road, the date we last checked) and goes on to the town's history, what's left, photos, historic USGS maps, a site map, directions and drive times from the nearest cities, the weather forecast and the towns nearby.

Where we don't know something, the guide says so. A status we can't confirm from a recent source is marked Not verified rather than guessed.

Where the facts come from

Each page lists its sources at the bottom. How we research explains which sources we use, how a guide is checked before it goes up, and how we choose and credit photos.

Help keep it current

Ghost towns change. Gates get locked, roads wash out, buildings fall. If you've been to a town, use the Share your visit form on its guide to tell us what you found, and send photos if you'd like them on the page with your name. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we'll fix it. See Contact for what to include.

Who runs it

Abandoned Towns is an independent site, owned and operated by Gunnar Bengtsson. Write to [email protected].

Be careful out there

Many sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land, and old mine openings kill people every year. Check the status before you go, stay out of shafts and tunnels, and leave everything where you found it. The field guide has the basics.