Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · DeKalb County, Alabama

Battelle

Unincorporated community in Alabama, United States.

Record

About Battelle

Battelle is an unincorporated community in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States. Battelle was once a thriving mining community which was spread in a north – south line along the foot of Lookout Mountain five miles north of Valley Head, Alabama.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Battelle, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Battelle is

USGS topographic map around Battelle
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

12 historic USGS maps cover Battelle

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Battelle

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Alabama index.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Battelle": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Battelle, Alabama": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q4869703.
  4. USGS GNIS 156036.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).