Abandoned Record
About Essex
Essex is a small unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California. The settlement lies on National Old Trails Road – part of the old Route 66 – just south of Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Essex, 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 Essex is
Historic maps
9 historic USGS maps cover Essex
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.
- 1942 Amboy sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1943 Essex sheet, 1:62,500 · GeoTIFF download
- 1943 Amboy sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1954 Needles sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1956 Essex sheet, 1:62,500 · GeoTIFF download
- 1956 Needles sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1981 Needles sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1985 Essex sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1985 Amboy sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
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 Essex
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our California index.
Sources
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Essex, California": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q5399620.
- USGS GNIS 1656508.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).