Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Mariposa County, California

Horseshoe Bend

A ghost town site in Mariposa County, California.

Record

About Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend is a mining ghost town of the California Gold Rush, formerly on the Merced River in Mariposa County, California, United States.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Horseshoe Bend, 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 Horseshoe Bend is

USGS topographic map around Horseshoe Bend
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

13 historic USGS maps cover Horseshoe Bend

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 Horseshoe Bend

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Horseshoe Bend, California": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q14946651.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).