Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Riverside County, California

Leon

A ghost town site in Riverside County, California.

Record

About Leon

Leon is a ghost town in northern San Diego County, California. A former gold mining town from the 1880s, it was named for the Leon Mine that lay on a hill to the northwest of the town.

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

USGS topographic map around Leon
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 Leon

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 Leon

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Leon, California": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q14683078.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).