Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Sacramento County, California

Mormon Island

Historic site under Folsom Lake in California.

Record

About Mormon Island

Mormon Island was a mining town mainly populated by Mormon immigrants seeking gold in the American River during the California Gold Rush. Its site is now submerged under Folsom Lake in present-day Sacramento County, California, United States.

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

USGS topographic map around Mormon Island
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

11 historic USGS maps cover Mormon Island

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 Mormon Island

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Mormon Island": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Mormon Island, California": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q6912636.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).