Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Calaveras County, California

Murphys

Census designated place in California, United States.

Record

About Murphys

Murphys, originally Murphys New Diggings then Murphy's Camp, is an unincorporated village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 1,995 at the 2020 census, down from 2,213 at the 2010 census.

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

USGS topographic map around Murphys
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 Murphys

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 Murphys

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Murphys": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Murphys, California": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q1978709.
  4. USGS GNIS 277560.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).