Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · San Benito County, California

New Idria

Ghost town in California, United States.

Record

About New Idria

New Idria was an unincorporated town in San Benito County, California, United States. It was named after the New Idria Mercury Mine, which closed in 1972, resulting in a ghost town.

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

USGS topographic map around New Idria
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 New Idria

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.

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "New Idria": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "New Idria, California": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q3475543.
  4. USGS GNIS 1660786.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).