Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Tuolumne County, California

Sawmill Flat

A ghost town site in Tuolumne County, California.

Record

About Sawmill Flat

Sawmill Flat is a locale, formerly a settlement during the California Gold Rush, now a ghost town in Tuolumne County, California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 2,136 feet, south of Martinez, another former gold rush settlement.

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

USGS topographic map around Sawmill Flat
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 Sawmill Flat

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 Sawmill Flat

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Sawmill Flat": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Sawmill Flat, California": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q65119753.
  4. USGS GNIS 265869.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).