Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Inyo County, California

Valley Wells

Place in California, United States.

Record

About Valley Wells

Valley Wells is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California. Prior to 2010, for census purposes it was part of Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells CDP.

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

USGS topographic map around Valley Wells
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

10 historic USGS maps cover Valley Wells

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 Valley Wells

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Valley Wells, California": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q2883098.
  3. USGS GNIS 1661620.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).