Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Jackson County, Oregon

Buncom

Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States.

Record

About Buncom

Buncom (also spelled Bunkum or Buncombe) is an abandoned mining town at the confluence of the Little Applegate River and Sterling Creek in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Medford, at an elevation of 1,783 feet (543.5 m) above sea level.

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

USGS topographic map around Buncom
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

14 historic USGS maps cover Buncom

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 Buncom

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Buncom": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Buncom, Oregon": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q4997465.
  4. USGS GNIS 1138957.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).