Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Polk County, Oregon

Zena

A ghost town site in Polk County, Oregon.

Record

About Zena

Zena, Oregon is a former community (now considered a ghost town) approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Salem, Oregon, United States, in Polk County. The community was established in 1858, originally called "Spring Valley".

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

USGS topographic map around Zena
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

15 historic USGS maps cover Zena

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 Zena

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

Sources

Sources

  1. ghosttowns.com, "Zena": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
  2. Wikipedia, "Zena, Oregon": coordinates and summary.
  3. Wikidata Q8068987.
  4. USGS GNIS 1163369.
  5. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  6. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).