Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Emery County, Utah

Desert Lake

Ghost town in Emery County, Utah, United States.

Record

About Desert Lake

Desert Lake is a ghost town in Castle Valley in northern Emery County, Utah, United States. It was inhabited from 1885 to about 1910.

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

USGS topographic map around Desert Lake
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

7 historic USGS maps cover Desert Lake

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 Desert Lake

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Desert Lake, Utah": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q5263964.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).