Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Whitman County, Washington

Wawawai

Ghost town in Washington (state).

Record

About Wawawai

Wawawai is a former town in the south central part of Whitman County, Washington in the United States. It got its name from a Nez Perce word said to mean "council ground." (John Knight, in Names MSS. Letter 225.) The town was platted in 1878 and served a community of orchards along the Snake River.

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

USGS topographic map around Wawawai
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

5 historic USGS maps cover Wawawai

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 Wawawai

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

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Wawawai, Washington": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q30715681.
  3. USGS GNIS 1510419.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).