Bodie State Historic Park

Top choice


At Bodie State Historic Park, a gold-rush ghost town is preserved in a state of 'arrested decay.' Weathered buildings sit frozen in time on a dusty, windswept plain. To get there, head east for 13 miles (the last 3 miles are unpaved) on Hwy 270, about 7 miles south of Bridgeport. The access road is often closed by snow in winter.

Gold was first discovered here in 1859, and within 20 years the place grew from a rough mining camp to an even rougher boomtown with a population of 10,000 and a reputation for unbridled lawlessness. Fights and murders took place almost daily, the violence no doubt fueled by liquor dispensed in the town’s 65 saloons, some of which did double duty as brothels, gambling halls or opium dens. The hills disgorged some $34 million worth of gold and silver in the 1870s and '80s, but when production plummeted, so did the population, and eventually the town was abandoned to the elements.

Peering through the windows of the 200 weather-beaten buildings, you’ll see stocked stores, furnished homes, a schoolhouse with desks and books, and workshops filled with tools. The jail is still there, as are the fire station, churches, a bank vault and many other buildings.

The former Miners’ Union Hall now houses a museum and visitor center. The second Saturday of August is Friends of Bodie Day (www.bodiefoundation.org), with stagecoach rides, history presentations and lots of devotees in period costumes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Mono County Courthouse

12.1 MILES

The gavel has been dropped since 1880 at this courthouse, an all-white Italianate dreamboat surrounded by a gracious lawn and a wrought-iron fence. On the…

2. Mono County Museum

12.22 MILES

In an 1880 schoolhouse, this museum has mining artifacts on display from all the local ghost towns, plus a room of fine Paiute baskets. Only open during…

3. Black Point Fissures

13.45 MILES

On the north shore of Mono Lake are the Black Point Fissures, narrow crags that opened when a lava mass cooled and contracted about 13,000 years ago…

4. Mono Lake

13.73 MILES

North America’s second-oldest lake is 70 sq miles, and a quiet and mysterious expanse of deep blue water. The glassy surface reflects jagged Sierra peaks,…

5. Buckeye Hot Spring

17.08 MILES

A stroll down a hillside brings you to this out-of-the-way (though it can still get crowded) hot spring. Water emerges piping hot and cools as it trickles…

6. Upside-Down House

18.41 MILES

The Upside-Down House, a kooky tourist attraction created by silent-film actress Nellie Bly O’Bryan, is worth a quick look. Originally situated along…

7. Navy Beach

18.47 MILES

The best place for swimming in Mono Lake is at Navy Beach. It’s also the best place to put in canoes or kayaks.

8. South Tufa

19.04 MILES

Peculiar-shaped tufa spires ring the shimmering Mono Lake, but the biggest grove is on the southern rim, with a mile-long interpretive trail. The bizarre…