GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted December
    1st, 2015

               

    Bring the Past to Life: Visiting
    America’s Ghost Towns 

               

    Happy Camper Blog

             

             
               
                 

    Goldfield Ghost TownWith less
    crowds and off-peak discounts at many campgrounds and RV parks, the winter
    months are the perfect time to explore America.

    This month,
    head out to one of the country’s many surviving ghost towns to get a
    fascinating glimpse into what life was like in another era. As you stroll
    along dusty streets and wooden boardwalks, you can peek into vintage
    buildings and imagine a time when these now-quiet towns once bustled with
    those seeking their
    fortunes.

    Arizona

    Goldfield Ghost Town
    in Apache Junction

    Set against the stunning backdrop of
    the Superstition Mountains, the Goldfield Ghost Town dates back to 1893 when
    high-grade gold ore was found in the area. It began a new life in 1984 when
    ghost town enthusiast Bob Schoose and his wife Lou Ann purchased the site of
    the Goldfield Mill and rebuilt the old town. Today, Goldfield Ghost Town is a
    multi-faceted attraction that offers mine tours, gunfight reenactments, a
    museum, gold panning and much more. It’s also the site of the Mammoth
    Steakhouse and Saloon that has a stagecoach from the legendary town of
    Tombstone on display.

    California

    Bodie
    State Historic Park in Bodie

    To see an authentic ghost
    town that was part of the California Gold Rush, head to Bodie State Historic
    Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and approximately 75
    miles southeast of Lake Tahoe. This former boom town was once home to nearly
    10,000 people. A small part of the town survives, and has been preserved in a
    state of “arrested decay,” with its buildings’ interiors left as they
    were and still stocked with goods. According to the California Department of
    Parks and Recreation, “today, this once-thriving mining camp is visited by
    tourists, howling winds and an occasional
    ghost.”

    Colorado

    St.
    Elmo Ghost Town in St. Elmo

    The pursuit of gold and silver
    is what once brought nearly 2,000 people to St. Elmo. The town is set in the
    San Isabel National Forest approximately 100 miles west of Colorado Springs
    and dates back to 1880. At one time, there were over 150 patented mine claims
    in this area, and St. Elmo served as a hub for supplies arriving via the
    Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad, but the tracks were abandoned in
    1922. It is said that St. Elmo’s population rode the last train out of town
    and never came back. The St. Elmo General Store is now the site of an antique
    shop.

    Montana

    Garnet
    Ghost Town in Granite County

    Gold miners and their families
    flocked to Garnet in the 1890s, and by 1898, around 1,000 people called the
    town home. Back then, Kelly’s Saloon was a popular gathering place, as was
    the Miners Union Hall that doubled as the town’s dance hall. Two dozen
    buildings still remain, and guided tours are available whenever Bureau of
    Land Management staff members are on site.

    Texas

    Terlingua
    Ghost Town in Terlingua

    Described as being located “just a
    few exits past the end of the world,” Terlingua’s ghost town includes the
    ruins of the Chisos Mining Company which was once a quicksilver mercury
    mining operation, as well as a frontier graveyard that dates back to 1902.
    The historic Starlight Theatre, which at one time served as the town’s movie
    palace, is now a restaurant and saloon, and the town is the home of the
    Terlingua International Championship Chili Cookoff which is held the first
    Saturday of November.