Bodie State Historic Park

Travel | Bodie State Historic Park

Ghost towns are fun to explore. I had my first experience visiting one in California, after spending the morning at Mono Lake.

Bodie State Historic Park is a California gold-mining ghost town. The streets and buildings of this once thriving town of 10,000 people are now deserted and eerily left as they were when the town began to dwindle. A small portion of the original town has survived the decades of absence.

The park is open all year, however, is only accessible by skis, snowshoes or snow mobiles during the winter months. Since the main road in is predominantly dirt, mud and snow may be problematic for many vehicles.

Camping is not permitted and there are few amenities within the park. Primitive restrooms are available and there is a bookstore in the museum for guided tours.

Location

Bodie State Historic Park is located northeast of Yosemite National Park. The park entrance is 13 miles east of Highway 395, on Bodie Road (Hwy 270). I had a bit of an adventurous ride in on Cottonwood Canyon Rd, a much more rugged route into the town. I recommend driving in on Hwy 270.