Bodie SHP: The Ghost Town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Located high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains stands a ghost town frozen in time. The buildings and artifacts contained in them remain as they did when the last of the residents vacated the town of Bodie, now a state historic park.

Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. The town is named for Waterman S. Body (William Bodey), who had discovered small amounts of gold in hills north of Mono Lake. In 1875, a mine cave-in revealed pay dirt, which led to purchase of the mine by the Standard Company in 1877. People flocked to Bodie and transformed it from a town of a few dozen to a boomtown. Only a small part of the town survives, preserved in a state of "arrested decay." Interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Designated as a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park in 1962, the remains of Bodie are being preserved in a state of "arrested decay". Today this once thriving mining camp is visited by tourists, howling winds and an occasional ghost.

The park is northeast of Yosemite, 13 miles east of Highway 395 on Bodie Road (Hwy 270), seven miles south of Bridgeport. From U.S. 395 seven miles south of Bridgeport, take State Route 270. Go east 10 miles to the end of the pavement and continue 3 miles on a dirt road to Bodie. The last 3 miles can, at times, be rough. Reduced speeds are necessary. Call the park if there are any questions about road conditions.

If you are traveling in the winter, due to the high elevation, the park can only be accessed via skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles.