The American West is home to dozens of abandoned mining towns dating back to the gold rush days. Some have all but vanished into oblivion, while others have become popular historical landmarks (and a few are even available for sale). Among the most memorable of these sites is Bodie, California, which was turned into a historic park in 1962 and still draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Photo: Francesco Orfei
What makes Bodie so special, you ask? Partly because of its size – with over a hundred buildings still standing, it's one of the largest California ghost towns in existence, and it holds the title of the state's “official” gold rush ghost town.
Photo: A Photographer's Nature
Bodie also has a reputation for being one of the spookiest historic sites to visit at night, and the otherworldly atmosphere of the town has made it a popular destination for photographers.
Photo: Jürgen Lobert via Flickr
Adding to the haunted atmosphere, most of Bodie's intact mills, shops and residences were left exactly as they stood when mining operations shut down in 1942, less than half a century after the town's most prosperous era.