When thinking about southern California, many think of expensive mansions, celebrity psychics, Disneyland, and the legendary Hollywood sign.
But this state is also known for its many ghost towns.
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Updated 2/10/2020 – Depending on where you go, there’s always a possibility of encountering lingering spirits who refuse to leave the places that were once their homes.
You’re about to see ten ghost towns in Southern California that are the perfect ghost hunting destinations.
10 Southern California Ghost Towns Perfect For Ghost Hunting
Table of Contents
- 1 10) Sageland – Kern County, CA
- 2 9) Ballarat – Inyo County, CA
- 3 8) La Panza – San Luis Obispo County, CA
- 4 7) Lost Horse Mine – Riverside County, CA
- 5 6) Lompoc Landing – Santa Barbara County, CA
- 6 5) Bombay Beach – Imperial County, CA
- 7 4) Beeks Place – Orange County, CA
- 8 3) Hall City – Riverside County, CA
- 9 2) Zurich – Inyo County, CA
- 10 1) Stonewall Mine – San Diego County, CA
- 11 Conclusion
10) Sageland – Kern County, CA
stars4esther/flickr
Sageland was founded in the fall of 1866 as part of the El Dorado Mining District.
The town prospered until a flash flood destroyed many public buildings during the 1860s.
Unable to fully recover, Sageland was abandoned in 1874.
Travelers passing through have said they have heard disembodied voices of mine workers on their EVP devices.
One local claims to have heard the phantom noise of the mine shaft carts being pushed back and forth as well.
9) Ballarat – Inyo County, CA
hitchhikingfreeloader/flickr
Named after an Australian town where a large chunk of gold was discovered, the town of Ballarat never prospered.
The land was harsh and barren.
After the gold rush died out, Ballarat was quickly abandoned.
One visitor came forward and said that after exploring the city, she discovered an apparition in her backseat who begged her for water.
She said the experience was frightening, but she did not feel that the spirit was at all malicious.
8) La Panza – San Luis Obispo County, CA
rural-ruin/livejournal
Much like the ghost town of Ballarat, the desert-like town of La Panza was built and destroyed because of the California gold rush.
The area is now private property, however many locals have said that if you stand by the passing road, halfway between the town and the nearby gold mines, the sound of pick axes can still be heard.
It seems as if spirits are still there, digging into the surrounding dirt in search of riches.
7) Lost Horse Mine – Riverside County, CA
zruda/flickr
Named after a group of men who had their horses stolen in 1893, the area became a town when a man discovered a vein of gold in the ground.
Shortly after he sold his share to a man named Johnny Lang and a partner.
Lang was discovered as a fraud and was bought out, but remained in the area.
In 1925, his mummified remains were found outside his shack.
California natives who visit the town claim to have seen Lang’s ghost in the distance, still digging in the ground for his fortune.
6) Lompoc Landing – Santa Barbara County, CA
Lompoc Landing was established in 1875 as a means to import lumber.
The town prospered when it began exporting agricultural products.
However, the Southern Pacific Railroad rendered the town obsolete during the 1890s.
Recently, there have been a small number of reports of dead sailors who have been seen wandering along the landing.
It’s been said that they peer out into the water, looking for their ship to come back to port.
When these sailors are approached, they vanish into thin air.
5) Bombay Beach – Imperial County, CA
robert ellsworth tyler/flickr
Bombay Beach was meant to be a resort town for vacationers during the 1940s and 50s.
Despite high salinity in the water, Bombay remained active until a series of floods hit during the 1970s.
The area never recovered.
Today, only a few residents remain.
A few have said that when it rains in the area at night, they can hear the sounds of spirits knocking on their doors, begging to be let in, due to the rising flood waters.
Bring your ghost hunting team and investigate this place for an amazing experience.
4) Beeks Place – Orange County, CA
1-with-nature/flickr
Very little is known about when the town of Beeks Place was established and why it was eventually abandoned.
The single remaining building is now private property and belongs to a harbormaster.
Before it became private, many Orange County residents said the area was haunted by a woman in a white dress with blood down the front of it.
Many believe she was a bride who was murdered by a jealous ex-lover before she could get married.
3) Hall City – Riverside County, CA
Chief Cabazon of the Coahuilla Indians was an influential figure during these times. (museumsyndicate.com)
Once called Hall City, the town was renamed to Cabazon shortly after the Civil War.
It was named after an Indian Chief helped build a railroad station in town.
However, when the town’s aqueduct system failed, the townspeople dispersed in 1879.
Locals visit the remaining olive orchard and claim to have seen the apparition of an Indian in a magnificent headdress walking through the olive trees.
Many believe it is Chief Cabazon who refuses to leave the city he once helped to prosperity.
2) Zurich – Inyo County, CA
elainegreycats/flickr
Known as the first town ever established south of Laws, CA, Zurich was built as a result of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
When the rails were eventually pulled up and relocated to Keeler, CA, the town of Zurich underwent a financial hardship and was abandoned.
Recently reports of a beautiful young woman has been seen, walking were the tracks once lay.
Many believe it is the ghost of a woman named Josephine, who is supposedly the last person to have been born in the town of Zurich.
1) Stonewall Mine – San Diego County, CA
abhiking.blogspot.com
The town of Stonewall was built around a mine that was established during the gold rush.
Named after Stonewall Jackson, the mine produced over one million dollars in gold.
When the mine shaft collapsed in 1926, the surrounding town was abandoned.
Those who visit the museum in Stonewall are said to feel the ground vibrate as if the mine shaft were collapsing again.
They claim that if you listen closely, the sound of men perishing within the mine can also be heard.
Conclusion
Many towns came and went during the famous California gold rush.
But while these ghost towns are reclaimed by the earth, many spirits remain, perpetually searching for wealth and good fortune that many never found while still alive.
