Bodie State Historic Park, Mono County, California
Bodie State Historic Park, Mono County, California (© Julien McRoberts/Tetra Images, LLC/Alamy)
Ghosts of the gold rush
In the ghostly silence of Bodie, California, it feels like time stands still. This mining camp became a booming gold rush town in the 1870s, after a cave-in revealed a rich vein of gold. Bodie was named after W.S. Bodey, a prospector who died in a blizzard before seeing the town's rise. When large deposits were found there, it grew to nearly 10,000 residents, with saloons, dance halls, and breweries lining its streets. But as the gold ran dry, so did the town's fortunes. The mines closed, the population dwindled, and by 1915, the place was abandoned. Bodie's streets are now empty, its wooden buildings frozen in decay.
© Julien McRoberts/Tetra Images, LLC/Alamy