Bodie 800+ft sierra ghost town

bodie is a crazy place- i used to go there a lot when i lived in tahoe- this was a decade ago and most times i had the place to myself- no guards no rangers no tourists- haven't been there since and it seems to have changed a bit but quite magical when i was there- i don't think you can camp there anymore- plenty of camping in the area though

mistake

Bodie is a great place to visit, I've been there a couple times over the years. It's really beautiful in an eerie, desolate sort of way. Fascinating history as well. Walking around the town, it looks like everyone just suddenly up and left one day, leaving everything behind.

There's no camping in the state park istelf, but both the Forest Service and BLM offer camping nearby.

During the late spring through early fall, you can drive in along the dirt road. Once the rains and snows start, you have to snowmobile, cross country ski, hike or snowshoe in.

On just about any day of the year, Bodie can be found listed in the weather section of the newspaper as having the coldest temperature of anywhere in CA.

Here's a few photos from Thankgiving last year:

Bodie can be a neat place to visit, but there isn't much for a serious hiker. You don't want to go there in winter, and you don't want to go there in the middle of summer (too hot). The last time I was there was about May, just about when the mountain pass roads begin to open up. That is also when the purple bush lupine is looking good on the access roads to the southwest.

Bodie is sort of an abandoned ghost town, so lots of historical items can be found that date to the 1920's and 1930's, although some items go back to the 1870's or 1880's. It is good if you like gold mining, and there is an optional tour of the gold mine mill complex.

If you go there, bring plenty of water to drink and a camera.
–B.G.–

And don't hike up the road during tourist season, the dust is unbelievable!!

I don't even drive in the normal road during tourist season. Instead, I drive in via Cottonwood Canyon, off 167.

–B.G.–