Need recommendations for backcountry ghost towns in the “Old West”

Many of these sorts of places are still in existence and have not been completely looted or destroyed solely because they are hard to get to and not publicized.

Don't take offense if not many people are willing to step forward and give locations over the internet to people they don't know.

It's sort of like asking fishermen where the best fishing spots are…

…

While I agree with what you're saying Craig, I don't think that backpackinglight.com attracts people looking to trash and loot places. I don't have a problem sharing nice places with other backpackers on here but I wouldn't want to write a review on yelp or anything like that.

Check out the Galiuro Mountains in Southern AZ. Lots of old mining equipment, some mines, a couple old cabins, an old farm, etc…probably one of the most remote places in the state.

Posts here do show up on Google quite rapidly, however.

Bodie

http://www.bodie.com/

@CraigW
Right. Nobody ever heard of asking other hikers for great spots to go hiking. I must be the first.

Thanks @Roger Dodger. I can't wait to look into those places. Please let me know if others come to mind.

@Johnnyh88 That sounds interesting. I will look into it. Thank you.

@Craig W. xnomanx
Panamint City is certainly no secret and it is only a (strenuous) 6 mile hike to get there, but instead of hikers looting and destroying it, they maintain it. People carry up cleaning supplies like brooms and bleach to clean out the cabins of mouse poop. They bring bits of pvc piping to replace portions of an ancient plumbing system so there is actually still running water in the town area. They replace mattresses on old cots sometimes and leave supplies like tents, sleeping bags, dishes and even spare fuel so future hikers can enjoy the place. Hikers leave notes to each other on the door explaining how to secure the cabins when you leave to protect the interior from wildlife and the elements. There are registers to sign and enjoy reading. There is even an immaculately preserved display of petroglyphs (which every hiker must find for himself) near the town that nobody has so much as smeared in hundreds of years. I actually am offended by your reply on behalf of all of us backpackers who have so much reverence for nature and the treasures to be found on foot that we undertake this grueling endurance sport to find and experience the beautiful places. How sad for you to say to another hiker on a backpacking chat board that a place that existed before and after your visit is yours alone to hoard and own. It seems to me that people who think like you are the ones who "discovered" America then claimed themselves the owners of it. All of us are hiking to places others have been before. Our mothers taught us how to share.

My mother was a wolverine. My bad.

The lower Sisquoc River Valley in the San Rafael Wilderness has a few old homesteads from the turn of the century. Nothing remains but some chimneys and rusted farming equipment. This place is a multiday hike from the nearest road so you won't see too many people, maybe some hunters with stock in the Fall. You may have route finding and water problems, there's also lots of poison oak and ticks to contend with. Even still, I would definitely recommend it.

Manzana Schoolhouse and Dabney Cabin are also in this area. Check it out.

Here's a trip report I made:

http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=23907&start=30

@Johnnyh88 This looks ideal. Thank you.

@kirby805 This is perfect and I will try to get out there very soon as it is actually close to where I live. Thank you.

>"There's also that bottle house in death valley, near the state line with Nevada."

That would be in Rhyolite, Nevada. Most of it is in ruins, but the bottle house is still intact at last report. I found it captivating at a teenager imagining my grandfather's life growing up in a dozen such towns throughout NV and CA in 1900-1910. (His father was a store keeper and they moved from boom to boom, sometimes in 3 different towns in a year. My mother asked him what the boys did for entertainment in Tonopah 100+ years ago and he said they'd go up to a tailings pile on the edge of town and throw rocks.

I just returned from hiking a short section of the
Pony Express Trail. Google it if you are unfamiliar. Not a lot left to see due to numerous forest fires over the years but still quite an enjoyable hike for me. If you keep your eyes open you might see stone foundations. Where I live has a lot of gold mining and then lumber production history so I take that as a challenge to follow in the footsteps of the miners and timber fallers and put together a hike to see what's left from the past. You might check your local history museums to get more ideas of where to explore.
I haven't been to Surprise canyon for a number of years but it is a beautiful place. And I enjoyed chasing the burrows off and piecing the water main together to have running water in town again.
You might try uer.ca as there are occasionally hikeable locations there also. Mostly (as the name implies) urban though.

Here's a link to a site that has details for many ghost towns in the west.
http://www.ghosttowns.com/