Bodie State Historic Park

Bodie State Historic Park is one of the most fascinating places I have ever visited. Walking through this preserved ghost town feels like stepping back in time, with old buildings, artifacts, and quiet streets that tell the story of the Gold Rush era. The park is extremely well maintained, and the “arrested decay” style keeps everything authentic without feeling staged. The scenery around the town is beautiful too, especially in the late afternoon light. If you love history, photography, or unique outdoor experiences, Bodie is absolutely worth the trip.

Nice place to visit. Had to drive around 3 miles of unpaved slippery road to get here. There is an $8 per adult entrance fee. Overall, it was a great experience walking through the snow-filled roads of the ghost town. Only saw the buildings from the outside.

We visited Bodie State Historic Park/Ghost Town and it was awesome. We arrived around noon and headed to the Museum to purchase tickets for the Stamp Mill Tour, we lucked out and got the last tickets for the tour. The museum has some cases you can look at and displays of items from the time period. They also have a small section for a gift shop as well as the tour books and pamphlets on the cemetery. We headed up toward the stamp mill for the tour, and checked out some buildings and abandoned trucks in the field. We were s family of 8 for this trip with the youngest being 2. We ran through safety precautions and other general information from our guide, Malcom before beginning the tour of the stamp mill. Malcom gave factual information over the different areas of the tour and answered questions from the group. We had a sold out tour and alot of ears and questions. We got to tour through the stamp mill and see everything from the electrical room to the stamping and the Shaker tables. Malcom was an excellent guide and provided alot of information. We learned that for ever 5 homes still standing there were 80-90 more! The school has as many as 625 students enrolled at one time and that Bodie was the 6th largest town in California at that time. We had a great time visiting Bodie and getting to learn some of the areas rich history.

This place is absolutely incredible. It is literally like stepping back in time. I love that things have been untouched for so many years. I loved the history and walking to each of the buildings and seeing what they were or who lived there. I highly recommend this. I also love that it's not touristy in the fact that there aren't roped off areas and sidewalks. You are literally roaming through a town in the middle of a field. If you have children be very careful because there is broken glass and machine parts and other things that if they are not careful they could hurt themselves on. But that is because they want it left raw and untouched. Absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone!!! Great piece of California gold history!

HOW COOL. A fully intact ghost town. Although over 75% of the original town burnt down, there is still a lot of history left. We opted to take the guided tour of the mill. It is the only building that you are permitted to go into while accompanied by the guide. THE MILL TOUR WAS GREAT! The guide was very informative!! Don’t arrive to close to departure time though - they cut off selling tickets in the museum for the tour about 10mins prior to start. It was still interesting to take a peek through the windows of everything else that is still there. Given its remote location (we had to take a very long, winding road to get there, 3 miles of which was washboard dirt that was no joke) and it’s high elevation of almost 8500 feet above sea level - when the town closed up shop, everyone just left everything and went. So odd to see! Be sure to check out the picnic area just past the parking area for the town. Great spot to have lunch!

We visited in October 2025. This was my first Ghost Town. It was very interesting to see and it was nicely preserved. The drive in is LONG and DUSTY once you hit the unpaved road. You can walk around and explore everything at your leisure. There is a section that is only accessible through a special daily tour (which we missed). It would have been fun to see it though. I don’t know if it’s a usual occurrence but it was really windy there which stirred up the dirt; there is also direct sun and no shade so I got a little sunburned too. Overall, it was cool to tour and have the experience.

A must-see! It's amazing to see homes and businesses that left behind furniture and goods. Nothing has been restored, so you see how it was left. There are layers of dust, peeling wallpaper, ragged curtains, falling ceilings, and missing pieces of the rock foundations. Despite the age and the weathered wood, these buildings still stand! To walk and see it all, allow yourself at least a few hours. I'll be going back again!

Firstly, the level of preservation this town is at is sheerly incredible. It really feels like you're in a whole other time period. The amount of artifacts they have gathered and restored is amazing. If you are interested in abandoned buildings or any history involving the gold rush of the American old west, this spot is a must and definitely worth the $8 admission fee. Secondly, my car broke down here and the staff did their very best to accommodate us as we first tried to get it to start and afterwards called for a tow truck. They were gracious enough to let us stay after they closed to wait for the truck to come. There are public restrooms and starlink wifi at the gift shop/museum (a nice luxury considering there isn't any cellular service at the park). Unrelated to my car's problem, be aware that regardless of which road you take to get in to the park, you will have to drive on some unpaved dirt roads. My old 2006 Accord did perfectly fine getting there, but if your car isnt equipped to handle that, it might not be worth the risk getting stuck out there. Everyone there is super nice, knowledgeable, and the town is absolutely incredible to walk around. There is so much to see. Will definitely be back (with a more capable car!)

A long road on including paved road three miles of washboard gravel. Eight dollars to get in for adults. Five dollars for kids 16 and under. Cash only in a confusing envelope. Arrested decay is an interesting prospect. Even from year to year, you can see things weather. I suppose we all do!

Some people complain that you can review just about anything on Yelp nowadays. So let's review a ghost town. Bodie State Historic Park colloquially referred to as the ghost town of Bodie is an amazing historic site that is well worth a visit. I knew we'd be passing by as we were traveling up the 395 and wanted to make sure I finally got to visit. It's a pretty easy, although slightly windy drive up a mountain. The last few miles are unpaved, but should be very doable for any 2WD cars as long as the weather is good. Just be sure to take the 270 all the way up. When I finally got out and started exploring, I was blown away by the remnants of the town that were still standing. Bodie is in a a state of arrested decay- buildings and objects are natural but also maintained to keep what's left still standing. Whereas Calico feels like a theme park ghost town (because it was), this is a real historic site with little interference. And even though what's left is only small percentage of what originally stood (most buildings are completely gone), there's still so much to explore. If you're heading up for the first time, be sure to look up the tour schedule. They have a walking tour that shares some pretty neat information about the town. They also have a small museum and gift shop (bring cash). However, outside of that and a surprisingly clean and well kept restroom, there isn't anything else so pack accordingly. Some structures are spaced out quite a bit, so if you want to see everything, you'll need a few hours. I could have spent hours with the map just walking around and exploring everything. I had the kids so that definitely wasn't going to be the case. I got a solid 2 hours out of them, but then they were ready to go. If ghost towns or historic sites are of any interest, this needs to be must visit.

The town is huge and has several streets you can walk down to see the different sites. Dogs are allowed on leash, but not allowed in the buildings. There are bathrooms in the parking lot and the picnic area. No food or drinks for sale, bring plenty of water. There is a paved path from the parking lot; however it then turns to dirt. The road to the town requires traveling several miles on a rough dirt road.

Bodie really surprised me. Seeing the houses left perfectly intact after everyone left was unbelievable. I especially enjoyed seeing inside the church. It's such a unique experience to see history in this way. I had no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. I wish we would've taken our bikes as you would be able to see much more. The town is spread out quite a bit. Also, going in any month besides summer would've been a better choice as shady areas were few and far between. It's mostly all dirt roads lined with homes and cross streets as well. In the center there is a shop with merch. I loved the merch but sadly it was cash only. I did not expect a store or to need cash. We will go back with our bikes and cash.

Such a neat area stuck in time. I've been here twice - both times it was chilly and breezy, and really sunny! The road in is windy and then it becomes a dirt road. We took it in a regular sedan and made it fine but it has some spots that are extremely bumpy and "washboarded". Bring protective clothing/hats, sunscreen, good walking shoes with a sturdy sole, lots of water, and be ready to cruise around. They have a book you can purchase at the main gate that shows each location (they all have numbers posted out front) and gives you a little insight on those spots - it's pretty much a self-guided tour. The book was $3.00 (I think?) and it was $8.00 for each of us adults to get in. It is asked that you don't take/move/pick up anything - even the metal scraps and glass shards that litter the ground. It's actually pretty amazing to see how much is left (and they say the buildings here are only 5% what it was at its heyday). Please also note there are several employee residences sprinkled amongst the vacant buildings, and while they are clearly noted on the front, it can be easy to just walk up the the door if you're not paying much attention so remember to slow down, look, and if you get to one of those houses - respect their privacy.

Cool experience, history, good pictures and nice time spent with family walking around

Bodie State Historical Park, off of HWY 395 between Mammoth and Bridgeport (very close to Bridgeport). Down a 13 mile long road, some of it dirt, but it's maintained and even motorcycles make the trek. When I think of a ghost town, I think Bodie. . When the valuable minerals ran out, so did the town of near 8000 people. Pretty much leaving everything as is. Furniture, paintings, vehicles and even a very cool old safe at the bank. It's kind of hard to describe it properly to truly capture just how awesome this place is. As I sat on the stairs of an old building, I looked down the street where it is said to have once had as many as 60 bars and brothels and I swear I could hear the scrape of boots on the gravel. It's hard not to feel poetic and romantic about this place as you take in this expansive city. Still standing are a church, hotel, barns, fire house, warehouse, gambling house, school house, saw mill, barber shop and of course the very large mine. Another place that's nearly indescribable. Definitely worth a detour if passing by. For me, I drove all the way from Los Angeles specifically to come here. This is over 8k feet, so that means snow during the season and there a very warm sun during the summer. There is no shade so bring a hat, plenty of water and probably sunscreen. They do have several bathrooms on site. There is a fee, I think it's $8 per person and it is more than worth it. Do yourself a favor and bring the pamphlet with you given by the ranger when you enter. This has a map, location and name of every building. They also have a narrated tour which has an additional fee but,well worth it. Amazing learning experience, amazing photography, wildlife around and a great way to spend the day. We were there about 4 hours and with the drive from Bishop, it was a full beautiful day.

My husband just loves ghost towns and old mining towns so I agreed we could stop there on the way back from Mammoth. The road we took to get in there was rough and very gravelly. My poor car! Thank goodness it was only 10 miles of this. When we arrived at the welcome gate we saw a newer, better road off to our left. The guy working behind the counter; "yea that's the old road"... This was so much fun and such a wonderful tour around this old mining town. They had all the stores and business in pretty good shape. I had a lot of fun just wandering around on my own away from the crowds. Peeking in holes and seeing how the people lived back then. They did have a movie running but we had the pup so we didn't go into that. We got there right when it opened @ 10 and we were glad we did, by the time we were getting ready to leave it was getting packed! It was so sweet to take the newer mostly paved road outta there.

Last time I visited I was a teen. 30 years later, I am so happy to rediscover this town, still frozen in time, yet well protected so we can still imagine by picking, through some of the original windows, people walking into the saloon, dropping off their luggages at the hotel, shopping for groceries or the children in school.

This was a great place to visit. Much larger than I thought it would be (however, quite humbling to realize it's much smaller than it was in it's heyday). Lots of buildings still in great shape with windows intact allowing the inside furnishings and fixtures to remain - you can see them quite clearly through the windows. For best pictures with your phone, place it directly against the window and your picture will show you MORE than you can see with your naked eye - quite amazing. You can see the barbers chair, school room desks, books, inside the bar bottles, tables, chairs, billiards tables, inside houses with their furnishings, etc. A few are open to wander inside but most you see through windows. Be sure to buy a map at the entry kiosk ($8 entry fee for adults and $3 for a map) - it is absolutely worth it to know who lived at each building, or what it was used for and to know about the history of the town you are walking through.

The last three miles were rough road, so it was slow going as you drive your car back in time to the 1800s. Back to when the gold rush made Bodie the go-to town. I thought it would be one street like in so many westerns, but it was pretty big and once again we found ourselves walking, walking, walking. If you wanted to see and read everything you can spend an entire day there. We stayed a few hours. Jail, bank, firehouse, school, stores, morgue, residences, it's all there. Some you can walk into, others you peer into. Lots of structures filled with artifacts, though skeptic me wondered how many were authentic. I imagine most were, but not all. I loved walking around this town but we were so tired from Yosemite that it was a chore, but we still managed to do almost the whole town. We didn't go to the mine and although we really wanted to, we skipped the cemetery on a nearby hill which was easily over an hour walk there and back. Bodie was great, a highlight of our Yosemite (area) trip. A little disappointed we didn't see a single ghost. :)

My first visit to Bodie was over 50 years ago. My latest visit to Bodie was 7 months ago. My next visit to Bodie will be on August 13th, 2022, Friends of Bodie Day. This is a day where doners are celebrated for their financial support and time, dedicated to helping preserve Bodie in its pristine ghostly state. I'm proud to be a member in good standing. You should consider becoming a member too and be part of the fun You meet the nicest folks at these things. Keep an eye out for me. I'll be the guy wearing the USC hat. It's been said that I'm nice, but circumstances may dictate otherwise. Like if I get a speeding ticket driving up 395! There's a lot of acreage in Bodie to roam and explore. The beauty in this part of the Sierra is unsurpassed. Deep deep blue skies with puffy white clouds frame the weathered structures. It's a photographer paradise. Trust me, you'll see. Over the span of these past 50+ years, I've come to Bodie countless numbers of times. My children and grandchildren have traipsed its trails to exhaustion. This place is the real deal. I've made it known where I want to be after my final breath. I know it's illegal, so the family may have to do the spreading like the guys did in the movie The Great Escape. The kids would love it !! And what better way to get them to frequent Bodie. If they miss their Dad/BaPa/California Grandpa/Grandpa Alex, they can pay me a visit and have an adventure while doing so. Quick Tip: You don't necessarily have to drive into or out of Bodie as 99% of visitors do on CA 270. There's a more fun and adventurous route. My suggestion is to go ahead and drive in the conventional 270 way, but as you pass the kiosk when leaving, veer to the left and take the 100% dirt road about 11 miles to the 167 highway. Turn right on that, and it'll take you right to 395. Take a look on the map. It's a bumpy one, and you won't find many knuckleheads, I mean white knucklers, impedeing your path. Don't let this fun miss a page in your memory, and don't blame me if you get lost. It's not my fault that you listened to me. LOL, you'll be fine.

I haven't been back for 20 years! I went here as a kid and came back much later! Greatly appreciate this state park and all the little details of time completely frozen. Looking into the windows was like being your own historic explorer, both exciting and elusive. The drive in may seem a little daunting but worth it! Best if you have AWD! We spent about two hours here. Bring a jacket because it gets windy!

Two things happen when you mention you've been to Bodie. The person you're saying it to either responds "what's that?" or "I loved Bodie!" I loved Bodie. At its essence, Bodie State Historic Park is an outdoor museum. An entire town, once housing upwards of 10,000 residents, was abandoned as its ore lodes dried up. People left with the clothes on their back, apparently, as businesses and homes here are still full of possessions left behind. The state eventually took over the town, now a ghost town, with the goal of preservation. All buildings that remained following years of neglect and fires are maintained in what they call a state of arrested decay. The whole place is fascinating. Paying en entry fee at the ranger station, be sure to purchase the booklet that provides a self-guided tour. It's very informative and will help guide you through the site. Once in, make sure to check out the special tours on offer that day. For an additional fee one can get a tour inside the old stamp mill, giving greater context to the mining operations that were the whole reason people came to Bodie. Highly recommended. It's impossible to arrive at Bodie without wondering how on Earth anyone discovered gold and silver here, out in the middle of nowhere. Even today, it's the middle of nowhere. I based myself in Bridgeport for my visit to Bodie but you could go further down the Eastern side of the Sierras (i.e. Lee Vining) and not be prohibitively far for a visit. Bodie was truly a wild west town. Miss it and you're missing a really interesting slice of California history.

If towns could speak, Bodie would have some wild tales to share! This former gold mining town once boasted 10,000 people. A small portion of the deserted settlement still remains today, giving you a glimpse into the late 1800s. It's $8 to get in for adults, $5 for children, and free for infants. They do charge an extra $3 for the map which I recommend as it details what each building used to be. It's quite literally in the middle of nowhere, so bring ample water and supplies to be safe. The Park Service did a wonderful job of preserving all the buildings and their interiors. It's as if the people just left in the middle of the night in a hurry, leaving many belongings behind. It's spooky and interesting at the same time. It's fascinating to reflect back on this important part of American History. I highly recommend making a trip to Bodie the next time you're near Yosemite or Mammoth Lakes.

Hands down one of the best trips we have taken. As a hobby photographer there was so much here to see and capture. The buildings were so well preserved that you could really sense the bygone era. Highly recommend spending a day here.

We loved it, so much history, the drive was nice and the actual town is big, you're able to walk at your own pase, reasonable prices.

This park was a really fun detour during our Yosemite trip! We only spent about an hour here because we arrived late (park closes at 6PM) but definitely could have spent more time exploring. Tickets are $8 per adult which is hefty but worth it. Pay the extra $3 for the brochure - lots of interesting commentary on the town. Also, the bathrooms here are SO CLEAN for being in the middle of nowhere! Huge huge plus

Amazing park! So worth to go in and witness the history. A lot of artifacts. This is one of my bucket list.

We were recommended to stop by on our way from Lake Tahoe to Vegas and wanted to show our boys a bit of history! It's also known as ghost town, it's a tad eerie and vacant when you have a minute to sit and take it all in on how things were in the late 1800's. It's a good self guided tour you can do with the family. Lots of pic opportunities with a western gold rush kinda feel. Dogs are welcomed here. It's hot, and not a ton of shade offered and lots of gravel. No reception for us so don't come with an "iffy" car...make sure tires are solid with a full tank of gas and can handle gravel and dirt roads. Definitely not good if you got stuck! It's in the middle of nowhere! We spent about an hour walking around and could have spent an easy 2 hours but my kids were not wanting to walk in the dead heat so we left. A must do at least once in our opinion :) Lots to see and wonder how things were centuries before us!

What a fabrastic place to visit. It's kept in a state of "arrested decay" which adds to the feeling of stepping back in time. You can peek into the buildings and homes and things are left just as they were when the last person left. When you stand there and think that only 10% of the original town remains it makes you realize how large it was. We had a couple toddlers with us and they loved the dirt roads, side paths etc. A great map to follow and learn. We were not in time for either tour. But they do tour the mine building. Small museum with some cool items from the town. There's a small cemetary outside of town. A small gift shop. Bathrooms in parking lot area. Highly recommend a trip here. No, nothing scary happened but then I don't encourage negative feelings. Left everything there for all to enjoy. Remember you are at a HIGH altitude. Walk slow, take rests, drink water, use sunscreen, hat. This is a place for the "to do" list. PS- the views are glorious

This was my first time visiting a ghost town. There is an $8.00 per person entrance fee. It's a bunch of old buildings that you can look into by peaking into the windows. Buildings that remain included a saloon, shops, gas station, church, and school, to name a few. Pros: -interesting to see what life used to be like for a gold mining community Cons: -it can get really hot -roads aren't paved, so there will be stretches of gravel that you need to drive through to get here Other: -dogs are welcome here on a leash. I was surprised to see so many dogs here. Just be careful with temperatures. -watch out for cow pies. They are everywhere since cows roam freely here

This park/ghost town is a outing for the entire family with plenty of buildings to explore. Of course, there is also the ubiquitous gift shop. And it's Dog-friendly too! Most notable is that the road to/from Bodie State Historic Park was amazingly dusty, so I would not want to take a fancy sports car here!

Bodie is one of those places that I can never seem to get enough of. There's so much to do, so much to see, so much to explore. You'll never run out of interesting things to see. The turn off for Bodie is located about 7 miles outside of the town of Bridgeport, CA and you'll find the ghost town by following that road for around 10-12 miles or so. This road starts out paved but eventually turns to dirt/gravel once you're within the park's boundary. I manage it just fine in my Chevy Cruze. You'll be fine. The majority of visits take place in late spring, summer, and fall. Due to snowfall, the road to Bodie closes to motor vehicles in the winter. If you have a snowmobile, you'll make it up just fine. Just keep in mind that while the road is closed, the park is still very much open and the usual park fees apply. The fee to enter the park is $8 per adult, $5 per child aged 4-17, and ages 3 and under are free. Keep in mind the PER PERSON and not per car fee. They only accept cash or checks (no plastic) and it helps them out if you have exact change. Spend the extra few bucks for the booklet. It describes the history and purpose of nearly every buidling you'll look at inside the park. The numbers on the buildings correspond with the number in the booklet. There is a gift shop inside the walk through museum in the park. Definitely check out the museum. It's filled with artifacts that were found in the park. The gift shop has your typical stuff for sale. Books, shirts, patches, pens, etc. They DO accept credit/debit cards for purchases. Why the gift shop does and the ticket booth does not is beyond me. You can also take a guided tour of the Stamp Mill for an additional fee of $6 per person. I highly recommend that you do this as it is super cool and informative. The tickets for this tour can be purchased at the gift shop/museum. Hands down, I HIGHLY recommend you plan a visit to Bodie. I am fortunate to live fairly close and can visit whenever I want. So if you don't, I would recommend at least two days to fully take it all in. If you're a Photographer (like me) you will LOVE it here. Just keep in mind that drones are not permitted without prior authorization. Also keep in mind that you must respect Bodie's history and it's present. The buildings are in a state of arrested decay and thus, are fragile. We must do our part to preserve the park for future generations and not touch, destroy, move, or take anything. I won't get into the "Bodie Curse" on here, but go ahead and google what happens when you steal things, even a rock, from Bodie. Not good.

I knew something was up when lines of cars kept passing me as I headed east on 270. There's miles of gravel road to get there! Where could all these people possibly be coming from? Then I got to the admission gate and I was the 4th car in line. I saw the full parking ahead. It hit me: THIS. IS. A PLACE WORTH SEEING. Oh, and I saw the whole town from there and my heart melted. SO many buildings! As I walked around photography took hold of me. Decades-old stuff still inside the houses. Old school building with school materials still showing. Stables. Machine parts. Mill. (You need a guided tour for the mill - please do know this in advance and arrange with the park if you want to do that and have the time.) This may be the favorite place I've ever stopped on a vacation in the United States. (Maybe even including Hawaii and Alaska. Now that's special.) I love ghost towns and the buildings still standing here just make it so tremendous. Worth every penny of the $8 admission even for just an hour's walkabout. May as well bring people and food and make a day of it. Now to find out who didn't give this five stars and question their lives.

I drive up and down 395 every couple of years, and I've had Bodie on my to-do list for many of those years, but I always thought of it as having a 20 mile rocky dirt road, so I hadn't attempted it till now. Turns out they've paved nearly all of that road, and the remaining few miles are nicely graded and easily passable by 2wd vehicles. Which I guess is good for most, and unfortunate for a few who wanted a bouncy adventure! I walked all around town taking photos and listened to the guide's presentation about the history of the area. Really enjoyed the history and the buildings "kept in a state of arrested decay". Enjoyed imagining the place in the winter with ten foot snowdrifts, and living here when there were tens of thousands of miners and hundreds of saloons and whorehouses. There's also a tour of the mine, which is normally closed, if you're there at the right time of day. Wish there was a nice easy camping place right nearby - like maybe on the road up here. I stayed up in the forest camping near Buckeye, west of Bridgeport.

How can you not enjoy Bodie? Honestly if you don't like historical stuff and you don't like 3 mile dirt roads then that's reason to skip it. Otherwise it's DEFINITELY something to check out! Look for the guided tours too! Regarding the road; when we went it had obviously not been redone in a bit. It had a lot of washboard and was pretty bumpy in our truck. Smaller wheel bases seemed to do fine. I wouldn't recommend it on a rainy/muddy day if you have 2 wheel drive. Late season is probably the best time to go, before the snow but when the heat is done. Definitely have a jacket the stops the wind. It gets windy and that wind can be very cold. You will definitely want good walking shoes for dirt and have a good camera. You're at the intersection of the Sierra and the Great Basin so the weather and terrain is rugged. It'll take easily 2-3 hours to see everything without a tour. But budget at least 4 hours so you don't feel rushed. Also, bring water and snacks. There are no concessions, just bathrooms. There are overnight camp outs sponsored by the state parks so keep an eye out for those.

It has been almost a year since my family and I visited Bodie and I am still thinking about it. It was such a beautiful August day. This was not a planned trip, more like I was googling sites to see, while we were in Mammoth. Boy was I surprised. This place is amazing. Will definitely return one day. If you have a chance, I would definitely recommend visiting.

Interesting to see once if you are in the area and have a couple of hours to kill. A brochure with a map would have been nice. Remember that to get there you must drive on gravel so be ready for a bumpy ride.

Nice place to visit, very interesting town and a unique experience. Knocking off a star because the restrooms had no soap. That's ridiculous and unhygienic, it's not a cheap place to visit and the bathrooms are otherwise very nice so why neglect such a fundamental hygiene practice.

Such a fantastic destination. It's out of the way but in my opinion, worth the drive. I've been to ghost towns before - ones with just a few structures left standing, ones that have been made into tourist traps, and decent ones that have a good array of interesting buildings. Bodie is in a class of its own. It's a really vast space with a huge amount of intact buildings. Everything inside is preserved in a state of arrested decay. You can go inside a handful of spaces but the majority you see by peering into the windows. This is how they remain preserved so I don't mind it. There's also a fun feeling of snooping when you do that. I highly recommend including Bodie as a stop on your trip. A couple bits of information: -Time. I initially planned to spend 1 hour here as I planned another stop for that day. When CA shut down the national forests, my other plans fell through. It was a blessing because Bodie calls for more time. We ended up spending 3 hours here. We could have spent more. There is so much to see. So plan accordingly and allow a large window of time. -Always check the website before you go. Places in this region are subject to closures due to weather, fires, etc. -My favorite structures: schoolhouse, church, general store, morgue, hotel. -There is a gravel road (couple miles) but it's nothing too gnarly. Just make sure you are good on gas (no gas in Bodie) and your tires are healthy. There is no cell service in some of these remote areas so it really helps to be prepared (personally, I feel more secure having a spare tire, a portable jump starter, and a tire inflator). -It's $8 to get in for adults; $5 for children; free for infants. They do charge an extra $3 for a self-guided tour book. I recommend buying it as it provides a map and outlines the details of each building. Quite helpful for context. If you want to save your money, you can download the park brochure on the website, which provides a map with the name of each building (as well as a general history of the town). This might be sufficient for some. They also offer a tour but I didn't get the details. The tour does allow you to go into a normally closed area of the town, specifically the dangerous mining zone. There is also an open building where you can watch a documentary about the town (I recommend it for additional context). They also have a small museum/gift shop building nearby. -Dogs allowed, leashed. -Wear closed toe shoes. There's old wood, nails, etc. -Bring water as it gets really hot walking around outside. We saw bottled water on sale at the gift shop. Not sure if there's a fountain on site but I recommend bringing your own to be safe. Bring snacks too since you'll likely want to walk around for a few hours. -There are real bathrooms (not portable) on site. -Really friendly rangers. We did witness them escorting someone out (he wandered into the area closed to the public and then yelled obscenities at the rangers for doing their job). Mind-boggling that people behave like that. -Bridgeport is the closest town to stay in. It's a small town but there are a couple motels (we liked the Redwood), restaurants, and historic sites (courthouse and jail). We enjoyed our stay there. However, you can also drive here from Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite, etc. -Have fun and enjoy the amazing history.

I love bodie ghost town. If you have time go see it. I do recommend going early because it does get a bit packed. I'll continue to visit yearly

The hubby and I have been here many times with our kids when they were little. This time we brought our friends. We have never purchased a map, but we did this time. It was interesting to read about the people that lived in the town and get a feeling for the families/people that once inhabited the buildings. We were surprised to see cattle on the land. They weren't there the last time we visited. It made for a more strategic walk this time around. Our friends thoroughly enjoyed their visit and we enjoyed sharing our memories with them. Masks are required, but because it's a town, people were walking around without masks and pulling them up when passing others.

If you love history then bodie should be on your list. It's a great place to walk around and explore.Spend some extra money for the booklet which describes the history and purpose of the buildings on the site.

A must visit place if traveling on CA 395. This ghost town which was at its prime during the California gold rush is a trip down the old time. Everything here amazed me so much and it was fun walking around seeing church, mines, grocery store, houses, etc. The drive to this park is a paved gravel road so maintain caution when driving. This park is totally worth it and well maintained.

Bodie State National Park is a treasure of California. Learn history on a mining community that was 90% burned down. A few buildings remain and can scary if you were allowed to stay at night and tell ghost stories. Great for kids to see untouched history from old churches to elementary school . See mining carts that looks as something from Indiana Jones or old Shell gasoline station. This was a lot of fun and strongly recommended. It is a drive but worth it. Note: a small fee to come in $5 for children and $8 for adults. $3 for a guide map with a lot of key information.

Interesting as a document of an important time in California history - yet much to clean, repaired and well kept for me to call it "ghost town"

An amazing piece of history! As you walk through what is left of Bodie, it is hard to imagine that this was once a boom town and home of up to 7000 people. However, the "boom" period was very short lived. It started on 1887 and ended towards the end of 1880. If it wasn't for Cain family who took the steps necessary to protect the abandoned buildings and town from looters, Bodie would've disappeared very much like the other the ghost towns near it. Here is what I recommend you consider if you are planning to visit. First and foremost, try to visit when it is not too hot. The park opens at 9:00 am. Eat a hefty breakfast, get there first thing in the morning, take enough water, wear comfortable hiking shoes, have your camera handy, get a map of the town and take your time stopping at every building to read about it. If you are up to it, walk up the hill so you can see a panorama of the town and its layout from up there. If you run into a ranger who is not too busy, try to strike a conversation. They have a load of fantastic information that you may not find in any map or brochure.

My husband and I were up in the area for our five year wedding anniversary last weekend. I had always heard of Bodie and always wanted to go and this was our opportunity. It is really far back on a half paved/dirt Road. When we got there it was an amazing sight to see. So many buildings that are very well preserved. You can imagine what life was like back in that town and its heyday. Be sure to watch the movie that they show about Bodie in one of the buildings and purchase a map so you know what each building was. Each building is numbered. We spent a couple hours here looking inside windows and exploring. Definitely be sure to catch this if you are in the area.

What a cool place to visit!!! It's like going back in time. Well worth the drive. We came from the south of the park and found a super cool abandoned house. High clearance vehicles recommended. 2x2 should be able to handle it. Nice restrooms there as well.

You have to drive a windy and partially dirt road to get to this desolate place. I consider the road part of the adventure--and always find it hard to believe there was a bustling gold-rush town hidden so deeply in the hills of the white mountains. Bodie is the only ghost town I've been to. It is wonderfully preserved and has a theatre where you can watch a short film on the town's history and demise, a museum that houses some of the most interesting things left behind, and many buildings with windows and doors that let you look into a sliver of history suspended in time. If you are not sure-footed please walk with extra caution. The dirt walking paths are filled with jutting rocks, divets, and shards of metal and glass. I held my toddler's hand firmly. Even though she wanted to run ahead, my tight grip kept her from eating dust at least twice. Even if you only have a short time to explore, this is a great place to stretch your legs, explore the past, and pique your curiosity about what once was.

I can't say enough about this awesome place and it's history. Great place to walk around and explore I've been a few times in different weather never in the summer though. I've been in Jan with snow on the ground and in Nov right before snow and weather was great. Beautiful blue sky in contrast to the old buildings and yellow grass makes for some spectacular photo opportunities. Dogs on leash are ok too!

Amazing to step into a ghost town , loved every part of it, great vibes. 5% of the town left? And it's still huge...

This is one of those places you need to put on your "to go to" list. It is nothing spectacular, but it certainly is entertaining and interesting. The old buildings and vehicles have been frozen it time, with perhaps the addition of a bit of dust and rust. The park service does a good job of keeping the town in the state of suspended decay and we noticed a few replacement roofs when we really started to look. If not for the improvements, the remainder would be destroyed so it is certainly in the best interest of preservation. Most of the town is gone, but what does remain provides a good feeling for what it once might have been. You have to imagine the colorful residents of days gone by, but you can certainly see what they lived with. Overall, a very worthwhile experience that should be on your bucket list.

Dead. Dead walls everywhere. Looking at rust do unpleasant things to my skin. I look left and think "is it worth the steps?" No. I look right and same - not curious enough to warrant effort. A place could be interesting in unpleasant ways. But on scale of 1 -10 how eerie is this place? 3 maybe. The rust totally give me a 10 on the icky scale. And this state historic site wants each adult to pay $8. $2 for a map. What are these funds being used for exactly? Decrepit buildings sway with wind. Pros: make awesome black and white pics. You can totally dress up and do some opposing imagery of beautiful versus rotting. Cons: the three mile unpaved road to get here, the $8 fee/adult, the gas to get here, the effort.

In October of 2017, I was visiting with my grandmother in hospice who first introduced Bodie to me. Not really gauging the location, I thought the idea of this place seemed really cool and I'd like to visit it someday. Flash forward to January of 2018, my boyfriend and I were on a road trip to Tahoe up the 395 when we happened to catch a glimpse of the tiny, almost unmarked, sign for Bodie State Park as we were on our journey. Immediately I got excited and told him all about it and ultimately convinced him to pull a U at the next available spot so we could check it out, as we still had another 4 hours before checking in to our hotel. By far, one of the COOLEST places I've ever experienced. There's something so surreal and eerie about the town that still stands as it was left by settlers in the 40's. While all windows and building entry have been blocked by glass and mesh wire, being able to see a place where many called home for so long left to ultimately decay was an experience unlike any I've had. Dining room place settings, industrial buildings and toolshops, bedroom settings all left exactly as is from the last remaining residents before the town was abandoned all together. The land is sprawling and expansive, definitely set aside a good few hours to explore. Also, don't take anything from the grounds as it's been deemed cursed by folklore & unknowing visitors who assumed they could take any of the trinkets as souvenirs. Also, it's very cold in winter, so bundle up! Definitely worth checking out at least once in your lifetime!

Get past the 3 miles of unpaved road, and you'll find yourself transported back into an old mining town known as Bodie, where 90% of it was decimated in 2 different fires. It's in a state of arrested decay, so it definitely has that ghost town feel as you peer into the dirty windows and find old furniture, children's books, anything that was left behind but now covered in dust and age. It costs $8 per person to enter, and it is well worth it for a day of exploring. Just bring water and snacks if you plan to make it a day! There are restrooms available. We were only able to spend a short time there as we had a schedule but we would've liked to stay longer. We didn't have any reception as well, so we completely missed areas of interest that we should've stopped at or known the hours for. For instance, there was a mini museum in the middle of town that was unfortunately closed for the day. But we read that there were a lot of letters from real visitors who mailed back items they have taken from the town because bad luck started to befall on them! There is also a "King's Street" that we missed that was Bodie's Chinatown. That would've been really cool to see! I really liked walking into one of the houses and seeing the rooms as it's much colder than the outside. And you know what they say when an area's temperature is noticeably lower.......... There is also a cemetery across from Bodie that you have to walk out of your way for. You can purchase a $2 self-guide map as well but we ended up going on our own. We should've bought the map! This is a really cool place and shouldn't be missed.

We've been wanting to visit this site for a long time and was finally able to today despite the local wildfire. It was worth it! Make sure you buy the guided map booklet when you pay for admission because the information tells the story at each building of who lived there or what it was used for. Make sure you bring a lunch and plenty of water! There's no shade.....and that should make you appreciate the determination of these people to make homes and livings out here in middle of nowhere! It did for our family! We hiked about 2 miles around the town and we're just in awe of how everyone lived and all the little details....we'll definitely be making a return trip! When you make the turn for this site...you will have about 10 miles of paved road,,,,the remaining 3 miles are dirt...our Subaru Outback was the perfect car for this trip!

I won't lie to you. You really have to want it to visit Bodie State Historic Park. This is really remote California. Perched at an elevation of over 8,000 ft. at the end of a really long dirt road stands Bodie. This park is two hours south of Lake Tahoe along Highway 395 with many road closures and detours, so plan ahead for your trip. Summer is the easiest for access, but it may be extra brutal then too. This is extreme California history. The air is thin with no trees or shade in sight. Gold makes people crazy, and this is apparent while walking down the abandoned streets. During its heyday, Bodie was a vibrant community with schools, casinos, and everything in between. Then, everyone left and left everything behind. The abandoned buildings still have objects caked in dust almost surreal in appearance. Tours are the best allowing you access inside the various buildings, but it is also fun to just wander around. Be careful though, the thin air and intense sun combine for risky situations for even those in good shape. Bring lots of water and cameras to really capture an extreme part of California history. The combination of wood and brick is amazing with everything in a perfect abandoned setting. Kids actually like the open spaces to roam, but there are few services so bring lots of food and snacks. Following an earthquake, the restroom facilities now include a solitary real outhouse with a very long line. This is still a really fun place to visit if and when you have the time. Unfortunately, Bodie requires a decent commitment of time and energy making it more of a destination than a quick stop. But those that brave the trip are rewarded with walking through an amazingly preserved piece of gold rush history.