Chloride City

California wrote the book on ghost towns, from Gold Rush tent cities to Owens Valley farm towns the aqueduct dried up.

Chloride City is a ghost town in Inyo County, California, United States. It is located 8.5 miles (14 km) north-northeast of Beatty Junction, at an elevation of 4,770 ft (1,450 m). The former settlement is in Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1905 when the Bullfrog, Nevada, gold discovery brought people into the area. The ghost town contains numerous adits, dumps, and the grave of James McKay, of whom nothing is known. The town also holds the remains of three stamp mills.

Calling it Chloride City was either optimism or a very good joke — boomtowns were never modest about their ambitions.

The on-the-ground condition of Chloride City is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Chloride City is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.