Mossville

Louisiana's ghost towns are river landings, lumber and turpentine camps, and oil-boom towns that deflated.

Mossville is a small, predominantly African American unincorporated community on the outskirts of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area and is sandwiched between the much larger and predominantly white towns of Sulphur to the west and Westlake to the east. Sasol owns a large petrochemical plant which directly abuts the town of Westlake to the east. Sasol announced a westward expansion of their facility which entailed buying out and relocating almost all of the residents north of Old Spanish Trail in Mossville.

The on-the-ground condition of Mossville 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 Mossville 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.