16 photos
Bodie was once a booming mining town with a population of around 10,000 at it's peak but today is nothing more than a ghost town that's preserved in a state of "arrested decay" by the California State Park system.
It's located in the Sierra mountains off highway 395 between Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport and if you ever wanted to be in the middle of nowhere, this is it. It's said one young girl who was heading to Bodie with her parents, made a note in her journal that read "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie". It is very much worth a vist but be prepared for a bumpy ride as the last few miles are a washboard dirt road. The only way to reach Bodie in the winter is via snowmobile as the dirt road is not plowed.
I've been to Bodie many times when I lived in Mammoth and always look forward to returning. Although only a small portion of the town remains due to fires in the past, you can still almost hear the miners working the mines, people walking the streets and patrons drinking in the many saloons. As for actual ghosts, you'll have to judge for yourself but it's said there was at least one killing in Bodie every day (another reason most likely for the earlier mentioned journal entry). There may still be the ghosts of miners searching for that one last strike...
It's located in the Sierra mountains off highway 395 between Mammoth Lakes and Bridgeport and if you ever wanted to be in the middle of nowhere, this is it. It's said one young girl who was heading to Bodie with her parents, made a note in her journal that read "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie". It is very much worth a vist but be prepared for a bumpy ride as the last few miles are a washboard dirt road. The only way to reach Bodie in the winter is via snowmobile as the dirt road is not plowed.
I've been to Bodie many times when I lived in Mammoth and always look forward to returning. Although only a small portion of the town remains due to fires in the past, you can still almost hear the miners working the mines, people walking the streets and patrons drinking in the many saloons. As for actual ghosts, you'll have to judge for yourself but it's said there was at least one killing in Bodie every day (another reason most likely for the earlier mentioned journal entry). There may still be the ghosts of miners searching for that one last strike...
All images and text ©2011 Bill Luce Sr./Atomicmoon Photography. Written permission required to copy, save or use.
