We saw the sign that said Ghost Town 10 miles, but that it could take 30 minutes to get there. We thought what the heck. Soooo glad we did! The drive is partially paved, and mostly unpaved down a dirt road. There were a couple of cow gates to crossover, a few smaller rocks in the road. We traversed it in a Toyota Camry and were fine. A truck or SUV is ideal, but a sedan was completely workable. You are driving way out in the middle over nowhere then come of the hill and there is a rather large ghost town. We were COMPLETELY surprised at how large it was. Being a State Park there is a nominal entrance fee. See sign of posted prices in pictures! The park is very educational, historical, cool things to see! It is a great way to be outdoors walking and getting exercise without calling it exercise! There are both restrooms at the parking lot and then outhouses down near the hotel for use. There was a water fountain (we brought our own) I only saw that it was working if needed. This park is preserved as is for people to see. There are things on the ground to step over which are natural terrain like rocks and stuff and then there are items like chains to step over to prevent injury. An individual with serious mobility issues would have a hard time unless they utilized a wheelchair or mobility device of some sort. The paths that you walk on are dusty, plan on being dirty, it is a ghost town in nature!! There was a museum to enjoy. In the museum there was the option to purchase tickets to see the mill for $6 per person. We also saw a sign on the church that there would be a talk shortly. There was an indoor area to sit on benches and watch a movie about the history of Bodie. It was neat seeing some of the items inside the buildings like original wall paper, toys, toddler potty chairs, vintage furniture, old tools, wagons... If you are looking for a great way to enjoy a drive, exercise, family time, history, and see the largest preserved ghost town then this is for you! Would we return: ABSOLUTELY.. I was sad I didn't know about this before and didn't have more time to explore and do the Mill tour!! We only spent about an hour there. I'd love to plan appropriately and spend the better part of a day here. What is there to eat, drink and snack on?? NOT A THING OTHER THAN A WATER FOUNTAIN.. PACK ACCORDINGLY AND DONT FORGET AND HAND SANITIZER!!! read more

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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. read more

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Step back in time and see how life was in the late 1800's mining town. I went in mid October and it was super cold. I can only imagine with no insulation how frigid life was. This is an amazing authentic ghost town. I highly recommend. read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

Bodie State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bodie, California

We were looking for things to do when visiting Yosemite. The Ghost Town came up on our Google search and decided to check it out. What we thought would be an hour exploring turned into 3 hours. We enjoyed it so much with our two kids. We made the mistake of not getting the pamphlet in the entrance. The pamphlet gives you numbers and what it was back then. As many houses or buildings had a number. Instead we kind of guessed and assumed what we thought what it could be. The way to the ghost down is dirt,bumpy but just take it slow. They have bathrooms and a small shop for gifts. We used a trick someone on a review had mentioned about using your camera against the windows to see inside and worked as a charm. We still didn't finish the looking around but totally recommend even for kids. read more

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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. read more

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Checked off one item on the bucket list. Numerous reviews here and elsewhere referenced 3 miles of very bad roads, often using the term "dirt". We entered from CA120 and the last 3 miles were washboard stone roadway. Somewhat narrow in spots, but not nearly as bad as I feared. The site itself is truly unique and engaging. There is short history video of the town's history. Pro tip: Holding your iPhone (I presume other phones work the same) to the windows in camera mode allows a much better view of the interior contents in the based buildings. read more

Not going to write a review about Bodie State Park, but want to share that we experience a flat tire there and had no spare tire. There are no cell signals and we are forced to constantly drive slow, stop, pump the flat tire and spend the next few hours looking for a tire shop that have the size. Reason for the post is to shout out to the kind couple from Reno traveling with their parents to Bishop. Thank you so much for stopping and helping. We never get your name or pictures but wanted to let you know we are safe and make it back to the bay area finally. You are a God send and we hope to pay it forward. Also to the young family in the van that stop and ask if we needed help, thank you so much. You all are a beacon of light in our hours of need. Thank you. To those drivers stuck behind us on the no passing lane on route 395 as we drove slowly north, south, than north again, sorry ^_^ read more

Bodie State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bodie, California

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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

I went a couple years ago on a solo trip. I had fun. I love history so it was easy to enjoy. One of the docents I at this time can not remember his name, he was super fun and had lots of stories and information to tell. I liked the visit alot. read more

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! read more

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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. read more

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! read more

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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 read more

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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. read more

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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 read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. :) read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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/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! read more

Bodie State Historic Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Bodie, California

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

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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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more