Any ghost towns by the Salton Sea or Niland, California?

[mauriciom42]

I am going there tomorrow! Need less to say that I am excited! I have heard of some ghost towns in the area. I would really like to know where they are? Or how far away from Niland, CA they are? I know that Bombay Beach is a ghost town so I will be visiting that for sure. Any more? If so, I would really like some directions from Niland. Any info is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

P.S. I will be sure to post some pics of the trip when I return!

[bad bob]

Originally Posted by mauriciom42

I am going there tomorrow! Need less to say that I am excited! I have heard of some ghost towns in the area. I would really like to know where they are? Or how far away from Niland, CA they are? I know that Bombay Beach is a ghost town so I will be visiting that for sure. Any more? If so, I would really like some directions from Niland. Any info is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

P.S. I will be sure to post some pics of the trip when I return!

Julian, west of the Salton on CA78, was a stop on the old San Diego stagecoach road built in 1866. Now historic, Julian's still shown on modern maps, but I'd either check with some old-timers, or the Chamber of Commerce to see if there are other "ghosts of interest" in the area.

http://www.julianca.com/attractions/index2.htm

[LauraA]

Aside from the history of the place, Julian is home to the very best apple pies I've ever tasted.
It's worth going there just for a visit to Mom's apple pie julian; home

[Wolfgang]

People who grew up in the Palm Springs desert area tell me that long ago there were the remains of the sets from filming the exteriors of "Casablanca" down by the Salton Sea, . . but they were drowned by the rising water level and all gone now. Go up to Julian . . . ya won't be sorry . . . visit the original mine site . . . tour the still working gold mine, . . see the old Jail, . . etc. You'll love it !

[Norman Johnson]

Southern California's Best Ghost Towns by Philip Varney is my old tried and true source for all the basic ghost towns in my area. Varney has a section on East of San Diego including Julian, The Stonewall Mine, Banner, The Warlock Mine, and the Vallecito Stage Station on the old Butterfield Stage Route.

He has another section of the book on the Imperial Valley where he covers Mullet Island, Old Plank Road, Araz Stage Station, Hedges, Picahcho, and Potholes.

Of course nowdays, almost all of the towns along the Salton Sea are becoming ghost towns. Good luck and I would love to see some photo's.

NJ

[Wolfgang]

Not previeously familliar with that book. I'll have to get a copy. Thanks for posting . . .

I was at the "Stonewall Mine" just a couple of weeks ago. Hadn't been there in quite a few years. I was happy to see that the historical display area had been saved from the big fire, which did burn all around it.

[Novice]

The entire area was totally popular in the 1950's. Google it. Movie stars used to hang there and it was marketed heavily for real estate sales. They had so many lots for sale that they couldn't even sell them & the roads, the grids, can be seen from google earth. You'll find a "yacht club" complete with docks & water skiers.

Today, its all abandoned for the most part. The only people who live there are people who can't afford to leave & live elsewhere. The 'yacht club' building still stands beside its docks.... decades alone.

There is an excellent documentary on the area which you can find on NetFlix. I don't know of actual mines, though. It was a 1950's housing bubble that burst and never regained the old glory. In the video mentioned, there was actually ONE comical real estate broker who was still trying to sell "waterfront lots." He starts out trying to sell the lots at "$150,000" apiece and by the end of the video... two years later, he's dropped his price to about "$25,000."

A LOT of people got hurt financially in that entire episode. The real estate hucksters swindled thousands of people. They continued marketing it and marketing it even though they knew it was failing.

[Vaquero]

the documentary is called "Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea". I have always driven by it for years and wondered what happened before I saw the movie.

[josta]

While Niland isn't a ghost town, there is plenty of history there; the old jail building next door to the sheriff's substation and the amazingly (for a small town) majestic former bank building with columns by the railroad tracks in which must have been the former downtown area. Niland used to have a two-story Southern Pacific railroad depot as well.

Also, the "yacht club" on the east shore that Novice mentioned above, is now being restored. http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-...for-Shipshape/

[SteveS]

Originally Posted by josta

Also, the "yacht club" ...is now being restored.

Thanks for the link, that is good NEWS, I hope they succeed.

Sadly both the DesertShores and Salton City Yacht club buildings are long gone.

I swung by DesertShores last Sunday and drove around the marina. The lake is down about 5 feet below the low water level and most docks have now water at them. Many very nice water front homes are for sale, depressing and surreal at the same time.

The movie Plagues and Pleasures and it companion video is well worth seeing if anyone plans to explore around the Salton sink.