“Goodbye God, I’m Going to Bodie”

This famous phrase, written by a little girl, became well known throughout the West. In 1859, gold was discovered in the hills around Mono Lake. Gold prospectors flocked to the area and Bodie, California was born. By 1880, over 10,000 called the town home, making it one of the most raucous and infamous mining towns in the West. A few decades later it became a virtual ghost town. Today, only 5% of the town’s buildings remain.

During its heyday, wickedness and badmen were the norm. Killings, street fights, robberies, or stage holdups occurred on a near daily basis. The Reverend F.W. Warrington described the town awash in “a sea of sin.” Badmen flocked to the area, including the dastardly “Badman from Bodie.” The fact the town had over 65 saloons didn’t help matters either.

When the gold dried up, so did the town. For years, Bodie sat in a state of decay. Buildings collapsed due to age, fire, and the harsh High Desert climate. In 1962, the area became Bodie State Park. The decision was made to leave the structures in “arrested decay.” Meaning if they fall, they fall.

Visitors can explore this California Ghost Mining Town throughout the year. Stroll down Main Street and peer into store windows and homes. Everything appears just as it did when the town was deserted, right down to the canned goods. The Old Methodist Church still stands. So does Chinatown, the Town Jail, the bank vault from Bodie Bank, and the Wheaton & Hollis Hotel. The Miners’ Union Hall now houses the park’s museum.

Bodie is located northeast of Yosemite National Park. For more information and directions, visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=509. Note: The last 3 miles to Bodie are on a rough, dirt road. Just like the prospectors experienced!