It was not long ago we decided to embark on a series of fascinating self guided weekend expeditions to ghost towns in western and eastern Washington. We set out seeking the thrill of adventure and undiscovered treasures. What we discovered was much more than we bargained for.
These ghost towns revealed their stories of disaster, sacrifice, and the rich history of the all but forgotten people who shaped many of our communities.
Ghost Towns of Washington is the most comprehensive site covering ghost towns, former mining sites, historic cemeteries and other significant points of forgotten historical interest in Washington State.
Bravo on Crocker listing.
"After twelve years' research, I thought that I knew where nearly all the ovens are located ... this was pleasant news to me, to add your nice coverage!"
Thank you,
Dr. Allen W. Hatheway
Ph.D., P.E., P. Geologist
Regards,
Cate Riley
"I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say I look forward to your posts. Keep the camera rolling and thank you for helping make history interesting to my soon to be 7 year old."
Wes Robinson
Renton, WA
"I wanted to let you know that I look forward to the pictures each time you have an adventure. Thanks for bringing it all into our homes."
Sheila Lein
All locations listed on this site are from our first hand visits. Additional sites will be updated on re-visits and as new locations are explored.
Visiting our historic past has been one of the most rewarding adventures we have had. From our experiences we have seen first hand that ghost town sites can be mis-used and severely vandalized.
In accordance with our mission of preserving our history we have decided to limit the information to locating any of the ghost towns on this web site.
We believe that if your interests and intentions for visiting ghost towns are genuine, you can use information from this site and with additional research locate and/or properly access these ghost towns.
*Just a reminder that some sites are located on private property. If we visit any sites on private property we first secure permission from the property owner(s) prior to exploring the site. All private property sites will be labeled and marked with an asterisk.
Our goal is to gain proper access to sites that are not otherwise publicly accessible in order to share the historical significance of the location with those who may not have the opportunity to visit.
An Important Reminder: We strongly recommend you stay out of abandoned mines altogether unless accompanied by a guide familiar with the mine, safety and its structural condition.
We are not against the hobby of metal detecting, however we do not promote relic hunting on ghost town sites. We also recommend you thoroughly check out operators prior to taking expensive ghost town tours advertised on the web. At present there are no tour company's in the state of Washington that we would recommend or endorse. Ghost towning is something you can do yourself for free.
As always please feel free to contact us at anytime with comments or questions about locations.
Ghost Towns and Historic Mining sites in Washington State
Fritz Wolff's "A Room For The Summer"
Adventure, Misadventure, and Seduction in the Mines of the Coeur D'Alene
Mention GTW When Ordering Your Signed Copy Today
William Kittredge, Author of The Nature of Generosity
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