Exploring Calico Ghost Town
Calico Ghost Town has always been on our list of places to visit. Each time we took a weekend trip to Las Vegas, we always said to each other, "lets check out Calico on the way home." However, on our way back, we were so focused on getting home that we never end up stopping. Well this time, we picked a day in October (for Halloween) and decided to make a fun day trip adventure to explore Calico Ghost Town!
Admission to the park is very reasonable with Adults (Age 12 & Up) at $8.00 per person, Youth (Age 4-11) $5.00 per person, and Ages 3 & under free. The park also offers a Calico Annual Pass for $50.00.
Calico is located in the Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California and was founded in 1881. Silver was king, and Calico became one of the richest in the state. At the height of its hay day, Calico had a town population of 1,200 with 22 saloons, China Town, and a red light district.
Being our first visit, we were both excited to take a step back in time and explore this piece of California history. During the month of October, Calico usually hosts a Ghost Haunt but unfortunately due to COVID it was cancelled. However, the town still had plenty of spooky decorations throughout for some Halloween spirit and fun photo opportunities.
Due to COVID, some of the many attractions were closed like the Maggie Mine Tour, Calico/Odessa Railroad, museum, and the cemetery. This will give us a reason to return for another adventure. Although some of the attractions were closed, we were content with walking the townsite, exploring the area, and peeking into the windows of the buildings hoping to catch a glimpse of an old miner or spirit.
In addition to exploring the town, camping is also available. Campsites offer full hookups and are open 24 hours a day. Off-highway vehicle camping with facilities and showers is also available. There is also a large bunkhouse for groups. Randy and I definitely want to come back when the weather cools down to take advantage of camping right below a ghost town!
Be sure to check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel for the whole experience of Exploring Calico Ghost Town. We take you along to the old schoolhouse, peek into a room from the Hyena House hotel, which was built into an overhanging cliff, and share views from Lookout Point.