California's Best Ghost Town - Bodie State Historic Park

Bodie is probably the best known and best preserved ghost town in California. A boomtown in the 1870s, the town lasted until the 1940s and is now kept in a state of arrested decay. Bodie State Historic Park is about 13 miles off Highway 395, north of Mono Lake, near the town of Lee Vining. In this video we take a look at the town, including some of the buildings and sights in September 2020. Bodie is a great place to visit and get a glimpse of what life may have beeb like over a century ago.
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[@jeffjordan3806]

I was there in the winter one time. It was deserted. It started to snow and it gave the experience a haunted feeling, walking around the streets while snowing. I'm hoping to go back this Thanksgiving. Thanks for the video and especially the drone footage in the beginning.

[@glenncarver3896]

I have been there many times before it was a State Park………went hunting there……..I went into the school house ……….never touched anything………always left it alone……..It was like someone was saying leave it like it is……….glad I listened……….

[@joannah.185]

Love the comment thou shalt not steal on the 10 commandments cloth!

[@joeyager8479]

I was there way back in 1974 - it looks the same now as it did then. My family was there on a late August early evening. No one else was there - just us four. As the sun was setting it changed the whole feel of the place.

[@RobRoy2012]

Visited Bodie twice on our vacations from Scotland. Great place and the video brought back some great memories.

[@VintageVermilion]

I love visiting Bodie. A fascinating time capsule and view into a world that no longer exists.

[@metingokbulut837]

🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷💯💯💯👍👍👍 METİN GÖKBULUT BUNU ÇOOK BEĞENDİ

[@robertmontague5650]

The first thing I did after getting out of the car was start walking up "Boot Hill" the cemetery shown toward the end. I was genuinely surprised how out of breath and winded I was after about 5 minutes. Then I realized the elevation of Bodie was over 8300 feet AGL.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, I can't imagine working at that elevation.

[@sunandsage]

You can kind of get used to it after while. There's lots of people live at that elevation and higher.

[@Junk65]

Great video. well done. I visited that area about 30 years ago. My car broke down just before bodie after driving from the bay area. WE were stuck on a dirt road surrounded by many cows. The cows looked at us and seemed puzzled to see city slickers on their land. I was able to get the old porsche going again and drove straight back over the mountains to safe territory. Never made it to Bodie. Now i might make it there soon.

[@rickvenuto8944]

I know this was posted three years ago, but...Bodie California, wow, that brings back a lot of memories. I made many trips there in my teens, and early to mid-20s. Back then, there was no booth with a Ranger in it. There was an early snowstorm one September and they cleared the road to the dirt road, and then it was not cleared. I stopped in my 1966 Mustang sitting looking at the road. 2 Four-wheel-drive came up and they said will each be one in front one behind you get stuck will pull you out. I drove in that snow that was a good 2 feet high in that Mustang it made it all the way to Bodie and it was some incredible shots of Bodie in the snow. I think the last time I was there was 25 to 30 years ago. Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I still drive by the turn off every time we go fishing on the Walker River but I just don't turn down it. By the way, I think it's considered one of the best preserved ghost towns in all of the United States at least the lower 48. Reply

[@wolski45]

Enjoying your well done videos as part of the Virtual Travelling Experience as per the Covid 2021 Shxt Show. Wishing you and your family safe travels, from Canada.

[@patrickbennett439]

Oh wow the first school burned down from a juvenile delingquent. Well, back then you got in really big trouble for stuff. Id hate to be that kid at that time era. Thats one helllll of an ars woopin. lol. You should go in that bank with a gun and yell, this is a robbery just to say you robbed it. The people of the 1800s would have never guessed in 2023 someone would attempt to rob that place. 😅

[@Democratic_Republic_of_Iacon]

I would not be surprised if the legend of a curse befallen to those who steal was an invention of those who wanted to conserve the town. It sure does keep the relics in place let me tell you.

[@sunandsage]

I went there a few times back in the '80s. There is actually more than one way in to Bodie. There's one way that goes directly off of US. 395 and then there's cottonwood canyon road which takes off from State route 167. Either way you will be dealing with dirt roads at least part of the way.

[@erickim2025]

What a wealth of information in this video thanks Steve . Bodie sound like interesting town😊

[@Nikkii18]

I went here as a kid on our way back from Lake Tahoe and it still looks the same I remember it as. When my sister told me the town name as I couldnt remember i had to come to this channel to see if you covered it, and well you did 😊 thank you for the video

[@CarolFranco-tr2mg]

This would be fun to visit..gotta go, So cool. I like Carson City, too.

[@madeleinejordan92]

Me too! Love Carson City it’s beautiful!✨ My husband and I visited Bodie in July 2018, very cool🎉 But Bishop, we feel somehow a bit creepy.., so unable to stay over night..

[@chuniquepaceno470]

Thanks so much for your work, Steve, really appreciate your efforts.

[@SpanishEclectic]

Checking out some of your older videos that show up in my feed. This was a great tour. I love the vault that in true Victorian style is painted with flowers. :) I wonder how it looks this spring, after all of the rain...probably lots of flowers!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I just checked a live cam they have setup and it looks like its still covered in snow.

[@SpanishEclectic]

@@SidetrackAdventures Oh wow! Thanks for doing that! It must be higher up in the mountains than I realized. :)

[@johnnesbit2371]

I read once that there are still a few residents. Might be old information, of course.

[@mssmith3604]

Aw, no mention of the alleged ghosts and The Curse of Bodie.

[@karenbochinski]

This place is a must see

[@ralphietheshoes2175]

Great video!!!... I definitely want to do this trip soon.. looking forward to the next video!!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you. Fall is a great time while its cool and not snowed in yet.

[@graemeking7336]

No shady trees in Bodie

[@chrisanderson5317]

Haven't been there since I was a kid. Looks the same as it did then.

[@ulrikemayer6911]

Bodie is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been through. When I was there I had the feeling of an energie there, I really love it.

[@sethwalton2008]

Ghost town living on KZbin

[@michaelberger8137]

One of my favorite places in Cali.

[@chslaw]

How long should a group allow for a visit to fully appreciate the park?

[@SidetrackAdventures]

You can see everything in 2-3 hours just walking around if you don't take the stamp mill tour.

[@chslaw]

@@SidetrackAdventures Thank you. I’ve learned to appreciate California and local history a bit more in recent years, in part because of Old Town State Park in San Diego. My dad had a pretty big role in constructing a museum there that is a reconstruction of building from the 1880s.

[@cgschow1971]

@@SidetrackAdventures Definitely do the stamp mill tour. Might check ahead of time since I can't recall if it's a daily tour. Allow half a day to wander around. I went in early August several years ago and the weather was pleasant. Love your videos.

[@shanarstra2129]

Probably tunnels under it!

[@modestoca25]

Is the road to Bodie still unpaved and rough?

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yes, still unpaved. I didn't think it was that rough though.

[@larryaldrich4351]

Read alot about Bodie in the old west pulp magazines in the 1960's. Wish I had an opportunity to visit.

[@modestoca25]

You should cech out the Bodie Hotel in Bridgeport, it was moved from Bodie on two sections by mules long ago.

[@TVkaduuk]

I'm recreating Bodie in Minecraft. I would like it to look like it did in 1880. Do any of you know what it looked like then and what kind of buildings were there?

[@robertlyman9789]

Of course Ghost Adventures always find spirits there!

[@comityofspiders]

I was there in 1992 it was amazing, the school house I loved it. Did not get to the cemetery though!

[@MichaelTitera]

Terrific video, Steve! So if the state park is named after Waterman S. Body (or William Bodey), why is it spelled "Bodie"?

[@Weezieweeks]

Great video! I was in South Dakota and we checked out a town that was destroyed by a tornado and the vault was the only thing left of the bank!

[@kurtweiand7086]

I was there in the 90's some time. Run ito a young couple from Germany. Came across the pond to see Bodi!!

[@Gypsy839]

Been there many times I love Bodie!❤️❤️

[@OurJourneyHasBegun]

Omg that state park looks awesome!! Was it easy to stay away from other guests that were there? Trying to figure out fun SAFE things to do during the pandemic and I’ve been worried about going to places due to possible crowds or people not wearing masks etc

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yes, it was really easy to avoid everyone. We were there on a Saturday and there wasn't a whole lot of people, but everything is spread enough that we were never close to anyone else (aside from a deer that surprised us).

[@Gypsy839]

Be sure to check if it’s open because they close if there’s snow. Just a thought. I’ve been there when there were a lot of people but the place is so big it didn’t matter lots of space.

[@AR-cw4he]

Thank You

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

There may not be a lot on the S3 itself, but it connects the northern and southern sections of a terrific park.

[@kevinward8915]

Been there many times really cool. Love your videos

[@sethwalton2008]

There is another famous mine next to that one look it up on KZbin

[@patrickbennett439]

Im very suprised to see so many windows intact!

[@conniewojahn6445]

Interesting place. What do the park rangers do when they stay there besides man the entrance booth? Are there toilets? Outhouses? What water supply was there for the water district guy to run, and what's there now? Got to have water for tourists to flush with, right? Unless there's port-a-potties. China town and the red district aren't there anymore, but are there still foundations and boards lying around? Can't see looking across the foliage.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I think they were pit toilets but I don't remember to be honest. Nothing is left of the red light district or Chinatown. There are ranger led tours and rangers walking around answering questions. I noticed grills outside their houses, so they are probably doing BBQs and stuff when everyone leaves.

[@Corgis175]

Would love to go there.

[@mobiltec]

You are so right. It takes many trips to even scratch the surface of this historic place. And remember it's somewhat connected to other less famous mining camps in the area. Lundy comes to mind with the Green Monster Mine. The people of Bodie went there to rescue survivors of a huge avalanche that took out a large part of the town.

[@discostew115]

Video made me subscribe

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Awesome, thank you so much!

[@discostew115]

@@SidetrackAdventures Wow!! For sure, thank you for great content.

[@anthonybomberry9935]

Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you very much, we really appreciate it.

[@mawi1172]

That fence needs to be moved. Huh? 🇺🇲✝️

[@jimmineo7517]

The actual spelling is "Body" it was a spelling mistake that stuck

[@christopherheflin5919]

Wow! Great video and hope to make a trip soon.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@mybizz8542]

Just like most of Cali, real close to the arsehole of the world! 15 miles off the hwy with 5 miles of crappy dirt road to see "Nothing"! And they make ya Pay to see it! Lmfao

[@williamcharnow9038]

Music too Loud!