Ghost towns (SD,WY,UT)

[Jonathan Lee]

In August, I'm doing a multi-week road trip through Badlands South Dakota, into the Grand Tetons and then into Bryce and Zion in Utah.  For the most part this is a National Park trip but I am also looking for photogenic ghost towns that are are reasonably close to the highway and are accessible by a 4WD of the soccer-dad type (Volvo XC90). Based on some internet searching I have found Okaton, SD and BlackRock and Cisco in UT.  Any one been to these places or care to suggest any others?

[Kevin Ebi]

In August, I'm doing a multi-week road trip through Badlands South Dakota, into the Grand Tetons and then into Bryce and Zion in Utah.  For the most part this is a National Park trip but I am also looking for photogenic ghost towns that are are reasonably close to the highway and are accessible by a 4WD of the soccer-dad type (Volvo XC90). Based on some internet searching I have found Okaton, SD and BlackRock and Cisco in UT.  Any one been to these places or care to suggest any others?

This would be a bit out of your way, but depending on much of a priority ghost towns are for you, I think it would be worth it: Rhyolite, Nev. It's east of Death Valley. The closest town is Beatty, Nev.

It's unusual as ghost towns go. It was a thriving city (as opposed to town) in the early 1910s. You'll find remnants of multi-story buildings. One is three stories tall. It's not a town that was went up overnight. The buildings were well constructed and it's unlike any other ghost town I've ever visited.

[Peter McLennan]

Since you're in the area anyway, there's a pseudo ghost town east of Kanab, UT.  Go east from Kanab on US 89 to UT 1854 and turn north.  A few miles (maybe five or so, I forget) there's the remnants of an old movie set.  There are a dozen or so old buildings all tumbling into disrepair and very photogenic.   Take a long lens - I think it's private property.

[OwlsEye]

Hello,
I just returned from a road-trip to Western South Dakota. I live in MN and drove west on hwy 90 to the Badlands. This is an annual pilgrimage for me and I will update the experience on my Blog tomorrow ( http://www.btleventhal.com ). Anyway, within 60 miles east of the Badlands is a ghost town that is accessible from the highway. This is not my type of thing, so I can't tell you much more than it exists and is visible. In addition, if you take the Badlands "Hwy" through the park you will see a road to Interior, SD. This road borders the park's campground. If you head South towards interior, you will the village of interior... if you like weathered, rugged and ragged towns, this is worth a visit... further down this road is ranch land w/ some classic ranches set into badland/eroded landscape.

Since you are making this trip, I would like to offer two other places to visit. Custer State Park is much like a small National Park. It has a great mix of sweeping landscapes (Granitic Peaks of Needles Hwy & rolling prairie on the Wildlife Loop Road). In addition, the wildlife on the loop road is very accessible. Outside of Custer is Wind Cave National Park. Most people believe that this is only a place to see caves (...also worth the visit), but this park is a beautiful example of a pre-European settlement prairie. There is a lot of wide open space to do landscape work in a diverse prairie bordered by rolling hills studded with Ponderosa Pines.

Finally, I know that there is a ghost town just outside of the Rushmore Area called "Four Mile Old West (ghost?) Town"... again, I never stopped at it, but I did see it from the road.
Ok... one more... I promise... Deadwood SD has remnants of it's old western/gold rush history and has a "ghost town" of sorts as well.

If you have any specific questions or want to know about a cool place to stay in the Badlands, let me know.
cheers,
bruce

[DesW]

In August, I'm doing a multi-week road trip through Badlands South Dakota, into the Grand Tetons and then into Bryce and Zion in Utah.  For the most part this is a National Park trip but I am also looking for photogenic ghost towns that are are reasonably close to the highway and are accessible by a 4WD of the soccer-dad type (Volvo XC90). Based on some internet searching I have found Okaton, SD and BlackRock and Cisco in UT.  Any one been to these places or care to suggest any others?

Yoh,

Don't forget this one---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIJ5MlPU0LY

Des

[langier]

SW Utah: Grafton, near Zion NP--some restoration and stabilization three years ago to the buildings.

Rhyolite is OK, but Gold Point and Goldfield a couple of hours north on US 95 are better. Both are about 4-5 hours north of Las Vegas.

Haven't been to Paria (movie set town) in 20 years so I can't comment, but some of the other little towns in central Utah are very interesting photographically. Be sure to ask permission if you think you may be trespassing.

A few years back north of Bryce, I did go to Osiris, though it wasn't much to shoot.

Cisco is getting to to more of a wide spot in the road. Less to photograph there each time I go. 2003-2004 was enough for a few photos, not much more.

Sunset Publishing used to have "Ghost Towns of the West" published in the 1970s. I went to many then and into the 1980s. Much is now gone and new ones are developing, especially in the western Great Plains as people move out of the Rural West.

There are lots of places you can find on such sites as http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/ which seems to have a pretty good link page.

For Wyoming, I like shooting in Atlantic City and South Pass (a state park). Still lots of good buildings at each.

The two best by far, and best preserved are Bodie in California, about two hours south of Reno and Bannack, Montana, a hour west of Dillon in s.w. Montana. You can spend a day or more in each and still have enough to bring you back.

All of these are easily accessible without 4WD.

Also, do a search on Amazon for ghost town books. It seems that each state has some kind of guide book that will give you great ideas.

Have a blast shooting, and leave some pix for the next guy!

[Adam Schallau]

Since you're in the area anyway, there's a pseudo ghost town east of Kanab, UT.  Go east from Kanab on US 89 to UT 1854 and turn north.  A few miles (maybe five or so, I forget) there's the remnants of an old movie set.  There are a dozen or so old buildings all tumbling into disrepair and very photogenic.   Take a long lens - I think it's private property.

FYI, the Paria movie set burned to the ground back in 2006. I was there in September 2007 and there was nothing left. It's still a beautiful area to visit and photograph.


Fire Destroys Replica Movie Set in Kanab
August 26th, 2006 @ 9:46pm

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Replica buildings of a Kanab-area movie set made famous in westerns of the 1960s were destroyed by fire Friday night, the Bureau of Land Management said.

A wooden-framed saloon, mercantile, post office and another building caught fire about 3 p.m. and burned to the ground, BLM spokesman Larry Crutchfield said.

The cause of the fire remained unknown and investigators were trying to determine if it had been intentionally set, he said.

The buildings were erected in 2000 by Kane County residents and constructed as look-alikes of sets built for the production of the Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra "Rat Pack" western "Sergeants 3." The sets were located near the original Paria movie set, 40 miles east of Kanab.

"The rebuilding of the set was a community effort, and (the fire) hurts the whole community," Crutchfield said.

A traveler paying a visit to the sets Friday told authorities he saw a tan, late model pickup truck driving away from the area just as he arrived and spotted the fire, Crutchfield said.

More than 200 movie westerns have been filmed in the Kanab area, including the 1924 silent film "Deadwood Coach" starring Tom Mix. The saloon and mercantile were also featured in Clint Eastwood's "The Outlaw Josey Wales."