Ash Hill

California wrote the book on ghost towns, from Gold Rush tent cities to Owens Valley farm towns the aqueduct dried up.

Ash Hill is a ghost town in San Bernardino County, in the U.S. state of California. Afton, Amboy, Bagdad, Cadiz, Cadiz Summit, Lavic, Glasgow and Kelso are the nearby communities. Ash Hill is named for Southern Pacific surveyor Benjamin Ash who died in the area from dehydration, it is also possible it could be named for the surrounding dark brown and grey hills. Ash Hill is a part of a chain of ghost towns in San Bernardino County along Interstate 40 and Route 66, the area includes Daggett, Lavic, Klondike, Argos and Ludlow.

The on-the-ground condition of Ash Hill is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Ash Hill is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times. The mapped point for Ash Hill is roughly 34.7069, -116.0550 — use it as a starting point and cross-reference a current topographic map before leaving pavement.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.