Blue Mountain City

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

Blue Mountain City is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, United States, along Licking Fork, approximately 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Mountain Ranch. The town was built on a flat bench of land above the mining camp which perched on a steep canyon slope on the west side of Licking Fork, just over one mile downstream from the headwaters. The town was first announced in January, 1863. The Heckendorn Gold and Silver Mining Company was organized by July, with C. C. Bowman as its secretary. A post office operated in Blue Mountain from 1863 to 1864.

Calling it Blue Mountain City was either optimism or a very good joke — boomtowns were never modest about their ambitions.

The on-the-ground condition of Blue Mountain City 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 Blue Mountain City 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.

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.