Indian Gulch

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

Indian Gulch (formerly Indiangulch and Santa Cruz) is a ghost town in Mariposa County, California. It lies in the foothills of the western Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 968 feet (295 m), approximately 13 miles (21 km) west-southwest of Mariposa along Indian Gulch Road off California State Route 140. The community was established in the 1850s as a gold mining settlement. At its peak it supported a church, hotel, blacksmith shop, and several hundred residents. The Santa Cruz Cemetery and scattered stone foundations remain at the site today.

The on-the-ground condition of Indian Gulch 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 Indian Gulch 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.