Silver Mountain

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

Silver Mountain (also Kongsberg, Konigsberg, Köngsberg and Silver Mountain City) is a former settlement in Alpine County, California, United States. It was located on Silver Creek, 5 miles (8 km) north-northeast of Ebbetts Pass, at an elevation of 6411 feet (1954 m). Silver Mountain was founded in 1858 by Norwegian miners who named the place Köngsberg or Konigsberg. Within a year, the town had a population of around 3,000. The Konigsberg post office opened in 1863, closed a while in 1864, was renamed Silver Mountain in 1865, and closed for good in 1883.

With a name like Silver Mountain, nobody had to explain the business plan.

The on-the-ground condition of Silver Mountain 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 Silver Mountain 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.