Ballarat: A California Ghost Town
Ranked #3,157 in Travel & Places, #99,648 overall
History in the Desert: Ballarat
The remaining adobe buildings are weathered and ruined, but make for great pictures, and the area is frequented by feral burros, left wild after they were abandoned or escaped from the gold prospectors that once made this present-day ghost town a thriving hub of activity. Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Location of Ballarat
Ballarat Sign
Ballarat Sign Text
Ballarat 3 1/2 miles
Now a ghost town, Ballarat served nearby mining camps from 1897 to 1917. They produced nearly a million in gold. The jail & a few adobe ruins remain. Seldom seen Slim, it's last resident, was buried in Boothill in 1968. It had a school but no church. Post Office Spring 1/4 mi south is where the Brier Party, some JayHawkers & other 49ers came in their escape from Death Valley in Jan. 1850.
On Sunday morn at 3 AM, March 22, 1908, a car in the Worlds Longest Race, a Thomas Flyer, arrived in Ballarat. It won the New York to Paris race, covering 13,341 miles in 169 days. The car is now in Harrah's Museum in Reno.
Erected 3-72 by Death Valley Escape Trail Conf. Trona Chapter
The Weather in Ballarat
What's the weather like in Ballarat right now?
Current weather conditions in Trona, CA (93562)
Local Pollen Reports
67°F (Feels like 67°F)
Last update: 5/26/12 10:56 AM PDT
Humidity: 22%Visibility: 10.0 mi
Dew Point: 27°F
UV Index: 8 (Lawn and Garden Weather)
Barometer: 29.76in rising
Moon: Rush Hour Traffic
Wind: 9mph From: Airport Conditions
Today
Fair
High: 77°F
Low: 54°F
Sunrise: 5:37 AM
Sunset: 7:57 PM
Sunday
May 27
Partly Cloudy / Wind
High: 86°F
Low: 59°F
Sunrise: 5:37 AM
Sunset: 7:57 PM
Monday
May 28
Sunny
High: 94°F
Low: 63°F
Sunrise: 5:36 AM
Sunset: 7:58 PM
Tuesday
May 29
Sunny
High: 94°F
Low: 65°F
Sunrise: 5:36 AM
Sunset: 7:59 PM
The Road to Ballarat
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Just turning off the main highway onto the road to Ballarat. It is about 1 mile down this road and it is well-graded the entire way. You can drive to Ballarat in a car without a problem..
The Last Occupied Building in Ballarat
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Occasionally cold sodas and other drinks are sold here as well
Ghost Town Building
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
An Old Adobe Building
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Hanging out in Ballarat Ghost Town
by mfriedler
Collapsing Ruin
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Ballarat Bob's Romance
Ballarat Bob's Romance
Amazon Price: $9.54 (as of 05/26/2012)
This is a 42-page article taken from the book: The Parson of Panamint and Other Stories, by Peter B. Kyne.
Old Building
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Cool Ballarat Stuff
Ballarat, Panamint Valley Mug
Price: $13.99
Ballarat, Panamint Valley Tote Bag
Price: $15.99
Panamint Valley - hometown Tote Bag
Price: $17.99
Panamint Valley - hometown Teddy Bear
Price: $17.99
I Love Ballarat Sweatshirt
Price: $35.99
Mountains Backing the Town
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Ballarat Campsite
by mobiltec
Ruined Building
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Inside One of the Ruins
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
Ballarat Dry Lake
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
More Information about Ballarat
- Ballarat Ghost Town
- Desert USA article about Ballarat
- Ghost Town Gallery
- Beautiful picture of Ballarat
- Total Escape
- Information from Total Escape about Ballarat
- Ripley's Ghost Towns
- Some nice shots of Ballarat
- Legends of America
- The history of Ballarat
- Ghost Towns
- A bit of history and some nice pictures
- Flickr
- More pictures of Ballarat on Flickr
- Short Article on Ballarat
- A short news article about Ballarat with some closeup pictures of the caretaker, Rock Novak.
- The 'Ghost of Ballarat' and he lived to tell about it
- An interesting article telling of the near death experience of George Novak, caretaker of Ballarat.
Lenses About the Nearby Town of Trona
Lens About Barker Ranch
Update: Sadly, the Barker Ranch caught on fire recently and the inside burned down. The outside is still standing, so it is worth a visit, but the remains that were inside are ash now.
Manson Truck
Manson Dodge Truck
Picture via Creative Commons from LHOON
USGS Topo Map of Ballarat, California
USGS Topographic Quadrangle Map - Ballarat, California (Folded/Waterproof)
Amazon Price: (as of 05/26/2012)
This folded and waterproofed map would be a wonderful director of your travels around the area of Ballarat. Definitely a requirement if you plan to go off-road in the area at all.
Road Trip to Barker Ranch: Manson's Last Hideout
by nrvana82
Ghost Towns in Southern California
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What Do You Think?
Like this lens? Want to visit the ghost town of Ballarat? Been there already and want to share a story? Let us know by leaving a comment here.
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macmaki
Apr 22, 2012 @ 8:09 pm | delete
- Very cool Ghost Town. I'm not sure why these are so intriguing and maybe its just because it so connects us with the past. Great Lens
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RawBill
Apr 15, 2012 @ 4:07 am | delete
- I was recently in Death Valley and read about this ghost town after we had already passed through the area. If I had more time, I would have gone to check it out. I was intrigued as we have a famous gold mining town here in Australia called Ballarat too. Ours is a thriving large country town though, it certainly did not die after the gold slowed down.
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Atomika07
Nov 1, 2011 @ 3:09 pm | delete
- Wow, that is really creepy but I find it very interesting at the same time
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MustangHistory
Sep 25, 2011 @ 6:16 am | delete
- Cool town.
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singlemaltdram
Jul 22, 2011 @ 7:38 am | delete
- Wow! i was searching for Ballarat, Australia (near Melbourne) and this lens came up. "My" Ballarat is also a gold mining town!
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whispersoftly
Jun 14, 2011 @ 9:53 pm | delete
- I always like going to Ballarat. Ballarat Bob died a few months back.
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AlishaV
Jun 23, 2011 @ 4:29 pm | delete
- That's so sad. He'll be missed. Thanks for the comment Clora :)
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Surale
Jun 10, 2011 @ 12:59 pm | delete
- I miss Ballarat :(
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vallain Sep 10, 2010 @ 9:09 am | delete
- How interesting. I love history and poking around old towns. There's a Ballarat in Australia too, that was a gold town.
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Robert M de la Torre
Jul 6, 2010 @ 8:12 pm | delete
- I had the pleasure of meeting "Ballarat Bob." He shared his story with me and we made friends instantly. He gave me the names of the mules that were on the front cover of a book he showed me of the old mining town "Ballarat." I was glad to have met this fine miner at heart and I still have the card he gave me in a special place. I know when we met that I would never forget him.
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paperfacets Jan 6, 2010 @ 2:21 pm | delete
- I want to go there.
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This book was designed with kids in mind, so share it with your little budding history buff or your kids before visiting a few of the fascinating places shown.
