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Today,
Bodie is
one of the largest and best preserved
ghost towns in the
West. Its over 200 buildings are maintained in a state of what is termed
"arrested decay." Many original items are displayed in these old
buildings. When people moved out after the fire of 1932, they
packed what they could get in their wagon or truck, and the rest was
just left behind. Only about 10% of the original buildings still
stand; however what is left looks much the same as it did over 50
years ago when the last residents left.
There are no permanent residents in the
town except park employees. In this original
ghost
town you will find no tourist traps, restaurants, or recreated
saloons. The only business is the
Bodie
Museum, which is free to the public and offers books, postcards and
other souvenirs.
Along the west slope of
Bodie
Bluff, you can see the Standard Mine and Mill. Most of the inner
workings are still intact, some of which the public can see during a
guided mill tour during summer months.
The
Bodie
State Park is open year round weather permitting. At an
elevation of almost 9,000 some connecting roads may be closed in the
winter. The
Bodie
Museum, located in the old Miner’s Union Hall building, is open from
May through October.
Near the
Nevada
border, Bodie
is 50 miles south of Lake Tahoe,
California
seven miles south of Bridgeport off of Highway 395. Turning on
Highway 270,
Bodie is 13 miles east. Highway 270 is open only
sporadically in the winter time and is not paved for the final three
miles to Bodie.
There are several roads leading out of
Bodie but
these are better left traveled in four-wheel drive vehicles.
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated August, 2012.
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