Ghost Towns and Bumpy Roads in the Eastern Sierra

One of the highlights of our Highway 395 road trip was definitely visiting Bodie Ghost Town. Tucked about 13 miles off the main road, it’s a bit of a drive to get there—which also explains why it eventually became a ghost town. Once the gold mining boom fizzled out, there wasn’t much reason for anyone to keep passing through.

Even with the detour, Bodie is absolutely worth the time. It felt like stepping into a preserved time capsule from the early 1900s. We wandered around on our own, peeking into dust-covered homes and storefronts, marveling at the details frozen in time. If we had more time and forethought, we would’ve definitely taken one of the guided tours. They give you exclusive access to the mining buildings and so much historical insight that we could only guess at from the outside.

This kind of stop is exactly why we chose EarthRoaming full-time—to see the country as it is now, but also to connect with where it’s been. Visiting Bodie sparked a whole new interest in exploring other ghost towns and historic pockets of the West. There’s something eerie and kind of humbling about walking through a place people once fought to build, only to have it left behind so completely.

After Bodie, we camped out at Grant Lake—and wow, what a spot. (Scroll down for some photos!) But be warned: getting there is not for the faint of heart. Let’s just say our path came with a bit of drama… Watch this week’s video to see what kind of chaos we got ourselves into!