Calico Ghost Town

Calico Ghost Town
36600 Ghost Town Rd, Yermo, CA
760-254-2122
I-15 Exit Calico Ghost Town Rd.I-40, Exit Daggett-Yermo Road.
Southern Californian Camping: Calico Ghost Town
Southern California offers unique camping experiences ranging from mountain and beach camping to camping in the dusty streets of an old mining town. If you want to relive the days of the Wild West, pack up your camping gear and head out to Yermo, California where you’ll find plenty of campsites and an adventure awaiting you at Calico Ghost Town Regional Park.
Yermo is located about ten miles east of Barstow on Interstate 15, making for an easy drive despite its remoteness. This is a desert community known for its pistachio nuts and its ghost town: Calico. In its heyday, 1881 to 1896, Calico featured over 500 silver mines, 22 saloons, and a booming population of about 1200. The Calico Mining District produced over $86 million in silver and another $45 million in borax. Some gold was mined in Calico, but the area was rich with silver. By the early 1900s, the price of silver had plummeted and borax miners flocked to Death Valley, deserting Calico once and for all.
Today, the ghost town lives on thanks to preservation efforts led by Walter Knott. While Calico Ghost Town Regional Park attracts tourists as they are passing through, it is a destination in its own right. In fact, with over 265 campsites as well as camping cabins and a bunk house, Calico is a terrific place to spend a few days exploring its wonders.
The Calico campground features all of the standard amenities such as restrooms with showers, several RV dump stations, grills, fire rings, and picnic tables. Shops and restaurants are also on site. Three group camping areas are available. 46 campsites offer full hookups with an additional 58 partial hookup sites.
Once you’re all settled in at your campsite, put on those hiking boots and enjoy a day exploring the dusty streets of one of the last original old west mining towns. Admission to the ghost town is included with your camping fee, except during special events. Gunfighters and living history characters often wander the streets while other performances and activities are scheduled throughout the day. Self-guided tours and hikes are a terrific way to experience the Wild West. Depending on the season, gold panning activities give you a hands-on opportunity to find gold!
Off road vehicle enthusiasts enjoy riding the open roads of the Calico Mountains. Bring your green stickered ATVs and off road vehicles year round and your red stickered vehicles from October through June. Don’t forget your helmets and make sure to read all rules covering off roading in Calico. During your stay, you’ll have plenty to do within the park. However, should you want to venture out, don’t miss the Barstow Route 66 “Mother Road” Museum. Not only does this museum house interesting exhibits, the building itself, the Casa del Desierto, is historic and well worth seeing. Barstow is known for its railroad heritage and this building is a fine example of a glorious rail depot.
Whether you’re passing through Yermo or looking for a unique camping experience, don’t miss a visit to Calico. It’s well worth the trip.