We are all drawn in by the mystique and mystery surrouding ghost towns, abandoned mines, and other abandoned places. Check out a few of these places below. Be sure to check in with the local park for site-specific instructions and, if the park has an entrance fee, get your pass! The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series includes several passes that cover entrance fees at national parks.
- Big South Fork National RIver & Recreation Area – Abandoned Coal Mining Town
- Death Valley National Park – host Towns
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area – Abandoned Baths
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Abandoned Mine Town
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area – Ghost Town
- New River Gorge National River – (almost) Ghost Town
- Parashant National Monument – Abandoned Mine
- Prince William Forest Park – Abandoned Pyrite Mine
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Ghost Towns
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- Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Arrow Rock Ferry Landing
- Locations: Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Beginning around 1816, migrants travelling west crossed the Missouri River at this spot. The site marks the western end of the Arrow Rock ferry, with another landing on the other side of the river. The ferry played a significant role in shepherding traffic westward, including traffic on the Santa Fe Trail.
- Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Old Franklin Site
- Locations: Santa Fe National Historic Trail
The first legal commercial trade on the route we now call the Santa Fe Trail departed from Old Franklin, Missouri in 1821.
Bodie Historic District, the best-preserved ghost town from the California Gold Rush, is located 7 miles south of Bridgeport, California at an elevation of 8,379 feet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Now in a state of arrested decay, Bodie is an excellent example of an American West boomtown and the accompanying lifestyle that developed in the western mining towns.
America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes
The America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series includes different options of interagency passes that provide access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the United States.
Passes cover:
- entrance fees at National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife sites
- standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers sites
In general, passes cover the above types of fees for everyone in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas or up to four adults at sites that charge per person. Children ages 15 or under are admitted free. Two lifetime passes (Senior and Access) provide additional benefits, such as a 50-percent discount on camping at some sites. Always check with individual sites for details.
Interagency passes include:
- Annual Pass: $80
- Annual Military Pass: Free*
- Lifetime Military Pass: Free*
- Annual Fourth Grade Pass for US students in fourth grade: Free
- Annual Senior Pass: $20
- Lifetime Senior Pass: $80
- Lifetime Access Pass: Free
- Annual Volunteer Pass: Free (250 hours of volunteer service at any of the six participating federal agencies is required)
*A free Annual Military Pass is available for current US military members and their dependents. A free Lifetime Military Pass is available for Gold Star Families and US military veterans. Find detailed information about this new program, including who qualifies, acceptable forms of identification, and how to download a Gold Star Family voucher.
Last updated: June 30, 2020