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All the United States California Keeler Cerro Gordo
AO Edited

Cerro Gordo

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate turned YouTube famous.

Keeler, California

Added By
DannyBoy
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The ghost town.   QKC/cc by-sa 3.0
  HikinMike / Atlas Obscura User
Cerro Gordo.   dlofink/cc by 2.0
Cerro Gordo.   dlofink/cc by 2.0
The Bunkhouse   Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
The Sunset from the top of the town   Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
  Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
  Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
Lola’s Palace of Pleasure   Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
  Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
chapel   Avoiding Regret
Historical marker   Avoiding Regret
tramway   Avoiding Regret
Road to Cerro Gordo   elliottwidaski2020 / Atlas Obscura User
A Square nail for the American Hotel   Abandoned California / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Although ghost towns are common in the rough and tumble California desert, Cerro Gordo stands out with its lethal legacy.

When silver was discovered on Buena Vista Peak in 1865, a town was soon established. Cerro Gordo brought in thousands of miners—and various unsavory characters.

With nothing much to do in those days, drinking was the usual pastime, and there were no shortage of saloons present. But where whiskey flows, so often does blood. At one point, the casualty rate was one soul per week. Even the doctor of the town had enough and left scared for his life. With no sheriff for miles around, killing was just a common occurrence.

But as with many of the mining towns that cropped up in the American West, Cerro Gordo's existence was short-lived. After switching from silver to zinc, the Union Mine finally closed down in 1938, causing the town's population to dwindle.

As of 2019, the town has a population of two. Robert Desmarais, coincidentally a former miner, serves as the town's unofficial caretaker. In 2018, Cerro Gordo was purchased for $1.4 million by a group of entrepreneurs from Los Angeles. They hope to use the money to restore the town. Whether they will succeed or if the settlement crumbles back into the earth is a question only time will tell. 

In 2020 a YouTube Channel was started by one of the buyers, documenting the journey of rebuilding and rediscovering the abundance of lost buildings, mines and artifacts of the town, as well as a variety of newly arising obstacles such as washed out roads and burnt down buildings. As of Autumn 2024 the channel has gained just over 1.75 Million subscribers.

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Abandoned Mining Old West

Know Before You Go

Take Cerro Gordo Road off of State Route 136 in Keeler for about 8 miles. The road is made of gravel, so be careful when driving down it. Cerro Gordo is open all week (depending on road/weather conditions) from 9 a.m to 4 p.m standard time and 9 a.m to 5 p.m daylight savings time. Admission is $10 and free for children younger than 13.

Community Contributors

Added By

DannyBoy

Edited By

cjoniak0202, julianfkeller99, Avoiding Regret, Kerry Wolfe...

  • cjoniak0202
  • julianfkeller99
  • Avoiding Regret
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Abandoned California
  • HikinMike
  • elliottwidaski2020

Published

July 30, 2019

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Sources
  • https://www.youtube.com/@GhostTownLiving/videos
  • https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hp-cerro-gordo-ghost-town-20180717-story.html
  • https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/-We-Want-to-Continue-This-Piece-of-American-History-Reviving-a-Ghost-Town--488311271.html
  • https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/cerro-gordo-ghost-town/
Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo Rd
Keeler, California, 93530
United States
36.537636, -117.795275
Visit Website
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