Randsburg, CA

Randsburg, CA is located in Kern County, roughly 17 miles south of Ridgecrest. The camp known as Rand Camp was founded in 1895 when gold was discovered at Rand Mine, in 1896 the first post office was opened and the town of Randsburg was official. The Yellow Aster Mine in Randsburg became one of the largest gold mines in California, by 1899 the mine employed over 150 men with payroll exceeding $13,000 per month.By the turn of the century Randsburg was the home of over 3,500 people, with well over 300 buildings (not including dugouts, stone houses, and shacks). It is estimated that by the close of 1900, that well over $3,000,000 worth of gold had been removed from the mining district.

Unlike most ghost towns you will find Randsburg to still be an active community. Randsburg currently has 69 residents (as of the 2010 census) still living within the town,  numerous small businesses selling antiques, as well as a motel, two churches, two saloons and restaurants. A majority of the store fronts, and homes in the community are original structures. Numerous mines can be viewed on the mountains surrounding the town, sadly the Yellow Aster Mine mentioned above is off limits to the public.

In recent years the town as welcomed in the off road community, which can make the weekends from September – May a bit undesirable to folks who want to explore and enrich themselves in the history in the area.

A few of the must see sites include the original White House Saloon (pictured above), on the weekends they are still serving up hot food and cold beverages. The original town jail complete with it’s two comfy jail cells. The General Store, which serves up beverages from their old fashion soda fountain. A walk through the residential area is also highly encouraged, as it’s just as interesting as the business district. Most of the town’s business district is filled with antique shops, most of which is junk. You also have to watch carefully as I’ve spotted a number of these stores selling replicas without mentioning the fact. This is especially true with the glassware being sold, so watch yourself and don’t get swindled into buying something that you expect to be antique which in fact isn’t. With all of this said, Randsburg is the most preserved ghost town in Kern County. It is a must see for any ghost town enthusiast.

Randsburg in 1847. Photo courtesy of Desert Magazine – August 1959