Calico Ghost Town has always been on our list of places to visit. Each time we took a weekend trip to Las Vegas, we always said to each other, "let's check out Calico on the way home." However, on our way back, we were so focused on getting home that we never end up stopping. Well this time, we picked a day in October (it is a ghost town after all) and decided to make a fun day trip adventure to explore #CalicoGhostTown!
Admission to the park is very reasonable with Adults (Age 12 & Up) at $8.00 per person, Youth (Age 4-11) $5.00 per person,and Ages 3 & under free. The park also offers an Annual Family Pass for $50.00.
Calico is located in the Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California and was founded in 1881. Silver was king, and Calico became one of the richest in the state. At the height of its hay day, Calico had a town population of 1,200 with 22 saloons, ChinaTown, and even a red light district. Walter Knott, of the famous Knott's Berry Farm purchased Calico in the 1950’s and restored all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880’s. Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Being our first visit, we were both excited to take a step back in time and explore this piece of California history. During the month of October, Calico hosts a Ghost Haunt. This annual event includes, trick-or-treating, costume contests, pumpkin carving, kids’ carnival tent, live entertainment stage shows, haunted attractions and more. The town is also decked out with plenty of spooky decorations for some Halloween spirit and fun photo opportunities for the gram!
The attractions featured in Calico have a separate entrance fee, and include the Maggie Mine Tour an authentic silver mine from the 1880’s, the Calico/Odessa Railroad, and the fun Mystery Shack. The town also features a museum, historical cemetery, old west shopping, and some restaurants to feed your hunger after some exploring. It was a treat walking the townsite and taking a step back in time to imagine what day-to-day life would have been when Calico was at its peak! We took our time and really explored the area. While peeking into the windows of the buildings we were even hoping to catch a glimpse of an old miner or spirit.
In addition to visiting the town for the day, overnight camping is also available. Campsites offer full hookups and are open 24 hours a day. There is also a limited number of cabins available for rent and they offer group camping for groups of 20 or more. Off-highway vehicle camping with facilities and showers are also available. We will definitely come back to experience some spooky camping right below a ghost town!
Be sure to check out the San Bernardino County Regional Parks website for Calico Ghost Town events, news, and other related information.
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