Ballarat Ghost Town

Inyo County, California36.0478, -117.2233

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
22 miSearles Valley, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec7 of 12
Elevation
1,080 ft329 m
Ballarat, California
Photo: Marriedtofilm at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ballarat is an abandoned town in Inyo County, California. It lies at about 1,080 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRidgecrestChina Lake AcresSearles ValleyBallarat
  • BLM
  • National Park Service
  • Military, DOE
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Ballarat. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Searles Valley, CA, about 22 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Porterville, CA, 101 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Reilly8.6 mi west
  2. Panamint City8.7 mi northeast
  3. Valley Wells16 mi south
  4. Lookout City18 mi northwest
  5. Coso25 mi west
  6. Darwin26 mi northwest
  7. Skidoo27 mi north
  8. Ashford Mill31 mi east

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Ridgecrest Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°6035Jan6639Feb7345Mar8151Apr9059May10068Jun10774Jul10674Aug9967Sep8654Oct7142Nov6034DecJan: 0.8 inFeb: 0.9 inMar: 0.5 inApr: 0.1 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.0 inJul: 0.1 inAug: 0.1 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.2 inNov: 0.2 inDec: 0.6 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run October to April, judging by NOAA normals from Trona. May to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Trona station (USC00049035), 22 miles away. About 3.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationInyo County, California
Coordinates36.04778, -117.22333
Elevation1,080 ft (329 m)
Also known asBallarat, CA
SourcesWikidata Q1804706 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Ballarat ghost town?

In Inyo County, California, at 36.0478, -117.2233. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Searles Valley, CA, about 22 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Porterville, CA, 101 miles away.

Can you visit Ballarat?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Ridgecrest Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Ballarat?

Mild months here run October to April, judging by NOAA normals from Trona. May to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Ballarat?

Yes. Reilly (8.6 mi), Panamint City (8.7 mi), Valley Wells (16 mi), Lookout City (18 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Barstow