Martensdale Ghost Town

Kern County, California35.4997, -119.1636

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
2.5 miShafter, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Next ghost town
15 miJoyfull
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Martensdale. No free-licensed photo yet.

Martensdale is a former settlement in Kern County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California.

On the map

20 mi40 miBakersfieldOildaleWascoRosedaleMcFarlandMartensdale
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Martensdale. 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 Shafter, CA, about 2.5 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Bakersfield, CA, 12 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Joyfull15 mi south
  2. Rio Bravo15 mi southeast
  3. Mountain House19 mi northeast
  4. Kern River Slough20 mi southeast
  5. Stickneys Ferry25 mi northeast
  6. Asphalto28 mi southwest
  7. Lavers' Crossing30 mi northeast
  8. Olig30 mi southwest

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.

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°5836Jan6439Feb7043Mar7546Apr8352May9258Jun9663Jul9762Aug9157Sep8047Oct6739Nov6034DecJan: 1.3 inFeb: 1.4 inMar: 1.4 inApr: 0.7 inMay: 0.3 inJun: 0.1 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.0 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.3 inNov: 0.7 inDec: 1.4 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 May, judging by NOAA normals from Shafter 6E. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Shafter 6E station (USC00048122), 1.3 miles away. About 7.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationKern County, California
Coordinates35.49972, -119.16361
SourcesWikidata Q105558265 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Martensdale ghost town?

In Kern County, California, at 35.4997, -119.1636. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Shafter, CA, about 2.5 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Bakersfield, CA, 12 miles away.

Can you visit Martensdale?

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.

When is the best time to visit Martensdale?

Mild months here run October to May, judging by NOAA normals from Shafter 6E. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Martensdale?

Yes. Joyfull (15 mi), Rio Bravo (15 mi), Mountain House (19 mi), Kern River Slough (20 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Bakersfield · Ghost towns near Fresno