Petersburg Ghost Town

Kern County, California35.6025, -118.6036

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Sequoia National Forest · Open to visitors

Nearest town
6.9 miBodfish, CA
Mild months
Feb–Nov8 of 12
Elevation
4,730 ft1,442 m
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Petersburg. No free-licensed photo yet.

Petersburg is a former settlement in Kern County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California. It lies at about 4,730 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miEast NilesPotomac ParkWeldonPetersburg
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Petersburg. 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 Bodfish, CA, about 6.9 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Bakersfield, CA, 30 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Scovern Hot Springs7.4 mi east
  2. Isabella8.8 mi northeast
  3. Lavers' Crossing11 mi northwest
  4. Kernville12 mi northeast
  5. Quartzburg12 mi east
  6. Joe Walker Town14 mi southeast
  7. Mountain House19 mi west
  8. Desert Spring23 mi south

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

Who owns the land

National Forest: Sequoia National Forest

PAD-US places this spot on Sequoia National Forest, land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

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°5532Jan5632Feb5835Mar6437Apr7243May8251Jun8857Jul8956Aug8451Sep7344Oct6338Nov5432DecJan: 2.5 inFeb: 3.1 inMar: 2.1 inApr: 0.9 inMay: 0.8 inJun: 0.1 inJul: 0.1 inAug: 0.3 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.5 inNov: 0.3 inDec: 2.0 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run February to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Loraine 5 Nne. July to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Loraine 5 Nne station (USC00045100), 19 miles away. About 12.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationKern County, California
Coordinates35.60250, -118.60361
Elevation4,730 ft (1,442 m)
Also known asPetersburg, California
SourcesWikidata Q7178162 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Petersburg ghost town?

In Kern County, California, at 35.6025, -118.6036. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Bodfish, CA, about 6.9 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Bakersfield, CA, 30 miles away.

Can you visit Petersburg?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Sequoia National Forest, land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

When is the best time to visit Petersburg?

Mild months here run February to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Loraine 5 Nne. July to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Petersburg?

Yes. Scovern Hot Springs (7.4 mi), Isabella (8.8 mi), Lavers' Crossing (11 mi), Kernville (12 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Bakersfield