Randsburg Ghost Town

Kern County, California35.3675, -117.6542

Can you visit?

Private land, lived-in town

Private or unlisted land · Streets public, lots private

Nearest town
18 miRidgecrest, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Elevation
3,500 ft1,068 m
Randsburg, California
Photo: Pretzelpaws, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Randsburg sits in Kern County, California. People call it a ghost town, though 45 residents were counted in 2020. It lies at about 3,500 feet above sea level. The largest census count on record is 69 people in 2010.

On the map

20 mi40 miRidgecrestCalifornia CityMojaveBoronEdwards AFBWeldonRandsburg
  • BLM
  • Military, DOE
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Randsburg. 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 Ridgecrest, CA, about 18 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lancaster, CA, 55 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Atolia4.4 mi southeast
  2. Garlock8 mi west
  3. Freeman Junction21 mi northwest
  4. Leliter26 mi northwest
  5. North Muroc27 mi south
  6. Muroc33 mi south
  7. Valley Wells37 mi northeast
  8. Tehichipa37 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 town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. 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°5835Jan6137Feb6841Mar7546Apr8454May9562Jun10168Jul10068Aug9262Sep8052Oct6742Nov5734DecJan: 1.4 inFeb: 1.6 inMar: 1.0 inApr: 0.4 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.0 inJul: 0.2 inAug: 0.2 inSep: 0.2 inOct: 0.5 inNov: 0.5 inDec: 0.7 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 Randsburg. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Randsburg station (USC00047253), 0.2 miles away. About 6.8 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationKern County, California
Coordinates35.36750, -117.65417
Elevation3,500 ft (1,068 m)
Census counts2010: 69 · 2020: 45
Also known asRandsburg, California, Randsburg, CA
SourcesWikidata Q1974969 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Randsburg ghost town?

In Kern County, California, at 35.3675, -117.6542. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Ridgecrest, CA, about 18 miles north in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lancaster, CA, 55 miles away.

Can you visit Randsburg?

Private land, lived-in town. The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. 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 Randsburg?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Randsburg?

Yes. Atolia (4.4 mi), Garlock (8 mi), Freeman Junction (21 mi), Leliter (26 mi).

More ghost towns in California

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