Reefer City Ghost Town

Kern County, California35.0058, -118.1850

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
0.7 miMojave, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Elevation
2,760 ft842 m
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Reefer City. No free-licensed photo yet.

Reefer City is a former settlement in Kern County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California. It lies at about 2,760 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miLancasterRosamondCalifornia CityTehachapiQuartz HillGolden HillsReefer City
  • BLM
  • Military, DOE
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Reefer City. 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 Mojave, CA, about 0.7 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lancaster, CA, 22 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Gold Town1 mi east
  2. Tehichipa5.7 mi north
  3. Muroc19 mi east
  4. North Muroc21 mi east
  5. Desert Spring31 mi northwest
  6. Joe Walker Town34 mi northwest
  7. Garlock35 mi northeast
  8. Atolia39 mi northeast

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°5833Jan6035Feb6640Mar7245Apr8153May9164Jun9769Jul9767Aug9061Sep7849Oct6639Nov5632DecJan: 1.1 inFeb: 1.5 inMar: 0.8 inApr: 0.2 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.0 inJul: 0.2 inAug: 0.2 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.4 inNov: 0.3 inDec: 0.8 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 Mojave. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Mojave station (USC00045756), 3.3 miles away. About 5.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationKern County, California
Coordinates35.00580, -118.18500
Elevation2,760 ft (842 m)
Also known asReefer City, California
SourcesWikidata Q14683813 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Reefer City ghost town?

In Kern County, California, at 35.0058, -118.1850. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Mojave, CA, about 0.7 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lancaster, CA, 22 miles away.

Can you visit Reefer City?

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 Reefer City?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Reefer City?

Yes. Gold Town (1 mi), Tehichipa (5.7 mi), Muroc (19 mi), North Muroc (21 mi).

More ghost towns in California

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