San Carlos Ghost Town

Inyo County, California36.8040, -118.1260

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power · Open to visitors

Nearest town
16 miLone Pine, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Next ghost town
1.1 miBend City
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of San Carlos. No free-licensed photo yet.

San Carlos, in Inyo County, California, is a ghost town.

On the map

20 mi40 miBishopWest BishopBig PineLone PineSan Carlos
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • National Park Service
  • City, county
  • Private or unlisted

Star: San Carlos. 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 Lone Pine, CA, about 16 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Porterville, CA, 72 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Bend City1.1 mi north
  2. Manzanar5.1 mi southeast
  3. Kearsarge11 mi west
  4. Chrysopolis12 mi north
  5. Swansea23 mi southeast
  6. Keeler26 mi southeast
  7. Cerro Gordo26 mi southeast
  8. Cerro Gordo Mines26 mi southeast

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

Who owns the land

City or county land: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

PAD-US places this spot on Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, land managed by the city. 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°5830Jan6133Feb6939Mar7644Apr8552May9662Jun10267Jul10165Aug9358Sep8148Oct6736Nov5729DecJan: 1.4 inFeb: 0.9 inMar: 0.7 inApr: 0.2 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.1 inJul: 0.1 inAug: 0.1 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.2 inNov: 0.5 inDec: 0.9 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 Independence. May to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Independence station (USC00044232), 4.3 miles away. About 5.3 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationInyo County, California
Coordinates36.80400, -118.12600
Also known asSan Carlos, Inyo County, California
SourcesWikidata Q3946876 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is San Carlos ghost town?

In Inyo County, California, at 36.8040, -118.1260. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Lone Pine, CA, about 16 miles south in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Porterville, CA, 72 miles away.

Can you visit San Carlos?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, land managed by the city. 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 San Carlos?

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

Are there other ghost towns near San Carlos?

Yes. Bend City (1.1 mi), Manzanar (5.1 mi), Kearsarge (11 mi), Chrysopolis (12 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Fresno