Telegraph City Ghost Town

Calaveras County, California37.9344, -120.7400

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
6.3 miCopperopolis, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec8 of 12
Elevation
650 ft199 m
Illustration of a forest landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Telegraph City. No free-licensed photo yet.

Telegraph City is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, listed among the ghost towns of California. It lies at about 650 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRiverbankOakdaleEscalonRancho CalaverasJamestownAngelsTelegraph City
  • National Forest
  • Other federal
  • City, county
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Telegraph 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 Copperopolis, CA, about 6.3 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Modesto, CA, 25 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Melones14 mi east
  2. Carson Hill14 mi northeast
  3. French Flat15 mi east
  4. Greasertown17 mi north
  5. Chinese Camp17 mi east
  6. Sawmill Flat20 mi east
  7. Martinez21 mi east
  8. Davis's Ferry21 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

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°5738Jan6140Feb6544Mar7046Apr7952May8959Jun9765Jul9664Aug9160Sep8052Oct6644Nov5738DecJan: 5.8 inFeb: 4.8 inMar: 4.8 inApr: 2.6 inMay: 1.5 inJun: 0.4 inJul: 0.0 inAug: 0.0 inSep: 0.2 inOct: 1.5 inNov: 2.9 inDec: 5.2 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 New Melones Dam Hq. June to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the New Melones Dam Hq station (USC00046174), 15 miles away. About 29.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationCalaveras County, California
Coordinates37.93440, -120.74000
Elevation650 ft (199 m)
Also known asTelegraph City, CA
SourcesWikidata Q7696230 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Telegraph City ghost town?

In Calaveras County, California, at 37.9344, -120.7400. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Copperopolis, CA, about 6.3 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Modesto, CA, 25 miles away.

Can you visit Telegraph 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.

When is the best time to visit Telegraph City?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Telegraph City?

Yes. Melones (14 mi), Carson Hill (14 mi), French Flat (15 mi), Greasertown (17 mi).

More ghost towns in California

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