Thistle Ghost Town

Utah County, Utah39.9914, -111.4983

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
8.5 miWoodland Hills, UT
Mild months
Mar–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
5,040 ft1,537 m
Thistle, Utah
Photo: Jenny Bauman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Thistle is an abandoned town in Utah County, Utah. It lies at about 5,040 feet above sea level. It was founded in 1878.

On the map

20 mi40 miSpanish ForkSpringvillePaysonSantaquinSalemThistle
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Thistle. 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 Woodland Hills, UT, about 8.5 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Provo, UT, 19 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Mill Fork10 mi east
  2. Tucker16 mi east
  3. West Portal18 mi northeast
  4. Hill Top19 mi south
  5. Soldier Summit22 mi east
  6. Winter Quarters25 mi southeast
  7. Hale25 mi southeast
  8. Mosida26 mi west

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°3822Jan4526Feb5733Mar6438Apr7446May8653Jun9361Jul9160Aug8151Sep6740Oct5131Nov3823DecJan: 2.1 inFeb: 2.1 inMar: 2.2 inApr: 2.5 inMay: 2.1 inJun: 1.0 inJul: 0.6 inAug: 0.7 inSep: 1.4 inOct: 1.8 inNov: 1.8 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 March to June, September to October, judging by NOAA normals from Spanish Fk Pwr House. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal from November to April.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Spanish Fk Pwr House station (USC00428119), 8.3 miles away. About 20.3 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationUtah County, Utah
Coordinates39.99139, -111.49833
Elevation5,040 ft (1,537 m)
Founded1878
Census counts0
Also known asThistle, Utah, Thistle, UT
SourcesWikidata Q3068253 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Thistle ghost town?

In Utah County, Utah, at 39.9914, -111.4983. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Woodland Hills, UT, about 8.5 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Provo, UT, 19 miles away.

Can you visit Thistle?

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 Thistle?

Mild months here run March to June, September to October, judging by NOAA normals from Spanish Fk Pwr House. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal from November to April.

Are there other ghost towns near Thistle?

Yes. Mill Fork (10 mi), Tucker (16 mi), West Portal (18 mi), Hill Top (19 mi).

More ghost towns in Utah

All 137 ghost towns in Utah · Ghost towns near Salt Lake City