Valley Wells Ghost Town

Inyo County, California35.8283, -117.3317

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
5.4 miSearles Valley, CA
Mild months
Jan–Dec7 of 12
Elevation
1,750 ft533 m
Illustration of a desert landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Valley Wells. No free-licensed photo yet.

Valley Wells is an abandoned town in Inyo County, California. It lies at about 1,750 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miRidgecrestChina Lake AcresValley Wells
  • BLM
  • National Park Service
  • Military, DOE
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Valley Wells. 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 Searles Valley, CA, about 5.4 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Apple Valley, CA, 90 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Reilly13 mi north
  2. Ballarat16 mi north
  3. Panamint City24 mi northeast
  4. Leliter29 mi west
  5. Lookout City29 mi north
  6. Coso30 mi northwest
  7. Little Lake33 mi west
  8. Narka33 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°6035Jan6639Feb7345Mar8151Apr9059May10068Jun10774Jul10674Aug9967Sep8654Oct7142Nov6034DecJan: 0.8 inFeb: 0.9 inMar: 0.5 inApr: 0.1 inMay: 0.1 inJun: 0.0 inJul: 0.1 inAug: 0.1 inSep: 0.1 inOct: 0.2 inNov: 0.2 inDec: 0.6 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 April, judging by NOAA normals from Trona. May to September bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Trona station (USC00049035), 5.6 miles away. About 3.7 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationInyo County, California
Coordinates35.82833, -117.33167
Elevation1,750 ft (533 m)
Census counts2010: 0
Also known asValley Wells, California, Valley Wells, CA
SourcesWikidata Q2883098 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Valley Wells ghost town?

In Inyo County, California, at 35.8283, -117.3317. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Searles Valley, CA, about 5.4 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Apple Valley, CA, 90 miles away.

Can you visit Valley Wells?

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 Valley Wells?

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

Are there other ghost towns near Valley Wells?

Yes. Reilly (13 mi), Ballarat (16 mi), Panamint City (24 mi), Leliter (29 mi).

More ghost towns in California

All 240 ghost towns in California · Ghost towns near Barstow