Calico Ghost Town?

I went there when the kids were teenagers and rode some on our Quads.

The Ghost town is interesting, we had great fun and the tour of the town and the mine is a kick, but put your hiking shoes on, I don't think there is anywhere that is level in the whole town. :B

The High Desert is pretty cold this time of year but the mine seems to always be about 62 degrees year round.

I've been there its a neat place to spend an hour or so... Weekends if I remember right they have things open... I remember getting an ice cream there... There is a KOA right by there and a state campground.. and a dry lake bed that you can ride on... The ghost town was revamped my Walter Knott aka Knotts Berry Farm... If memory serves some of the building where taken and rebuilt at Knotts and the others where restored and copied for Knotts Ghost town.... The boot hill cemetary at knotts is fashioned after the one at Calico.....

Mike C.

I've been there several times. It is a bit silly, but entertaining. Worth a stop and visit.

I went and read online reviews of the place. About half say it is cheezy and goofy and they hate it. Half say it is cheezy and goofy and they LOVE it.

My 6-year-old cousin is crazy about it, and we meet there every year.

Matt B

Worth the visit

There are others in the same general area that are just as good
Pioneer Town near Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree/Johnson Valley (Movies and TV shows filmed here)
Beatty Nevada true ghost town near Death Valley
Oakman old mining town still has residents, nice shops near Laughlin, NV

Its an interesting stop.....went a few years back but the last time before that was probably 30 years ago. As stated, the KOA is a bit down the road off the highway and Calico itself has an attached campground with hook ups in many sites. Have Fun!!!

Here are some old posts from over a year ago. Click Here

Yes it's worth stopping there and they have an OHV camping area also.

Or camp for free right down the road a few miles at Odssa Canyon but keep in mind there's some shooting that takes place there.

Link http://cms.sbcounty.gov/parks/Parks/CalicoGhostTown/CalicoOHVInformation.aspx

Dirtclods wrote:
Yes it's worth stopping there and they have an OHV camping area also.

Or camp for free right down the road a few miles at Odssa Canyon but keep in mind there's some shooting that takes place there.

Link http://cms.sbcounty.gov/parks/Parks/CalicoGhostTown/CalicoOHVInformation.aspx

We had a guy walk between our campers and set up his M1 shotgun thirty feet from my motorhome. Scared the piss out of my dog (literally.) Cousin gently asked him to find another place up the canyon, and he got mouthy. "This isn't a campground, I've been coming here for years, I live nearby, people shoot here all the time, etc." A quick phone call and the law came and escorted him to the highway.

It is a multi-use area, so there will be campers, hikers, off-road vehicles, and shooting.

Matt B

KampingKris wrote:
Anybody been there? Is it worth a stop on our way south? Probably won't unload the toys, just visit the ghost town...

Actually if you have toys it is a great place to stop. There are some popular off-road routes direct from the campground at Calico over the hills to the early man site. You can also trailer a few miles to the mojave river bed for sandy trails. Bunch of campgrounds in the area Link

Rainbow basin outside Barstow is another awesome spot accessible via washboard roads.

We go evey other year for 2 or 3 days at a time. We do the ghost town one day and ride the next. They have RV spots at the entrance with water and electrical you can ride out of camp to the canyons but you should call and reserve a spot just in case it's crowded. They only have a certain amount of those. They also have a dump station so you can dump before you leave. They have showers also.

It's pretty fun for a few days.