While there are plenty of gimmicky Wild West towns dotted around California, you’ll get the real deal in Randsburg.
The tiny town in Kern County is perched at about 3,500 feet of elevation in the western Mojave Desert, just off Highway 395. With a population estimated at just over 100 people, and a collection of both shuttered and active antique storefronts, Randsburg is sometimes called a “living ghost town.”
History of Randsburg
Miners discovered gold in the Rand Mountains in 1895, resulting in a growing tent camp around the Yellow Aster Mine. By 1900 the town had several thousand residents, plus a few banks, churches, theaters, saloons, and a local newspaper. The population declined within decades, but the historic main street and original buildings still look much the same.
The town appears frozen in an early-20th-century mining era, with weathered storefronts and old relics. Residents play into the “living ghost town” reputation, from the unofficial slogan, “Where the hell is Randsburg?”, to the annual Old West Days celebration in September.
Visiting Randsburg
Modern Randsburg still has operational businesses housed in the old-timey main streets, although it’s a mix of boarded-up facades and small outposts that mostly come alive on weekends.
Some businesses include a historic General Store with a soda fountain, a rustic burger spot called The Vault, and the charming Cottage Hotel Bed & Breakfast. You can learn more about the town’s history at the small Rand Desert Museum.
The surrounding desert is popular with off-road enthusiasts, who come with ATVs and dirt bikes to explore the legal off-roading trails.
If you’re making the trip along Highway 395, consider looking into nearby desert attractions like the Trona Pinnacles or Red Rock Canyon State Park.
