13 Haunting Abandoned Cities Slowly Being Swallowed by Nature

6. Bodie, California, USA: The Wild West Ghost Town

Bodie, California, is a quintessential Wild West ghost town, once a booming gold mining settlement in the late 1800s. At its peak, Bodie was home to 10,000 residents, with saloons, gambling halls, and brothels lining its dusty streets. However, as the gold ran out and the mines closed, Bodie was abandoned by the early 20th century. Today, it is preserved in a state of "arrested decay," its wooden buildings and artifacts left untouched by time. Visitors to Bodie can wander through its deserted streets, peering into windows to glimpse the past. The town is a haunting reminder of the fleeting nature of fortune and the relentless passage of time, as nature slowly reclaims what was once a bustling human settlement.