Between Las Vegas And Porterville Is An Abandoned California Ghost Town At The End Of A Challenging Hike

Sometimes it's the journey that's worth the trip, and sometimes it's the destination. A trek through Iceland's Laugavegur Trail — regarded as one of the best hikes in Europe — takes travelers past geothermal pools, cooled lava beds, and across the country's rugged, prehistoric-looking landscape. The 32.4-mile trek is worth the trip itself. Other hikes, such as the climb up Mt. Fuji in Japan, can be fairly unpleasant (in part thanks to overtourism), but they do finish with a phenomenal view from the summit. And in the case of one trail in Death Valley's aptly-named Surprise Canyon, you've got an entire American ghost town waiting at the end.

That ghost town, Panamint City, sits at an elevation of 4,360 feet, located along a 15-mile round-trip across brutal, poorly marked terrain. Approximately 100 people attempt this hike each year, which often starts at Ballarat, another ghost town in Death Valley, located partway between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Porterville, California. In case the latter name sounds familiar to fans of the macabre and horrific, Ballarat is the town near where the Manson family stayed for a stint in the 1960s.

Panamint City itself is situated near Sentinel Peak to the northeast of Ballarat. Would-be visitors have to clamber, scrape, and scrabble through 3,900 feet of elevation gain in the rocky desert heat along the unmaintained Surprise Canyon Trail to get there, no matter that waterfalls and greenery await along the way. Panamint City, the destination, consists of dotted, ramshackle buildings belonging to a sadly typical silver mining boom town founded in 1872. For those who are fans of difficult hikes, abandoned sites, or both, few locations could be quite so tempting.

Folks should never attempt hikes that they aren't prepared for, like Yosemite National Park's five most dangerous hikes. Those who are willing and able to make the ascent to Panamint City in Death Valley should head out equipped with as much information — and water — as possible.

As All Trails shows us, the trek to Panamint City runs right through Surprise Canyon. Reviewers who made the hike recommend using a 4x4 vehicle to get to the trailhead, which is located near Ballarat. These reviewers also describe the hike as incredibly difficult but equally rewarding. They recommend bringing water shoes and extra socks for wet sections, allowing for multiple days to complete the hike (which may involve camping overnight partway along the trail), and describe navigating fallen trees, overgrown trails, and crawling through mud. In other words, the path to Panamint City isn't for the faint of heart or those with minimal hiking experience. Bringing one gallon of water per person per day is a must. This is true even though there is freshwater available at the falls and rivers along the way.

As for how to get to Ballarat, it's a 3.5-hour drive from Las Vegas along Route 95, or the same length of time from Porterville, California, along Route 58. Bakersfield, California, serves as a closer launching point, just two hours and 40 minutes away along Route 58. From Ballarat, it's about 5 miles along Surprise Canyon Road to a free parking lot at the beginning of Surprise Canyon Trail. Plan well, bring enough provisions, and you might even spot the ghost of Charles Manson along the way.