This Washington County Has A Series Of Eerie Abandoned Mining Towns That Are Chilling To See

Tucked away in northern Washington along the Canadian border is Okanogan County, a wild, rugged area filled with ghost towns that are chilling reminders of the Evergreen State's mining past. Okanogan County, the largest county and one of the most scenic in Washington, was originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, with few other settlers due to its remote location. But when the government took away land rights from Native Americans in 1886, the area saw an influx of white settlers looking to try their luck in its mines, particularly when gold was discovered in the Okanogan Highlands in 1896. Boom towns sprang up all over until the mines ran out.

Now, well-preserved but eerie buildings and abandoned machinery dot the lush landscape where you can find some of the best ghost towns in the Pacific Northwest. The best way to explore Okanogan County is to take a road trip, so hop in the car to try to find the stone foundations of Ruby, the "Babylon of the West" that was one of the most famous mining towns in the Northwest, hidden within the wilderness, or explore Nighthawk's creepy early 20th-century buildings like a hotel and schoolhouse.

Molson and Bodie are more well-known towns in this region, where you'll also find Chesaw, a near-ghost town with almost 200 residents that is the only municipality in the United States named after a Chinese person. Its handful of original and abandoned buildings are time capsules of the turn of the century, when white explorers came to the area and unexpectedly found Chinese miners had already settled in. One settler, nicknamed "Chee Saw," had a store with fair prices that became so popular, the town took his name. 

An exploration of Okanogan County's ghost towns could begin with Molson, an off-the-radar abandoned town bursting with history. The town's nearly dozen original buildings are well-preserved and have been turned into a free, open-air museum where you can see old equipment and photographs. Founded by George Meacham and John W. Molson (of the Canadian brewing family) in 1898, Molson had a hotel, saloon, and 300 people to its name. 

Molson's downfall is unique since it all came down to that name: John W. Molson didn't register the town, so a man named MacDonald claimed the town's deed for himself and then evicted everyone for trespassing on his private property. The residents of Molson built a new town down the road, but they didn't go gently into the night; they stole the bank and post office, and a bloody feud ensued for years before the town was fully abandoned by the 1930s.

Less than an hour from Molson is Bodie, not to be confused with California's famous ghost town with the coolest temperatures in the state. Bodie, Washington, was established in 1896 and is notable not only for its dozen spooky, evocative buildings from the 1900s but also because its original investors were the Wrigley Brothers (of chewing gum fame). The Wrigleys built the town's mill, which operated from 1902 to 1917 until it shut down due to falling gold prices, but it had a new life from 1934 until 1944, when it closed again (this time permanently). The town was abandoned in the 1960s after several mining buildings burned down. The thriving town had a restaurant, a blacksmith, and a hotel/saloon that may have been the two-story structure still standing today.

Considering its remote location, the best way to explore Okanogan County is by car. It's possible to do an eight-hour loop that hits a number of the area's ghost towns like Molson, Bodie, Chesaw, Nighthawk, and the abandoned buildings of Govan and Sherman. While a winter visit will add an ethereal and empty sense to these already abandoned locations, proceed with caution if attempting to visit these towns since the roads aren't always plowed. The best time to visit is fall, when the colors are bright and the visitors are few, although Okanogan is a lovely summer destination as well.

If you plan to spend some time in Okanogan County, Omak is the biggest town in the region, a little over 2.5 hours from Spokane, while Seattle is about four hours away, making a ghost town adventure in Okanogan a perfect weekend getaway for Washington locals or visitors looking to experience this unique (and historic) slice of the country.