Oregon Ghost Towns Worth Visiting This Season

Halloween is finally upon us, and not a moment too soon! As costumes are chosen and decorations go up, it’s time to start planning some holiday adventures. While curated haunted houses are ideal for a guaranteed scare, long-abandoned ghost towns are the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit with a little bit of spook. For those looking for more history than scare, head to a ghost town to explore some nearly forgotten history.

Oregon has many such spots, places long abandoned and reclaimed by nature. Spooky only in name, ghost towns aren’t as much known for their haunted lore as the fact they give us a unique way to explore America.

The state is home to more than 200 ghost towns, more than any other state in the country. While some still have a few residents and operate as tourist attractions, some are completely abandoned and home only to the ghosts of the past.

The town of Shaniko is one of the most well-known ghost towns in Oregon, receiving hundreds of curious visitors each year. Once a thriving town thanks to the gold rush of the 19^th century, the town found prominence thanks to its location along routes that brought goods to all areas of the state. When a new railway made the town obsolete, the population began to decline and with it, the town’s grandeur. Now it offers a window to the past, with just a few residents working hard to hold on to a simpler way of life.

Located in Southern Oregon near the town of Medford find Golden Ghost Town, a town slowly losing its battle to the passage of time. The four remaining buildings are a haunting testament to a town that stood out in its uniqueness as one of the few gold rush towns that never had a saloon. Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the town of Golden proves a rare gem for anyone looking to experience Oregonian history.

Buncom, also found in Southern Oregon, is an extremely well-preserved ghost town that gives an excellent example of life in the 1800s. The town is home to the Buncom Day Festival each May, which celebrates the glory of this one-time gold rush town, but the rest of the year it is the quiet solitude that accompanies Buncom’s slow decline, creating a hauntingly beautiful destination for curious visitors.