This is something that has my interest lately. Im thinking this summer i might just load up the Jeep (hopefully my 73 if not the 99) and just tear around WA looking for these places. Does anyone know of where to start looking for info?

I put this together for a unit I taught to the 8th graders. I included the maps to most locations. I only got to about half of what you can easily get to in N. Central Oregon, it took me a good two days of quick exploration.

But, I don't know much of anything for Washington.

Ben, that was a great write-up. Ghost towns are very interesting places. A lot of fun for the kids and the grown ups.

Thanks!

Ben, This would be a great adventure for you to lead and do some discussion about each mine.  I would love to go on a trip like that again.  We did one with the PCRC about 8 years ago and it was a lot of fun.  Let me know if you need help in organizing a trip.

Ben,

You are going to have a ball with this project.  A bit of a warning though.  Many of the books written about ghost towns are now pretty old.  Many of the towns have been vandalized and the buildings burnt, bashed, or otherwise destroyed.  Some property owners get pretty touchy is they find you rummaging around the ruins.  Check in with the locals, and bring kids if you can.  The old folks love to talk about the history of their little part of the world and often will give you a great tour for free, or let you wander off on your own.

If you want to wander a bit further, may I suggest visiting the ghost towns of Garnet and Granite in western Montana.  Both are located an hour or so east of Missoula.  Garnet has been maintained by the BLM, and still has a few summer residents.  Granite is just east of Phillipsburg.  At one time it was vying with Helena to become the new state capital.  Then the price of silver dropped and the town was deserted in a matter of a couple days.  The old local Uniion Hotel was pretty cool until a couple drunk Montanans burnt it down in the '80's.

Bodie, WA is also a neat place to visit.  There are numerous old ghost towns in the NE section of WA dating back to the gold rush days.  The same holds true for areas just north in BC and Alberta.  Back in those days, peope moved pretty easily between the States and Canada following mineral strikes. 

 huh sounds like an expedition is quickly amassing here...

I have mostly fond memories of Garnet from when I was 12 or so.  The families Custom Cruiser station wagon wasn't really up to the task, and we almost slid off of a slippery switchback into the abyss.

Elkhorn, MT is another classic. I think it's a little east of Helena?

Silver City, Idaho is probably the best ghost town within the realms of this "society". There's a cool roughish single lane road to it from the west that passes through another small ghost town.

this would be a lot of fun for a run. would be a great addition if some one with some knowlage of the history of the towns could go along as well.

Worst case Terrance, I could just make stuff up.  I'm a sales guy so it won't be accurate but it would be colorful.

havnt you watched the news lately?  a fantastic story is always better than those boring facts .

 I'd be down for that Todd... ghost hunting in a ghost town.

Janel and I were talking about this exact idea the other day. In fact we may head up to Pt. Townsend to stay a night here to kick the adventure off http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/399992/manresa_castle_in_washington_an_historical.html