Calico Ghost Town Regional Park

Calico preserves a genuine silver mining town that boomed from 1881 to 1896, producing over $20 million in silver ore before the market crashed. Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm fame restored many original buildings in the 1950s, including the schoolhouse, general store, and Maggie Mine. Self-guided walks lead through authentic structures while costumed interpreters demonstrate blacksmithing and period crafts on weekends.

The paved access road climbs steeply into the colorful Calico Mountains with pullouts offering desert vistas. The town gets crowded on weekends and holidays with families, but weekday visits reveal the authentic ghost town atmosphere. Mine tours run daily except during extreme heat warnings in summer months.

Restored 1880s silver mining boomtown