Cerro Gordo, California

Cerro Gordo (Spanish for "Fat Hill") is one of California's most historically important ghost towns. In the latter 1800's, the district's rich silver-lead deposits were instrumental in turning Los Angeles from a sleepy pueblo to a major metropolis. Today, Cerro Gordo is also one of California's most extensive and best-preserved ghost towns, due to the site's private ownership and relative inaccessibility. This photo shows one of the town's classic buildings, the 1871 American Hotel.

Cerro Gordo is southeast of Lone Pine, California. The site is reached by the old Yellow Grade Road, an extremely steep dirt road which starts at Keeler, along Highway 136 on the east side of Owens Dry Lake (visible in the distant valley in this photo -- beyond are the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada). At the time of my visit (1989) the site was open to the public during the summer months, but I have not been back since, so I cannot vouch for the current condition or accessibility of the site.