Great Places for Great Photos

Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser known destinations, as well as the famous “Icon Locations” for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to insure a quality guide to great locations for photography.

Ghost Towns Photographic Destinations

A ghost town or alternatively deserted city or abandoned city is an abandoned village, town, or city, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it (usually industrial or agricultural) has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, prolonged droughts, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, pollution, or nuclear disasters. The term can sometimes refer to cities, towns, and neighborhoods that are still populated, but significantly less so than in past years; for example, those affected by high levels of unemployment and dereliction.

Interactive Google Map

Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.

Ghost Towns

Ghost Towns Destinations
Ute Ulay Mine and Henson Town Site The Ute and Ulay mines were some of the best known silver and lead producers in Colorado. Between 1874 and 1903, the mines were responsible for 12 million worth of minerals which today would amount to more than 280 million in value. Located in Hinsdale County, the mines were largely responsible for the development of Lake City. The booming mining-based economy attracted many people to the area and the mines continued to produce on and off through the 1980s. LKA Gold donated the ten-acre site to Hinsdale County. The site consists of 18 structures including residential cabins, a blacksmith shop, a boarding house, a red-cedar water tank, and assayer’s office. Over the past twenty years, the structures have continued to degrade during adverse weather and many are unstable. This project is a rare opportunity for you to see, first hand, mining structures that haven’t be altered or otherwise interpreted before the general public. The Ute and Ulay mines, mill complex and surrounding Henson town site are rare examples of a more complete mining community with large amount of historic fabric remaining. The site’s location  is along the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway. Henson is a ghost town in Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. Its elevation is 9,235 feet. Henson’s name has historically been spelled several different ways, including Hansen, Hanson, Hensen, and Honsen; the Board on Geographic Names officially supported the current spelling in 1896. Henson was named for Henson Creek, which was named for a pioneer settler. Where it is: Henson, Colorado is a ghost town located about 3.5 miles west of Lake City on the Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway (County Road 20). The location is located just off of the road which is well maintained and is accessible with any vehicle coming from Lake City.  County road 20 is closed from December to May. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 38°1’11.232″ N 107°22’35.723″ W Cost: The is no cost to visit the Mine or Townsite. Hours: The location is accessible 24 hours per day.  The road is closed from December to May. Location Contact Information: There is no contact information available for the location. Facilities: There are no facilities at the location. Ute Ulay Mine and Henson Town Site Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Colorado: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Thurmond Historic District Thurmond, West Virginia, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is in the heart of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The Thurmond Depot now operates as a summer visitor center. The Thurmond Historic District comprises the entire town and a small portion of the opposite riverbank. Thurmond was accessible solely by rail until 1921. Today, around 80 percent of Thurmond is owned by the National Park Service. The visitor center is open daily Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The depot is open on weekends in September and October. The year 1873 marked the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway mainline. That same year, Captain W. D. Thurmond acquired 73 acres along the railroad. Captain Thurmond saw it as a strategic position for developing a town. By 1910, Thurmond was the chief railroad center on the C & O Railway mainline. In 1910, the C & O operation at Thurmond was first in revenue receipts. It produced more freight tonnage than Cincinnati, Ohio, and Richmond, Virginia, combined. Freight was not the only key to this town’s success. At its peak, Thurmond had two hotels and two banks. The downtown area had restaurants, clothing stores, a jewelry store, and dry-good stores. The town even had a movie theater. There were many business offices for the telephone company, lawyers, and more. The town continued to thrive through the early decades of the 20th century. During the first two decades of the 1900s, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. Huge amounts of coal flowed into Thurmond from the area mines. This made Thurmond the largest revenue generator on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Having many coal barons among its patrons, Thurmond’s banks were the richest in the state. Fifteen passenger trains a day came through town. The depot served as many as 75,000 passengers a year. With so many visitors, the hotels and boarding houses were always overflowing. The town’s stores and saloons did remarkable business. But with the switch to diesel locomotives and the closing of local mines, the town began a steady decline. The many businesses closed down, and most residents moved on. Today, the town of Thurmond remains untouched by modern development. It is a link to our past, and a town with many stories to tell. Part of the mission of the National Park Service is to preserve our nation’s heritage. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve invites visitors to explore Thurmond. Through it, we can experience the impact of the industrial revolution. Despite being a Ghost Town and having a population of only 5 people, Thurmond is still an active stop that is served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The Cardinal, which runs three times each week between Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York, passes by the station three times each week in both directions.   Where it is: To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV-25 / Thurmond Road. Thurmond Road is winding and narrow at times. Large vehicles over 25 feet in length and trailers are not recommended. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 37°57’27.798″ N 81°4’45.264″ W   Cost: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve does not charge an entrance fee. Hours: The park is open year-round. Thurmond Depot Visitor Center is open seasonally Memorial Day through Labor Day from10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Typically open weekends (Saturday and Sunday) for September and October. Closed November through May. Facilities: The only public facilities are at the visitor center. Location Contact Information: Mailing Address: P.O. Box 246, 104 Main Street Glen Jean, WV 25846 Phone: 304-465-0508 Thurmond Historic District Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in West Virginia Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
  Texola Ghost Town Texola is a living Ghost Town meaning there are still people living there even though the town is mostly abandoned.  Texola sits on the border of Texas and Oklahoma on old Route 66.  There are many abandoned buildings including a 1930 Magnolia Gas Station and a one room jail. The History of Texola dates back to the early 1900s. Before being named Texola, the town site had been called Texokla and Texoma. Because of its location near the 100th Meridian, the town was surveyed eight different times, which meant that some early residents lived in both Texas and Oklahoma without ever moving. Texola was originally part of northern Greer County until Beckham County was formed after Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907. A post office was established in the community on December 12, 1901 with Reuben H. Grimes serving as the first postmaster. In 1902, the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (later owned by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway) was built through the town. A weekly newspaper, the Texola Herald, began publishing in 1902 and continued to operate into the early 1920s. By 1909, Texola had two cotton gins as well as a corn and grist mill. The local economy was agriculturally based and several businesses opened in the community. The 1910 census recorded 361 people living in Texola. That same year, a small Territorial Jail was built. After a slight decline in population during the 1910s, Texola grew rapidly in the 1920s. The population peaked at 581 in the 1930 census. The arrival of Route 66  had a positive impact on the local economy. Cotton production increased during the decade, necessitating the need for two additional gins. As the town prospered, amenities such as a ten-acre park and an auditorium capable of seating 300 people were found in the community. The population began to decline in the 1940s and continued to do so throughout the remainder of the twentieth century. By 1980, Texola was a town of 106 residents. When the next census was conducted in 1990, Texola had lost nearly 58 percent of its population, leaving just 45 people in the town. That figure rose by two, to 47, in 2000. By 2010, the population had decreased to 36.     One Room Jail The Texola Territorial Jail was used from 1908 to 1910 and consists of nothing more than a one room block building with iron bars on the door and window. the walls continue several feet underground to keep the bad guys from digging out.   Where it is: Texola is located on Route 66 just south of Interstate 40 Oklahoma Exit 1. Get directions on Google Maps Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 35°13’9.312″ N 99°59’29.232″ W Cost: There is no cost to visit Texola. Hours: The location is accessible at all times. Facilities: There are no public facilities available. Location Contact Information: No contact information is available.     Texola Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Oklahoma Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Terlingua Ghost Town Due to its proximity to Big Bend National Park, today Terlingua is mostly a tourist destination for park visitors. Rafting and canoeing on the Rio Grande, mountain biking, camping, hiking, and motorcycling are some of the outdoor activities favored by tourists.  Much of the Ghost Town has been re-inhabited and there are restaurants and lodging available. On the first Saturday of November, over 10,000 “chiliheads” convene in Terlingua for two annual chili cookoffs: the Chili Appreciation Society International and the Frank X. Tolbert/Wick Fowler World Chili Championship (established 1967). The Chisos Mining Company, was established in 1903 at Terlingua . Founded by Howard E. Perry, a Chicago industrialist, the Chisos reported the first recovery in 1903, and during the next three decades became one of the nation’s leading producers of quicksilver. Initially the company processed the cinnabar ore in primitive retorts, where the silver liquid metal is recovered through a simple baking process. As production increased, Perry turned to more industrialized methods . Exploration continued, and in 1914 the company discovered one of the richest veins of cinnabar ore in the Terlingua district. This discovery coincided with the outbreak of World War I, and with the increased military demands for the product, the company entered its most successful period. Several factors contributed to the success. First, the property contained some of the richest ore in the quicksilver district; second; Perry engaged men of outstanding caliber to supervise the onsite operations ; third, quicksilver prices peaked during World War I, the period of the mine’s maximum recovery; and fourth, an abundance of cheap Mexican labor. The community of Terlingua grew up around the mine. Up to  2,000 inhabitants had access to facilities of modern civilization: a company-owned commissary and hotel, several excellent dwellings (for Anglo employees), a school, a company doctor, telephone service, a dependable water supply, and three-times-a-week mail delivery. Prior to the use of mechanized vehicles in the early 1930s, the mule-drawn wagontrains that delivered the quicksilver to the railroad at Alpine and Marathon supplied the History According to the historian Kenneth Baxter Ragsdale, “Facts concerning the discovery of cinnabar in the Terlingua area are so shrouded in legend and fabrication that it is impossible to cite the date and location of the first quicksilver recovery.” The cinnabar was apparently known to Native Americans, who supposedly used its brilliant red color for pictographs. A man named Jack Dawson reportedly produced the first mercury from Terlingua in 1888, but the district got off to a slow start. The Terlingua finds did not begin to be publicized in newspapers and mining industry magazines until the mid-1890s. By 1900, four mining companies had recovered 1000 flasks in the district: Lindheim and Dewees, Marfa and Mariposa, the California, and the Excelsior. By 1903, they were joined by the Texas Almaden Mining Company, the Big Bend Cinnabar Mining Company, and the Colquitt-Tigner combine. George W. Wanless and Charles Allen began working the area of California Mountain around 1894 based on reports of Mexican miners from as early as 1850. Ore was found in 1896. Jack Dawson, J.A. Davies and Louis Lindheim soon followed. A Terlingua post office was established in 1899 at the California Mountain mining community. The origin of the name Terlingua may be a corruption of Tres Lenguas, in reference to an early mine or local feature. By 1903, 3000 people populated the area. The mining center and post office eventually moved to the area of the Chisos Mine and the original settlement took on the name of Mariposa. What to Photograph There are many old ruins mixed in with restored or new buildings throughout the town.  The Starlight Theater now a restaurant, St Agnes Catholic Church, and the Terlingua Cemetery are some great photo opportunities. Where it is: Terlingua is accessible from heading west on Highway 118 out of Big Bend National Park, or by traveling south on 118 from Alpine and turning west on Highway 170 also known as the River Road, rated as the #1 Scenic Drive in Texas. The road winds through high altitude with the iconic river, providing plenty of photo opportunities of the desert scenery and canyons passed along the way. Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 29°19’9.923″ N 103°36’24.965″ W   Cost: There is no cost to visit Terlingua Hours: There are no hours to visit the Ghost Town and it is an excellent location for night photography.   Facilities: Visitors will  find a trading company/gift shop, art galleries, unique lodging options, restaurants, and bars.   Terlingua Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Texas: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Spencer Ghost Town Spencer is a small unincorporated crossroads in eastern Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. It lies along former U.S. Route 66 (now a county road) approximately six miles  west of Halltown.  A post office called Spencer was established in 1868, and remained in operation until 1907. The community was named after a local merchant whose store was known as “Spencer”. Prior to that the place was known as Johnson’s Mill. Route 66 is many things to many people. Each person tends to experience the road differently There is a certain spirit / feeling, that resides along Route 66. The spirit Of Route 66 lives on in people. their stories, the structures that they have seen, and their appreciation Spencer. Missouri is a very important part of the historical Route 66. Route 66 bypassed Spencer in 1961. The story behind Spencer was one man’s dream. Sidney Casey heard that the first major east to west highway (U S Route 66) would be constructed through the center of the United States. He had the vision to know that some day when the road came through, it would be an excellent location to operate the many business’s that he eventually had, such as, service station garage, cafe, grocery store, barber shop. post Office and feed store (all but the cafe and barber shop were operated by the Casey family). He wanted this dream so bad that he walked 100 miles on foot to buy the property in July 1925. He contacted the owner of this property, Frank Johnson, and paid him S400.00 for the entire asking price, for the store building and two acres of land. And eventually after many years his dream had been fulfilled. This land was also important because across the road there was a labor camp. They  had several hundred men that were used to construct the highway. They used the water from Johnson Creek and mixed their concrete by hand in sleds and used teams of horses to pull the sleds to the roadway and hand troweled the concrete. As of today, the highway in front of Spencer is the only one of four stretches of Route 66 that has the original concrete road and has never been overlaid or widened. In its heyday, Spencer was an important stop along Route 66. There were tourist cabins up the hill at Camp Lookout, that you could rent nightly and a wooden dance floor that was a popular attraction to the many travelers passing through on Route 66. Francis and Mary Lynn Ryan purchased Spencer in 2007. They have done a lot of research to help them in their goal to restore the Buildings back to how they were. Over the years, many structures along Missouri ‘s Route 66 have deteriorated and it’s sad to see history disappear. The Ryans purchased Spencer with intention of keeping it from deteriorating any further. There is too much at stake. It is not just a service station or feed store or café, it is a town. Restoring it has been a huge undertaking, but has received great recognition in Missouri. So much could be done with this particular strip of Route 66, but their interests at this time is to preserve the structures of the town of Spencer. Their plans are not to make any of the stores functional, but to restore them to look like they did back in the 30 ‘s and 40 ‘s. Lots of work and money has gone into the restoration but the Ryan ‘s have enjoyed every part of it. In the short time they have owned Spencer, the Ryan Is have been overwhelmed with the tourists that stop and just want to know about the history of Spencer and what their future plans are. Where it is: Spencer is located on historic Route 66 six miles west of Halltown Mo.  From Route 66 turn south onto Co Rd 2062 (the original Route 66) and drive one mile to the gas station, on the left. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 37°11’4.283″ N 93°42’10.181″ W   Cost: There is no cost to visit Spencer, this is private property, please show respect. Hours: There are no hours, if the owners are present they may have the buildings open and will tell you the history of the town.   Location Contact Information: Address: Co Rd 2062, Spencer, MO No contact information is available. Facilities: There are no facilities in Spencer.   Spencer Ghost Town  Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Missouri: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
  Shakespeare Ghost Town Shakespeare is as authentic of a Ghost Town that you will find. Frank and Rita Hill purchased the ghost town of Shakespeare in 1935. Frank and Rita and later their daughter Janaloo and her husband, Manny Hough, and now other family members have struggled to preserve this historic site.  Most of the remaining buildings are original and contain artifacts original to the town. In addition a great deal of the history has been preserved in the museum. History Shakespeare has had several names through the years and only acquired its present one in 1879 at the beginning of its second mining boom. It is located here because there was a small but reliable spring located in the arroyo west of the town. The reliable water sourcePyramid Mountain Mines attracted many people, Indians who ground mesquite beans left their metates scattered about, probably a few Spaniards stopped by, and then some of the Forty-niners who were taking the southern route to the gold fields of California, watered their stock at this little spring. About 1856 a building was built here by the Army, evidently to serve as a relay station on the Army Mail line between Fort Thorn on the Rio Grande and Fort Buchanan, south of Tucson. This spring served as an alternate stopping place for the San Antonio and San Diego mail line but was bypassed by the first Butterfield coaches. However before the Butterfield quit running in 1861, they had moved the road back up in the hills and had built a square adobe stage station here. During this time the spring was sometimes called Mexican Spring according to old timers. The outbreak of the Civil War completely disrupted the stage line, what with fighting around the eastern terminals and Union soldiers being moved back East, leaving the Southwest to the mercy of the Apaches. But the Civil War brought more people to Mexican Spring– soldiers of both sides. First a small detachment of hard-riding Texans led by Colonel Sherod Hunter traveled through this area on their way to Tucson, and from there, they hoped, to the gold fields of California. Their hopes were futile because California was overwhelmingly Union in its sentiments. Carelton and the California Volunteers rode east across Arizona and met the tattered Texans at Picacho Pass, west of Tucson. The Texans were defeated and trailed back to Texas, their dreams of California gold crushed under overwhelming numbers. During this time one or two more buildings were built at Mexican Spring by the Soldiers. The largest one was later referred to as the “old stone fort.” With the close of the Civil War a new stage line was started by Kerens and Mitchell. They hired men in San Diego to reopen some of the Butterfield’s stations. A man named John Eversen was hired to reopen this station. Evensen came here in 1865 and lived on here until his death in 1887. In 1870, some of the prospectors hanging around this little station discovered samples of very rich silver ore in the surrounding hills and they went hunting for financing to develop their new mines. Some of them must have had San Francisco connections because they interested the group of financiers connected with William Ralston, President of the Bank of California. A company was formed and the town was named in Ralston’s honor. The town grew rapidly and newspapers as far away as San Diego carried stories about the promising new camp. The population boomed to 3000 people with independent miners flocking in to try to get a piece of the action. The company had some hired fighting men on their payroll to keep these independent miners off. The rich silver mined out very rapidly but then the rumor began to circulate that diamonds had been discovered on Lee’s Peak west of town. The Hired Fighting men stayed on the payroll, the stages kept running, and the town boomed until sometime in 1872 when the diamond swindle was revealed as a hoax all over the country. Most people left town for fear of being implicated in the crooked work and the town almost emptied of people. In 1879 Colonel William G. Boyle got hold of most of the good claims and renamed the town Shakespeare to eliminate memories of the earlier swindles. With financing coming from St. Louis this time he started the Shakespeare Gold and Silver Mining and Milling Company and the town enjoyed a second boom. More men brought their families and the place settled down to some extent but it never got a church , a school, a newspaper, or any real law. Occasionally there would be a serious fight and some of the losers might be hanged to the timbers of the Grant House dining room. The railroad missed Shakespeare by about 3 miles and the beginning of the new railroad town of Lordsburg was the death knell for Shakespeare. Businesses gradually moved down to the new town to be closer to the source of supplies. The depression of 1893 caused the mines to close and most people moved away to find jobs elsewhere. People often took the roofs and of the town. The reliable water sourceRita Hillother salvageable material off of their houses and left the walls to crumble in the weather. In 1907 a new copper mine about a mile south of Shakespeare started to work and some of those miners rented remaining buildings in the old town. Many ghost stories date from this era when the older residents seemed to come back to haunt the newer ones. In 1935 the town and buildings were purchased by Frank and Rita Hill for a ranch. They maintained the buildings as well as they could with limited resources. Shakespeare was declared a National Historic Site in 1970. Frank Hill passed away in 1970, Rita in 1985, Janaloo in 2005 and Manny Hough in 2018. They are buried at the top of the hill overlooking the town. The Shakespeare Foundation continues to work toward preserving the town as a monument to the Real Old West. Many of Shakespeare’s more “colorful” residents, prospectors, and regular citizens of Shakespeare have their final resting place at Shakespeare Cemetery, You’ll see the cemetery on the left side of the road on your way to Shakespeare. Where it is: Shakespeare is in the Southwestern part of the U.S. in the State of New Mexico. It is just outside the city of Lordsburg. Shakespeare is 2 1/2 miles south and west of Lordsburg on NM Hwy 494 from Lordsburg. To get to Shakespeare from Lordsburg take the Main Street exit (EXIT 22) from I-10 and turn South. Follow the signs 2 1/2 MILES on NM Hwy. 494 (Ghost Town Road) to reach the Town of Shakespeare. Get directions on Google Maps Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 32°19’33.72″ N 108°44’18.99″ W Cost: Regular Monthly Tour Admission $5.00 Adult – $3.00 Ages 6 Through 12. Private Tours are now available daily. Admission $7.00 Adult – $3.00 Ages 6 Through 12.  You may call us from the Shakespeare Gate or as you’re nearing Lordsburg.  Call 575.542.9034 to schedule a time and if a tour guide is available. Hours: Shakespeare is open only for regular monthly tours one weekend a month or daily for private tours when available. Call 575-542-9034 for tour availability.   Facilities: Shakespeare is completely uncommercialized. On a hot summer day, guests are offered a drink of cold well water and a comfortable chair in the shade. There are restrooms in the visitor center. Lordsburg, only 2 1/2 miles away, offers complete tourist facilities. Location Contact Information: SHAKESPEARE GHOST TOWN P.O. BOX 253 LORDSBURG, NM 88045 575.542.9034   Email Shakespeare Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in New Mexico Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Ryus Kansas Abandoned Carbon Black Plant Ryus is an unincorporated community in Grant County Kansas. The town has never had a post office and consists of only a few scattered farm houses and grain elevators with the Cimarron Valley Railroad is based in Satanta, Kansas running through it. United Carbon opened the largest carbon black plant in the world in 1940 in the southeast part of Grant County Kansas.  In the 1960s, United Carbon idled the production of their plant an many families bought and moved the company provided houses to the nearby town of Satanta. Carbon black is a powdery black carbon material resulting from the incomplete combustion of a heavy hydrocarbon (e.g. tar, fuel oil, etc.), in a combustion zone fueled by air and natural gas. Carbon black has been manufactured from natural gas since the 1870’s. The most common use (70%) of carbon black is as a pigment and reinforcing phase in automobile tires. Carbon black also helps conduct heat away from the tread and belt area of the tire, reducing thermal damage and increasing tire life. Its low cost makes it a common addition to cathodes and anodes and is considered a safe replacement to lithium metal in lithium-ion batteries. About 20% of world production goes into belts, hoses, and other non-tire rubber goods. The remaining 10% use of carbon black comes from pigment in inks, coatings, and plastics, as well as being used as a conductive additive in lithium-ion batteries   Where it is:   Ryus is an unincorporated community in Grant County, Kansas, United States. It lies in northeastern Sullivan Township at the intersection of the Cimarron Valley Railroad with K-190, 14 miles southeast of the county seat of Ulysses. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 37°29’28.7622″ N 101°5’38.1738″ W Cost: There is no cost.  Part of the area of the main plant is fenced and marked no trespassing. Hours: There are no hours for the location Facilities: There are no facilities at the location. Location Contact Information: I was not able to find any contact information for the location. Ryus Kansas Abandoned Carbon Black Plant Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Kansas Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
  Ruby Ghost Town Ruby is a ghost town in Arizona,  founded as a mining town in Bear Valley, originally named Montana Camp, so named because the miners were mining at the foot of Montana Peak. Mining started circa 1877. The Montana Mine produced gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper. At its peak in the mid-1930s, Ruby had a population of about 1,200. On April 11, 1912 the mining camp’s general store owner Julius Andrews established the post office. Andrews named the post office “Ruby”, after his wife, Lille B. Ruby Andrews, and the mining camp soon became known as Ruby. The post office was discontinued on May 31, 1941. Between 1920 and 1922, the town of Ruby and the surroundings were the scene of three double homicides known as the Ruby Murders, which led to the largest manhunt in the history of the Southwest. The most prosperous period for Ruby was in the late 1920s and 1930s, when the Eagle-Picher Mining Company operated the mine and upgraded the camp. From 1934 to 1937, the Montana mine was the leading lead and zinc producer in Arizona. In 1936, it was third in silver production. The mine closed in 1940, and by the end of 1941 Ruby was abandoned. Ruby is one of the two best-preserved mining ghost towns in Arizona, along with the Vulture Mine near Wickenburg. Ruby’s attractions today include approximately 25 buildings under roof, including the jail and houses, the school, the playground, mine machinery, buildings and mine workings. Ruby is entirely on private property and there is a charge for admission to the site.   Where it is: Ruby is about 70 miles south of Tucson Arizona.  There will about 6 miles on a rough dirt road which is normally drivable with a normal car. FROM TUCSON Take I-19 south to exit 48 (Amado) Follow Arivaca Rd. (paved) 22 miles west to Arivaca Once in Arivaca, follow the sign to Ruby (south) Go past Arivaca Lake and continue on paved road to Santa Cruz County line Continue on the dirt road 6 miles to the Ruby access road. FROM NOGALES Take Ruby Road (SR289) past Pena Blanca Lake ​ From Pena Blanca Lake, take Forest Service Road 39 (Ruby Road) to Ruby Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click here for pdf map GPS: 31°27’52.836″ N 111°14’19.092″ W Cost: The $15 per person fee includes a map of Ruby, a day pass to the ghost town, and access to over 350 acres of trails, two lakes, and incredible biodiversity, $20 per person fishing, camp/fish$30per person. Hours: The gates are open from 9am-dusk Thursday through Sunday for self-guided tours.  You may have to walk in and get a permit and code to open the gate. Reservations can be made online for other times by requesting a Visit Permit. Check their Facebook page to be sure they are open. Facilities: This is a ghost town there are only some outhouses, there are no food services of any kind, no drinking water is available. Ruby is 12 miles from the nearest grocery store. Please note that all trash &  food waste must be packed in, packed out in our leave no trace environment Location Contact Information: Email: rubysantacruzaz@gmail.com Website:  https://www.rubyaz.com/ Ruby Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Arizona Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Rodney Mississippi Rodney is a former city in Jefferson County in southwest Mississippi, approximately 32 miles northeast of Natchez. Rodney was founded in 1828, and in the 19th century, it was only three votes away from becoming the capital of the Mississippi Territory. Its population declined to nearly zero after the Mississippi River changed course. Today a small number of inhabitants remain but the area is considered a ghost town. The Rodney Center Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Alston’s Grocery Store, actually a country general store, closed many years ago, but the building still stands. In the northeast corner of the town is a small park where regular band concerts were held by the Jefferson County Band. On the northwest corner are remains of a wooden drugstore. West of Alston’s Grocery is the one surviving structure on Batchelor Street. Located at the southwest corner is a two-story brick structure. At the western end of Batchelor St. is Mt. Zion No. 1 Baptist Church, a white frame structure combining several styles of architecture which was constructed in 1850. The Presbyterian Church has a solid shot above the middle window which appears to have been fired by a 12 lb. Napoleon. It hit the facade of the church when a group of officers from the USS Rattler decided to attend services one Sunday and a unit of Confederate cavalry from Grand Gulf began the process of arresting them all as prisoners of war. Shooting started and the Rattler returned fire striking the Church (Note: The shell one sees lodged in the facade of the church today is not the original round. That particular missile has been lost to history. The current round, cemented in place for safety, was placed there during a restoration in the 1990s). The minister, a known valium online international Union sympathizer, left town shortly thereafter. What to Photograph: There are a number of the old buildings still standing including two churches, the Masonic Lodge, and the old grocery store. Getting There: Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Cost: There are no fees for this area. The remains of The Mississippi Lodge #56 of the Free and Accepted Masons was located in Rodney Mississippi. Facilities: There are no facilities at the ruins. An Abandoned home in the Ghost town of Rodney Mississippi. Nearest City or Town: Port Gibson Mississippi Rodney Mississippi Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Mississippi: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Rhyolite Nevada Rhyolite is a mining ghost town located just outside the entrance to Death Valley National Park, and one of the most photographed ghost towns in the western United States.  The Rhyolite townsite is maintained by the  Bureau of Land Management  and contains many ruins and a house made from bottles. What to Photograph: The ruins of the old buildings, many of which were made of stone, including the 8 room school, a few banks, stores, railroad depot, and a jail. The Tom Kelly Bottle House was completed in 1906, built from nearly 30,000 beer and liquor bottles collected from the 53 saloons in Rhyloite. The Goldwell Open Air Museum is a unique attraction of sculptures created by Belgium Artists. Best Time for Photographers: Just about anytime can be good for photography here, of course midday light can be very high contrast and hard to work with and the use of HDR photography can be the solution.  The ghost town and the Goldwell Open Air Museum are both open to visitors 24 hours a day making this a great location for night sky photography. Where it is: Rhyolite is located 4 miles west of the town of Beatty, Nevada on HWY 374, heading toward the East entrance to Death Valley National Park. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Interactive map of Rhyolite Click Here Cost: Both the Goldwell Open Air Museum and the Rhyolite Township are open to the public with no fees. Facilities: Hey this is a Ghost Town, there are none! Links: Rhyolitesite.com  A very extensive site on the history of the town. http://www.rhyolitenevada.com/ Another great site on the history. Beatty Nevada Chamber of Commerce Location Contact Information: Address: Battle Mountain District Office 50 Bastian Road Battle Mountain NV 89820 Phone: 775-635-4000 Email: bmfoweb@blm.gov Organization: BLM – Bureau of Land Management Nearest City or Town:  Beatty Nevada Beatty has a population of approximately 1,000 people. 4 miles from the Ghost town of Rhyolite, NV and The Gateway to Death Valley National Park, located only 7 miles away. Tips for the Photographer: Equipment: You can get great photos with just about any equipment, even cell phones.  The buildings are pretty well spread out and you can get a near or far away as needed for the photo you desire.  A polarizing filter for enhancing the sky is a great asset. For night shots a tripod and cable release are essential, and two flashlights, one to see with, and a more powerful light for illuminating the buildings. Photography Tips: Composition is the key to good photos here, use the elements of line and shape.  As with any old photography site texture is a very important element.  To capture texture you need to use side lighting, and since you can move around freely, you can find an angle that will emphasize the textural elements. If you have a great sky with lots of clouds it can add drama to the photo.  If on the other hand you have  a clear sky, try to keep it out of the photo. Old buildings and ghost towns are an excellent location for black and white photography as well.  I always recommend shooting in color and converting to black and white in post process to give more control over the image, plus you have both color and black and white images. Weather: Click for weather forecast Rhyolite Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Nevada: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Red Mountain Mining District Located off Hwy 550 near the crest of Red Mountain Pass—this is the site of the National Bell Mine. During its booming years, there were as many as 10,000 inhabitants living in Red Mountain Town. In all of its glory, it had over 100 businesses, a post office, jail, schools, newspapers, saloons and gambling halls. Winters were extremely rough and only the most rugged individuals stayed. Several fires between 1892 and 1937 nearly leveled the town. However, regardless how difficult the environment, over thirty million dollars in gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper has been taken out of this area. You can overlook this town site from Hwy 550 at the Idarado Mine turnoff or park your car at the Red Mountain Pass area and hike into the town site. What to Photograph: There is a great deal to photograph here including the old mines and equipment, ghost towns, and the spectacular scenery along the Million Dollar Highway. Best Time for Photographers: The best time to visit is in the summer or fall. Where it is: Red Mountain Town is simple to reach for 2WD vehicles year round, located between Silverton and Ouray on Million Dollar Highway. The pass receives plenty of snow in the winter, so drive carefully if visiting during that time of year. It’s a major route from Durango heading north to I-70 and Grand Junction, so it’s well maintained. From Silverton – Head north 11 miles on Highway 550 to reach Red Mountain Town. You’ll see the town remnants about a half mile from the highway, just north of Red Mountain Pass summit. Go another 4.5 miles to reach Ironton ghost town. From Ouray – Head south 12 miles on Highway 550 to reach the ghost town, located on the Ouray side of Red Mountain Pass summit. You’ll pass Ironton 4.5 miles before. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 37.915784, -107.702142 Cost: There is no cost to visit Red Mountain. Hours: There are no hours, it is accessible at all times. Facilities: There are no facilities of any kind. Links: Red Mountain Mining District History Location Contact Information: There is no local contact Red mountain Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Colorado: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Picher Oklahoma Update: There is virtually nothing left in Pitcher to photograph. The government has bulldozed and cleared almost all of the buildings. Description: Picher was home to mines that supplied bullets for U.S. soldiers fighting in World War I and II.  Its population reached a peak of 16,000 as World War II approached. By 1970 the last mine in the area had closed. On April 24, 2006, Reuters reported that Picher had been scheduled to be closed and all residents removed. Due in large part to the removal of large amounts of subsurface material during mining operations, many of the city’s structures have been deemed in imminent danger of caving in. On May 10, 2008, Picher was struck by a tornado. There were eight confirmed deaths, possibly including one child, and many other injuries. 20 blocks of the city suffered extensive damage with houses and businesses destroyed or flattened. The damage in Picher was rated at “EF4”. At least 150 others were injured in Picher alone.  This was the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma since the South Oklahoma City F5 tornado on May 3, 1999 which killed 36. The federal government also decided that there would be no aid given to rebuild homes, but the buyouts would continue as previously scheduled and people will be assisted in relocation. In April 2009, residents voted 55-6 to dissolve the Picher-Cardin school district; it graduated its final class of 11 in May. As of 2009, the district’s enrollment had dropped to a total of 49 students from approximately 340 three years prior. The city’s post office was scheduled to close in July 2009 and the city ceased operations as a municipality on September 1, 2009. As of June 29, 2009, all of the residents had been given federal checks to enable them to relocate from Picher permanently. The town is considered to be too toxic to be habitable. On the last day, all the final residents met at the school auditorium to say goodbye. Tar Creek Superfund site is a United States Superfund site located in Picher and Cardin, Oklahoma. Chat piles left behind by the mining companies contain lead dust that has blown around the city. Elevated lead levels in Picher children have led to learning disabilities and other problems. The lead and zinc have also seeped into groundwater, ponds, and lakes, many of which still are used by children for swimming. Since the children of Picher have been found to have elevated levels of lead in their bodies, the EPA has since declared Picher to be one of the most toxic areas in the United States. Cost: There is no fee to enter the area, and at the time of this posting the area was open to public access.  Please note that much of the town is still private property and thier are still residents living in the town. Best Time to Visit: Anytime, however the area is still being cleaned up by the EPA, and buildings are being leveled and debris cleaned up.  The chat piles are also being removed and used as road building material.  There may be a day when there is nothing left to see, but I suspect that will be a long time off. Where it is: Picher is located eight mile north of Miami on US highway 69 in the very northeastern corner of Oklahoma, with it’s city limits bordering on the Kansas state line. Further Information Picher was featured in the PBS Independent Lens film The Creek Runs Red discussing the connection of the people and their desire to leave or stay in the city.Picher was also featured in the Jump the Fence Productions film titled Tar Creek. The film which was written, produced, and directed by Matt Myers features music from Blues legend Watermelon Slim.Picher was recently featured in an episode of Life After People: The Series on the History Channel. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Tips for the Photographer Equipment: You can photograph in Picher with just about any type of equipment. What to Photograph: The huge Chat piles surrounding Picher, remnants of damge from the 2008 tornado, and the abandoned building of downtown. Photography Tips: Use caution, the vicinity has been determined to be toxic by the EPA.  Buildings that are standing or partially standing are dangerous.  Remember this is private property just as any other town, and there are still people living here. Walking around in Picher taking photos is a kind of eerie experience.  I have photographed “Ghost Towns” before, but these are places that have been empty for many years.  Picher has many signs of people living there recently, some of the houses and buildings are in very good shape and a few are actually still being lived in.  For the most part however the town is deserted much as you would see in a science fiction movie,  where all the people suddenly disappeared from a town.  Then there are the ever present “Chat” piles surrounding the town that almost look like the terrain from another planet. Barren and mangled trees all that is left in some areas after the tornado destroyed much of the town in 2008. Pitcher Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Oklahoma: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State   All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Ironton Ghost Town Ironton Ghost Town, Ironton was a town in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. It lay south of the present town of Ouray. Ironton (aka Copper Glen) was built on flatter ground than surrounding towns. Settled in 1893, within three weeks three hundred buildings were being built. It was a staging area for supplies coming from Ouray. Ironton was a major transportation junction between Red Mountain Town and Ouray in addition to having some of its own mines. Ironton had a peak population of over 1000 and had two trains arriving daily from Silverton. There were many chain stores from the nearby cities of Ouray and Silverton. The town lived into the first part of the 20th century but slowly faded as mining operations declined. The final resident of the town, Milton Larson, died in the mid-1960s. The town site is still occasionally visited by tourists. History The slumbering remains of Ironton outside of Ouray, Colorado, were once home to many miners who worked the mines in the mountains surrounding Ironton Park and the neighboring towns of Guston and Red Mountain. Ironton’s mines made their wealth from silver and lead at first. In 1893, the Silver Panic brought a bust and put an end to silver mining. Mines began to close one by one. After a few years, mining activity picked up when in 1898, gold was discovered in nearly the same ores as the silver, and many of these mines, like the Yankee Girl, American Girl, Colorado Boy, Treasury, Genessee-Vanderbilt, and others were re-opened. Mining camps boomed again for a few decades. A few mines remained open until the 1950s, and the Idarado Mining Company still manages its tunnel at the head of Ironton Park today; However, most of the camps and mines were mostly deserted by 1930. The last remaining resident and “Mayor”of Ironton, Milton Larson, passed away in the 1960’s when the town officially became a ghost town. In 1938, investors in Ouray built a ski lodge for the new fangled sport of downhill skiing, but it never opened to the public and around 1950 it was sold to the Saint Germain Foundation for a religious retreat. The stone garage on the east side of Highway 550 was built at that time. Ironton townsite on the east side of Highway 550 is mostly public land (Forest Service and county), and open to the public. If you go, spend some time and wander through the trees, and you may be surprised what can be found. What to Photograph: There is a great deal to photograph here including the old mines and equipment,the ghost town, and the spectacular scenery along the Million Dollar Highway. Best Time for Photographers: The best time to visit is in the summer or fall. Where it is: From Ouray – Take Highway 550 south from town for just over 7 miles to reach Ironton. There will be an interpretive sign marking the site. Continue south for four miles to reach Red Mountain Town, another former mining camp in the district. From Silverton – Take Highway 550 north from town for 15 miles to reach the ghost town. You’ll pass the ghost town of Red Mountain first in 11 miles, on Red Mountain Pass. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 37°55’59.885″ N 107°40’48.006″ W Cost: There is no cost to visit Ironton Ghost Town. Hours: There are no hours, it is accessible at all times. Facilities: There are no facilities of any kind. Links: Red Mountain Mining District History Location Contact Information: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest 2250 South Main St Delta, Colorado 81416 (970) 874-6600 Ironton Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Colorado: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State   All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Glenrio Ghost Town During the 1940s and 1950s, Glenrio sat very much alone in the open scrub desert of the high plains straddling the Texas-New Mexico border. Amarillo was 73 miles to the east and Tucumcari 41 miles west. Travelers driving Route 66 across the desert could see a world of stars at night, with Glenrio providing some of the only light pollution around with its diners, bars, western-themed motels, a dance hall, and gas stations. Glenrio was a flash of neon in the desert, an overnight Mecca, and a spot of evening cool in the days before cars had air conditioning. Straddling the State line, Glenrio began as Rock Island Railroad stop. Although part of the town was located in Texas and the other part in New Mexico, the Federal Government considered Glenrio to be a Texas town during those days. Mail would be dropped off on the Texas side of the border and then the station master would carry the mailbag to the post office on the New Mexico side for delivery. Glenrio was not a railroad town for long. In 1913, the Ozark Trails Association organized and began marking and promoting hundreds of miles of highways connecting several States, including New Mexico and Texas. Ozark Trails pioneered the transition from horse-drawn buggies and wagons to automobiles along America’s roads. By 1917, the Glenrio Hotel began receiving guests traveling by automobile along the Ozark Trail. At that point, trail was a good description of the Ozark. The crooked, dirt track was dusty in the sun and muddy in the rain. It had square turns as it followed section lines. Yet motorists came. By 1919, green and white Ozark Trail markers stood along the route through Glenrio. The Ozark Trail was incorporated into the United States highway system as part of Route 66 in 1926. By that year, Glenrio had essentially turned its back on the railroad in favor of the highway. Businesses near the railroad either closed or moved to be closer to the highway. Several gas stations, a restaurant, and at least one motel were built on the northern right of way of Route 66 by the early 1930s. On the south side of the highway, a welcome station on the Texas side offered assistance–including water to cool overheated radiators–to motorists along the road. Local lore has it that the welcome station served as a film location for the 1940 movie, The Grapes of Wrath. This cannot be confirmed, but if location scouts didn’t choose Glenrio as a set, one has to wonder why. Even today, it’s not hard to imagine heavily loaded cars full of families leaving the Dust Bowl behind to seek a better life in California, their hopes pinned to Route 66. During the 1930s, Route 66 was transformed into a continuous two-lane paved highway across Texas. Several gas stations, a new restaurant, and a motel clustered along the north side of the road. A few buildings from Glenrio’s rail-town past were moved close to the new highway, but most were demolished or fell into ruin. There were no bars on the Texas side of the community, since Deaf Smith County was dry, and no service stations on the New Mexico side because of that state’s higher gasoline tax. During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, travelers packed the highway and Glenrio thrived. Former resident John Paul Ferguson worked summers at Glenrio gas stations. He recalls constant traffic during the daytime, with cars lined up five or six in a row waiting to get gas. A new cluster of businesses were built during the 1950s. Two of them, a Texaco Gas Station and a nearby diner, are of particular interest today. Both were designed with Art Moderne influence. Look for the curved vertical panels on top of the drive-thru bay of the station and for curved concrete corner walls and a curved metal canopy on the diner. Both of these buildings are well preserved. Glenrio’s boom times ended in 1975 when Interstate 40 bypassed the town. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Today, the Glenrio Historic District includes the old Route 66 roadbed and 17 abandoned buildings. Most of the buildings are utilitarian with concrete foundations, stucco walls, and flat roofs, but several of the buildings are distinctive. You can still identify the Little Juarez Diner, the State Line Bar, and the State Line Motel whose sign reads “Motel, Last in Texas” to travelers arriving from the east, and “Motel, First in Texas” to traffic motoring into town from the west. Only two Glenrio buildings are occupied–the Joseph Brownlee House and an office in the Texas Longhorn Motel. Other buildings have overgrown sites, missing windows, or debris surrounding them, the detritus of four decades when Glenrio welcomed tens of thousands, fed and entertained them, and sent the on their way toward Chicago or California. It’s well worth the detour to get off Interstate 40 and cruise Route 66 through Glenrio. Crossing the State border in one of the country’s best preserved mid-century ghost towns evokes some of the adventure motorists from decades ago felt when the traveled long stretches of two-lane blacktop through the American West. Portions of The Grapes of Wrath (1940) were filmed in Glenrio. An abandoned “Glenn Rio Motel” is depicted in the town of Radiator Springs in 2006’s animated film Cars, where the architectural design of Glenrio’s Little Juarez Café is used for a vacant, abandoned building, which eventually becomes the Racing Museum. The opening scene from the movie Daylight’s End (2018) was filmed in Glenrio. Where it is: Glenrio sits just a few yards to the south of Interstate 40 at Texas exit 0 on Business I-40, a road which turns into a local gravel road at the state line. This was the original Route 66 alignment between Glenrio and San Jon until 1952, and was paved for many years until Quay County removed the paving due to maintenance costs. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 35°10’43.266″ N 103°2’36.876″ W Cost: There is no cost to visit Glenrio. Hours: There are no hours, the location is accessable 24 hour per day. Facilities: There are no facilities in Glenrio, there is a visitor center and rest area on the New Mexico westbound lane of Interstate 40. Glenrio Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Texas: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Garnet is a ghost town in Granite County, Montana, located on the dirt Wallace Creek Road, it is an abandoned mining town that dates from the 1860’s. In First Chance Creek in western Montana, the town is at the edge of the high desert in the Front Range, but sheltered in a forest. The town is at about 6,000 feet elevation. Garnet was named for the garnet, a semi-precious stone, and the first item to be mined here, although gold quickly followed. In 1898, as many as 1,000 people lived here; it was abandoned 20 years later when the gold ran out. A fire in 1912 destroyed half the town, which was never rebuilt. Supplies needed in Garnet were generally obtained from nearby Bearmouth. Garnet is one of the state’s best preserved (and least visited) ghost towns. Visitors can book tours with local guides. The best part about Garnet is Garney Day Festival which occurs in the end of June every year. Garnet’s oldest living member, Mary Jane Adams Morin, came to visit every year. Garnet has everything inside of it from hotels, to 13 saloons, and food stores. The hotels were started for passers-by, or people coming to pick up gold. They typically ranged from 1-3 dollars, and the poor miners who could not afford that price could sleep in the attic without any windows for a quarter. It is suspected that Garnet even had a brothel, but prices and the exact whereabouts are uncertain. Garnet was famous for its saloons, at its peak the saloons were one of the hottest spots in Garnet. History of Garnet Historical Background and Significance of Garnet Ghost Town: (PDF) (From the National Register of  Historic Places nomination of 2009; prepared and written by Sunday Walker-Kuntz, Jerry Clark, Terri Wolfgram, Maria Craig and Allan J. Mathews.) Garnet Ghost Town Residents (PDF) Click here for Garnet Ghost Town Brochure (PDF) Garnet Ghost Town Website What to Photograph: The many old buildings are the main photographic subjects, but there are also many unique relics inside of the buildings that make great photos. Getting There: DIRECTIONS Recommended: From Montana Hwy 200, turn south at the “Garnet Ghost Town” sign between mile markers 22 and 23 and follow the gravel road 11 miles to Garnet.OR (trailers not recommended): From I-90 going east, turn off at the Bearmouth exit and follow Frontage Road on the north side of the interstate 5.5 miles east to Bear Gulch Road. From I-90 going west, turn off at the Drummond exit and follow Frontage Road 10 miles to Bear Gulch Road. At Bear Gulch Road, follow signs approximately 10 miles to Garnet. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Cost: The fee for Garnet is $3.00 per person for those 16 years old and older.  All federal passes are also accepted.  The fee is charged during the non-winter months when staff is on site.  You can visit Garnet after hours for no fee, but several of the key buildings will be locked at that time. Facilities: Garnet is a primitive area with few services, there are primitive toilets at the parking lot. The visitor center is open seven days a week from Memorial Day through September. Location Contact Information: Bureau of Land Management Missoula Field Office 3255 Fort Missoula Road Missoula, MT 59804 (406) 329-3914 www.garnetghosttown.net MT_Missoula_FO@blm.gov Nearest City or Town:  Missoula MT Garnet Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Montana: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State   All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Fairbank Ghost Town Fairbank is a ghost town in Cochise County, Arizona, next to the San Pedro River. First settled in 1881, Fairbank was the closest rail stop to nearby Tombstone, which made it an important location in the development of southeastern Arizona. The town was named for Chicago investor Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank who partially financed the railroad, and was the founder of the Grand Central Mining Company, which had an interest in the silver mines in Tombstone. Today Fairbank is located within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. By the mid-1970s Fairbank was all but deserted. The final remaining residents left when the buildings were deemed unsafe. After that, the post office closed, and the side roads became overgrown and largely impassable. Some years later, in 1986, the former Mexican Land Grant was acquired by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the town was incorporated into the San Pedro Riparian NCA as the “Fairbank Historic Townsite”. What remains of the town of Fairbank is now open to the public. The remaining structures include: A commercial building, an adobe structure that used to house the general store, the post office, and the saloon. The structure has been stabilized by the BLM. The Montezuma Hotel, which was built in 1889 to the south of the Commercial Building. The hotel was torn down to make way for highway construction, and only portions of its foundation remain. A small wooden house, built in 1885, in a style common in the 1880s. The schoolhouse, built of gypsum block manufactured in nearby Douglas, AZ, was constructed in 1920, and was a functioning school through the 1930s. A larger wooden house, built in 1925. A stable and an outhouse, which were built in the early 1940s as part of a Works Progress Administration project based in Fairbank. A railroad bridge, northwest of the townsite along the San Pedro River, built in 1927. A railroad platform, west of the townsite, along the former railroad line In March 2007, the BLM restoration of the schoolhouse was completed, and the structure was opened to the public as a museum and information center for Fairbank. Where it is: 10 miles west of Tombstone. Directions to Fairbank Arizona FROM INTERSTATE 10: Go South from Interstate 10 in Benson, onto Hwy. 80 – toward Tombstone AZ Just before you arrive to the town of Tombstone, you’ll see the junction for Hwy. 82 Turn right, which means heading West on Hwy. 82 From there it’s not quite 6 miles on the right. Plenty of parking. FROM TOMBSTONE: Take Hwy. 80 North, out of town toward Benson Just after exiting the city limits – at the top of the hill, you’ll see the junction for Hwy. 82 Turn left, which means heading West on Hwy. 82 From there it’s not quite 6 miles on the right. Plenty of parking.   Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 31.72283, -110.186229 Cost: Today the area is open for the public to enjoy. Take a self-guided tour around what was once a thriving boom-town of the wild west! Be on the look-out for historic points of interest . . . But note: It is illegal to remove any historic (older than 50 years) artifacts from public lands. Hours: The grounds and trails are always open.  Hours of the buildings being open to public is unknown.  When I visited everything was locked up. Facilities: Unknown Location Contact Information: PHONE: (520) 258-7200 ADDRESS: San Pedro Project Office 4070 S. Avenida Saracino Hereford, AZ 85615 Fairbank Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Arizona Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Chloride is a mining ghost town, but it never completely died, and therefor has the old abandoned buildings and mining equipment,  not having completely died it also has restaurants, gift shops, a silversmith, art gallery’s and more.  At one time chloride had over 72 mines operating.  Many of the old shafts, tunnels and tailings are still there but explore at your own risk. One of the better known attractions in Chloride are murals painted by Roy Purcell. Gunfights are held on Saturdays at high noon in Cyanide Springs an old west backdrop in the heart of Chloride. Chloride is home to a very large collection of “Yard Art”, some people may call it junk. What to Photograph: The town itself, the old bank, old train station, jail, Cyanide Springs, murals, mines, and mine shafts. There are lots of trails for hiking, biking, off road riding, and horseback riding. Above the town are two BLM campgrounds: Windy Point and Packsaddle. From this vantage point a person can see land in four different states: Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. The view is absolutely spectacular. Cost: No fee for the area, but most of the land is private property, please respect the landowners rights. Best Time to Visit: Anytime Where it is: Chloride is located about two hours east of Las Vegas NV Directions: Between Kingman, AZ and Boulder City, NV, just a few miles off the major  highway US 93, main corridor from Mexico to Canada. Turn east at mile post marker 53, onto Mohave County Rte 125 and drive 4 miles to Chloride. GPS: N 35 25.056    w 114 16,434 Interactive Google Map Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Links: Roy Purcell GalleryChloride History Local Contact Information: Chloride Chamber of Commerce PO Box 268 Chloride, AZ  86431 (928) 565-2204   Tips for the Photographer Equipment: You can use a variety of equipment with all of the different things that there are to photograph.  You will most certainly want to bring a polarizing filter. Photography Tips: Chloride is located in the desert, that means lots of sunshine (about 350 days a year) making for high contrast during the day.  Shooting in the early morning or late evening will give better light.This is a great place to do HDR photography. Cyanide Springs, where gunfights are held on Saturday at “High Noon” Murals outside of Chloride originally conceived and painted by Roy Purcell in 1996-1997 and then restored May 27-June 2 2006 by Roy Purcell and artists under his direction.  The Murals rise to a height of 30 feet and cover approximately 2000 square feet.  The murals are located up a very rough and steep dirt road, about a mile and a half from Chloride.  They are easy to find,  just drive through Chloride and follow the signs. There is plenty to photograph in the desert including cactus and and desert wildlife.   Chloride Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Arizona: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
  Castle Dome City Ghost Town Castle Dome Landing, Arizona (also Castle Dome City) is a ghost town in the Castle Dome Mountains of Yuma County in the U.S. state of Arizona. It was first settled as a transport depot and mining camp around 1863 in what was then the Arizona Territory. Castle Dome City was once bigger than Yuma. Some of the mines had everything left in them and were just like they quit working yesterday and provided the source most of the artifacts in town. The remains of Castle Dome Landing, once on the banks of the Colorado River, are now submerged beneath the Imperial Dam reservoir in Martinez Lake. The property that was previously Castle Dome town and mining camp was purchased in 1994 by Allen and Stephanie Armstrong, and turned into the Castle Dome Museum. The museum site houses over 50 restored and recreated buildings — seven original to the town, and the rest are period representations built mostly from locally scavenged materials. Each building, among them a saloon, a hotel, a mill, and a blacksmith, is staged to look like it might have looked in the town’s heyday, some 100 years ago. Where it is: DIRECTIONS: North from Highway 95; Turn at mile marker 55 and then go 3 miles on paved road, then head straight for another 7 on a gravel road. Go straight and you will arrive at Castle Dome Mine Museum. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 33°2’44.904″ N 114°10’41.652″ W Cost: Entrance Fees: Prices: Adults $15.00 ages 12 , Children $7.00 ages 7 – 11, Children 6 and under are free. Hours: April 30 through September you will need to call for hours. October 14th through April 30th we are open 7 days a week. Facilities: There are restrooms on location, there is no food or lodging available. Location Contact Information: Castle Dome Museum Castle Dome Mine Rd., Yuma, AZ 85365 Phone 928 920-3062 Email  castledomemuseum01@gmail.com Mailing Address: 27550 East County 15Th Street North Sr 4, Yuma, AZ 85365 (this is not located at the Museum) Castle Dome City Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Arizona Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
  Bombay Beach Bombay Beach is located on the Salton Sea, and is the lowest community in the United States, located 223 feet below sea level. Bombay Beach features a large number of art pieces and installations around the town and along the beach. During the 1950s, Bombay Beach was a popular beachgoing destination. Celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby frequented the luxury resorts along the Salton Sea, which was known for its fishing, boating and water skiing. The area attracted half a million tourists annually, rivaling Yosemite National Park. Bombay Beach’s decline began around the 1970s, when the runoff (full of salty chemicals) led to a warning that the salinity of the lake would no longer sustain wildlife; that occurred by the early 1980s. Many residents around the Salton Sea, including those in Bombay Beach, were eventually driven to move out by the odor of the dying fish, the fear of health problems, and both the flooding and the draining of the Salton Sea. Many of the remaining residents are reportedly either too poor to move out or too attached to the history of the area to leave. A report by the Pacific Institute in September 2019 stated that ten years earlier, “there were some 100 million fish in the Sea. Now, more than 97 percent of those fish are gone.” There are only two stores in the town, one of which is a convenience store. The Ski Inn bar and restaurant is the only eating and drinking establishment in the town. The “Bombay Beach Drive-In” is an art installation consisting of old, abandoned cars at a drive-in theater. A visitor in 2019 wrote that there were many “discarded homes and trailers long-since abandoned” and that many of the buildings were “windowless husks blanketed in graffiti, surrounded by broken furniture and rubble.” The derelict “living ghost town” status of Bombay Beach has attracted many photographers, filmmakers, urban explorers, and tourists, to the point that locals tend to ask visitors if they are filmmakers that are there to shoot a documentary. The town, as well as others on the shores of the Salton Sea, is one of the lowest settlements in elevation in North America. The population of Bombay Beach has been described as “mostly elderly residents” who “live in a grid of mobile homes and eccentric (and, sometimes, elaborate) small homes and shacks.”     Where it is: Bombay Beach is located in Southern California’s Sonoran Desert. Bombay Beach is located on the east shore of the Salton Sea. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.   GPS: 33°21’26.07″ N 115°44’2.454″ W Cost: There is no charge to visit Bombay Beach. Hours: Bombay Beach is always open. Facilities: There are no public facilities at Bombay Beach, there is one store and a restaurant which may or may not be open. Location Contact Information: There is no local contact information for Bombay Beach. Bombay Beach Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in California Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Animas Forks Ghost Town Animas Forks is located on a system of roads known as the Alpine Loop. The loop is a 65-mile (105 km) system of unpaved roads which connects the small mountain towns of Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton. Most of the land in the area is managed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. The Alpine Loop is visited by over 100,000 people each year. Animas Forks, at an elevation of 11,200 feet, is more than two miles above sea level. The unimproved road from Silverton to Animas Forks is passable in summer by two-wheel drive vehicles. The road beyond Animas Forks over Engineer Pass to Lake City may require four-wheel drive. The site continues as a tourist attraction. A Colorado State Historical Fund grant to San Juan County, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, provided for stabilization of the remaining structures in 1997 and 1998. In 2011 the townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places which opened up opportunities for additional funding. The initial stabilization effort of the late 1990s was followed up with a comprehensive restoration of the buildings in 2013-2014. Work identified in the 2009 Historic Structures Assessment was completed under two subsequent grants from the State Historical Fund, beginning in 2013. Work was completed in 2014, just in time for the recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. The site was managed collaboratively by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and San Juan County until a long awaited land swap was recently completed in 2009. The BLM is now the sole owner of the Townsite, and provides interpretive brochures and maps at an adjacent parking area. Entry into the buildings is unrestricted. The nine standing buildings within the Townsite have been stabilized and restored, repairing floors, walls, windows, and doors, to secure the envelope of each building. Cedar shingle roof sheathing has been restored on several of the buildings along with structural repairs and improvements to the drainage around the structures and across the site. The jail structure, the oldest building on the site, has had it gable roof reconstructed as part of the second phase of the project along with new interpretive signage installed in 2014. History The town’s first log cabin was built in 1873 and by 1876 the community had become a bustling mining community. At that time the town contained 30 cabins, a hotel, a general store, a saloon, and a post office. By 1883 450 people lived in Animas Forks and in 1882 a newspaper, the Animas Forks Pioneer, began publication and lasted until October 1886. Every fall the residents of Animas Forks migrated en masse to the warmer town of Silverton. In 1884 a 23-day blizzard inundated the town with 25 feet of snow, the residents had to dig tunnels to get from building to building. Mining, speculation and processing mills helped Animas Forks grow. When mining profits began to decline investment in Animas Forks was no longer justified. Although mining made a brief 1904 rebound with the construction of the Gold Prince Mill the town’s mining days were nearing an end. A rail line ran through the area and stimulated interest in mining in the community again but the railroad never reached its expectations. The Gold Prince Mill closed in 1910 and in 1917 most of the mill’s major parts were removed for a new facility in Eureka. The mill’s dismantling signaled the beginning of the end for Animas Forks. The town was a ghost town by the 1920s. What to Photograph: There is a great deal to photograph here including the old mines and equipment, and the ghost town. Best Time for Photographers: The best time to visit is in the summer or fall, May to October. Where it is: DIRECTIONS: Silverton to Animas Forks Ghost Town is a 12.3 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Silverton, Colorado and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for off road driving and is best used from May until October. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: LATITUDE/LONGITUDE:  37.93123 / -107.57068 Cost: There is no cost to visit Animas Forks Ghost Town. Hours: There are no hours, it is accessible at all times. Facilities: There are no facilities of any kind. Location Contact Information: PHONE  (970) 642-4940 ADDRESS  Gunnison Field Office 210 West Spencer Street Gunnison, CO 81230 Animas Forks Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in Colorado: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Alta Ghost Town Alta is the most scenic Ghost Town that I have visited, it is located at 11,800 feet above see level and has tremendous views of Mount Wilson.  Just up the road is Alta Lakes Recreation Area consisting of 3 pristine mountain lakes and a primitive camp ground.  The site includes a number of nicely preserved buildings from the old mining town set against a fantastic Rocky Mountain background. Constructed around the turn of the 20th century and active until the 1930s, the Gold King Mine at Alta Lakes, elevation 11,000 feet, was the first mine in the world to receive AC power. Built in 1939, Alta’s two-story boardinghouse comprises materials salvaged from the St. Louis mine’s boardinghouse. It stands as one of Colorado’s last extant major mining camp boardinghouses. Alta was the center of gold mining activity from the 1870s to the 1940s, and in its heyday, hundreds of people lived there. Its demise came when a prominent mill burned down in 1948. As residents moved away, buildings and homes were left standing, abandoned and sacrificed to nature. Today, this Colorado ghost town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and includes original buildings like cabins, a boarding house and outhouses. Where it is: Alta is located between Telluride an d Rico at an elevation of 11,800 feet. Take Alta Lakes Road six miles south of Telluride on Highway 145. Turn left and stay on the road for 4 miles to reach the ghost town of Alta. This is a narrow and steep road but is maintained and does not require a high clearance vehicle. Alta Lakes Road is closed in the winter.  To reach Alta Lakes, you’ll need a high-clearance 4×4, just follow signs from Alta. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: 37°53’9.816″ N 107°51’8.58″ W Cost: There is no cost to visit Alta. Hours: There are no hours, the location is accessible 24 hour per day. Facilities: There are no facilities in Alta. There are vault toilets at the Alta Lakes Campground further up the road.   Alta Ghost Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery   More Photographic Destinations in Colorado: Interactive Google Map Use the map  + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views.  Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State    All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published.  Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.   Great Places for Great Photos   Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure.  I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography.  I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination.  I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip.  I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!     Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country.  Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need.  Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom.  This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...