Overgrown cemeteries. Crumbling walls. Doors hanging open as if a building’s occupants might return any moment. New Mexico ghost towns are inherently unnerving, but they’re also fascinating snapshots of the past. Sometimes residents drift away gradually. Other times people abandon towns quickly, due to a tragedy or because of lost economic opportunities. Here are 8 of the best ghost towns in New Mexico.

1. Lake Valley, between Nutt and Hillsboro

Lake Valley, NM 88042, USA
Flickr/David Cohen
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
The Bridal Chamber mine in Lake Valley once produced 2.5 million ounces of silver. The town’s demise began with the silver panic of 1893. Then, in 1895, a saloon fire, which was believed to be an act of arson, destroyed much of Lake Valley. The flames spread so quickly that they consumed the commercial buildings within thirty minutes. But it wasn’t until 1974 that the town officially became uninhabited, when Lake Valley’s final resident died.

2. Dawson, near Cimarron

Dawson, NM 87740, USA
Flickr/Albert Mock
There’s a reason why Dawson gives many people the chills. This literal ghost town is rumored to be haunted. It’s the site of two major mining disasters. The first explosion, in 1913, claimed the lives of 263 miners. The second, in 1923, killed 121 people. With such a tragic past, it’s unsurprising that residents abandoned it.

3. Elizabethtown, near Eagle Nest

Flickr/Cherie Benoit
Elizabethtown, NM 87718, USA
Flickr/Nathan Taylor
A ghost town that was home to a serial killer? It doesn’t get much creepier than that. Charles Kennedy, whose cabin was on the road between Elizabethtown and Taos, provided lodging to travelers. According to his wife’s confession, Kennedy routinely robbed then murdered his guests.

After his capture, rumors spread that Kennedy’s lawyer planned to buy his client’s freedom. The townspeople delivered their own form of justice by grabbing Kennedy, wrapping a rope around his neck and dragging him behind a horse to his death. Little remains of Elizabethtown today, except for a few walls of the Mutz Hotel, which was presumably a much safer place to stay than Kennedy’s cabin.

4. Cuervo, near Santa Rosa

Flickr/Gallopingphotog
Flickr/Gallopingphotog
Cuervo, NM 88417, USA
Elliott and Dena/Flickr
Cuervo is one of the largest ghost towns on this list. It has a weird vibe because many buildings remain, but the people are just gone. It feels like the town is holding its breath. Indefinitely.

Back in the day, Cuervo was a railroad town. It later benefited from its location along Route 66. Unfortunately the interstate was constructed right through the heart of the town. And that was the end of Cuervo.

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5. White Oaks, near Carrizozo

Flickr/Don Barrett
White Oaks, NM 88301, USA
Flickr/Don Barret
At one point, White Oaks was the second biggest city in New Mexico after Santa Fe. It’s even on the National Register of Historic Places. The town boomed when a pure vein of gold was discovered inside Baxter Mountain.

White Oaks boasted saloons, gambling dens, and brothels. A posse once chased Billy the Kid through here. When the gold ran out, the town faded, although one business does operate in White Oaks: the No Scum Allowed Saloon.

6. Shakespeare, near Lordsburg

Flickr/Lisa Haneberg
Shakespeare, NM 88045, USA
Flickr/Lisa Haneberg
Originally, this town was called Mexican Springs and it wasn't exactly a law-abiding place. According to legend, the main rule was that if you killed someone, you were responsible for digging their grave.

Miners came here in search of silver, but stuck around because they heard someone had found diamonds on nearby Lee’s Peak. When people figured out that the diamond rumors were just a hoax, they left. In 1879, Colonel William G. Boyle changed the town’s name to Shakespeare. This national historic site is now privately owned, and tours are available.

Learn more about Shakespeare, one of the best ghost towns in New Mexico, in this YouTube video from 5th & Overland:

7. Hagan, near Madrid

Flickr/Keary O
Hagan Mines, New Mexico 87047, USA
Flickr/Keary O
Hagan was a planned community of adobe buildings, constructed around a coal mine. Once the coal was gone, everyone deserted the town. Hagan is located on private property, but you can either see it from the road or book a jeep tour to view it up close.

8. Chloride, near Winston

Flickr/darius norvilas
Chloride, NM 87943, USA
Flickr/darius norvilas
Sometimes it’s hard to decide what counts as a ghost town. Does a place have to be completely abandoned, or consist of mostly derelict buildings with just a handful of diehard residents?

Chloride fits that last description and, in recent years, efforts have been made to restore and repurpose some of the buildings. Still, the size of this mining town (twenty or so people live here) is a far cry from how busy it was during the 1880s. During its heyday, the biggest problem was attacks by Apache Indians, who wanted to repel the invading miners. Harry Pye, the town’s founder, was murdered in one such incident. But it was the 1893 silver panic and subsequent plummeting silver prices that sealed Chloride’s fate.

Have you visited any of these places? Do you find ghost towns in New Mexico creepy, intriguing, or just sad? Tell us about your ghost town explorations if you hit the road to visit any of these or other New Mexico ghost towns. If you’re in the mood for more spooky reading, check out this haunted cemetery in New Mexico.

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Ghost Towns In New Mexico

Leah | May 16, 2020

What is the most haunted place in New Mexico?

Out of the many haunted places in New Mexico, there is only one campground that you can spend the night to get some serious chills. Known as one of the most haunted places in the state, the Holy Ghost Campground is an actual campground in the Santa Fe National Forest that only the bravest stay at. According to the myths and legends surrounding it, the site has seen death, gruesome tragedy, and many creepy tales over the years. The surrounding trees can be seen as beautiful and picturesque, but the ghosts of a Catholic priest, missing state troopers, and other paranormal beings apparently haunt them.

What are the creepiest places in New Mexico?

If you're feeling daring, you can visit some of these creepy places in New Mexico. When it comes to ghost-infested hotels, the St. James Hotel in Cimarron might take the top spot. There are numerous spirits who supposedly haunt inside its walls, and one of the rooms is so haunted that it's padlocked shut and completely off-limits to enter. The town of Deming is another place known to be utterly spine-tingling. The list of creepy things happening there is nearly endless, with everything from the paranormal to the extraterrestrial being sighted. There are urban legends of terrible accidents that have occurred in Deming, too, to add to its spooky reputation.

Can I visit any abandoned places in New Mexico?

Throughout New Mexico history, many places have come and gone. Mines and mining towns next to them have a boom, then a bust, then today remain only in empty fragments. You can take an entire abandoned place road trip through the Land of Enchantment. It'll take you to eerie fort ruins, chilling ghost towns, and spooky abandoned sanatoriums. Some of the spots you'll pass by are quite striking and even impressive, like long-since-defunct bridges and factories of yesteryear. Are you brave enough to try it?

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