Northern California has its fair share of ghost towns. While there are still a few left that are empty and barren, around here we believe in recycling. This means we appreciate the old towns and have fixed many up to be loved and lived in well again. This region was the go-to spot during the 1800s gold rush. In 1848, gold was discovered in Coloma. The rush lured thousands out to Northern California. Hoping to strike it rich, they panned for gold, hoping and praying it wouldn't take long. Meanwhile, small towns like Placerville, Bodie, and Auburn among many others, popped up to accommodate these treasure hunters. Unfortunately, gold is a fickle friend and many were destitute within months, leaving behind their dreams of striking it rich for jobs on the railroad and anywhere else they could find work. What's left are now some of the best ghost towns in Northern California.

1. Bodie

Bodie began as a mining camp of little note following the discovery of gold in 1859 by a group of prospectors, including W. S. Bodey. Bodey perished in a blizzard the following November while making a supply trip to Monoville (near present-day Mono City, California), never getting to see the rise of the town that was named after him.

2. Auburn

French miners were the first to camp and find gold here in May 1848. The restored Old Town has houses and retail buildings from the middle of the 19th century. The oldest fire station and the Post Office date from the Gold Rush years. Casual gold-mining accessories, as well as American Indian and Chinese artifacts, can also be viewed by visitors at the Placer County Museum. Auburn was the home and birthplace of noted science fiction and fantasy poet and writer Clarke Ashton Smith. A memorial to him is located near Old Town.

3. Placerville

AKA: Hangtown. Placerville is a gold rush town rich in history. It's the oldest hardware store in business and the oldest newspaper in the state: The Mountain Democrat.

4. Susanville

In 1855 a prospecting party discovered gold in nearby Honey Lake Valley. On the site of Susanville Isaac Roop, who named the town after his daughter, had already established a trading post in 1854 on one of the Sierra emigrant routes. Today Susanville is a busy center of agriculture, stock raising, lumbering, and vacationing. Still standing on Weatherlow Street is Isaac Roop's cabin. This photo is from a building downtown established in 1912.

5. French Gulch

French Gulch was founded by French miners in 1849 and became one of California's major gold-producing areas. The town became a major supply place when it became the terminus of the western branch of the California Trail.

6. Old Shasta

Located 6 miles west of Redding, California, along Highway 299, Old Shasta City was founded in the 1850s, and was a bustling gold rush town. The shells of many of the brick buildings still remain.

7. Coulterville

Coulterville was settled in 1850 by George W. Coulter, for whom it is also named. For a time Coulter lived in a tent flying the American Flag, prompting local Mexicans to call the place Banderita (Spanish for "small flag"). The Maxwell's Creek post office opened in 1852 and changed its name to Coulterville in 1853. The name Maxwell honored George Maxwell, with whom Coulter cast lots to determine the name of the town.

8. Angels Camp

Henry Angell, a native of Rhode Island, set up a tent store on the banks of the creek. The placers around his camp were productive but gave out after a few years, and the population began to dwindle until gold-bearing quartz veins were discovered in the town, which brought people back. Those mines operated for the next few decades, producing more than $20 million worth of gold, processed by stamp mills in town. It was said that when the last mill finally ceased operations, the townspeople couldn't sleep, the silence was so loud.

9. Coloma

Just north of Placerville, Coloma was the home of Johan Sutter whose name will be forever linked to the gold rush days. Sutter came to California from his native Switzerland in 1834 and was granted some land on the Sacramento River. It was toward the end of 1847 that Sutter began construction of his sawmill at a site the Indians called Cullooma. Sutter had a partner named James Marshall in building the sawmill. It was Marshall, not Sutter, who first discovered gold at Sutter's Mill. Ironically, neither Sutter nor Marshall profited from a discovery that should have made them independently wealthy. Among the things to see while visiting Coloma is the home of James Marshall at the time of his discovery in 1849 as well as his grave which overlooks the site of his discovery.

Many of the ghost towns around these parts have little left to photograph: a brick foundation, an old fireplace and some stray beams. We respect the ghosts of a time gone by and love coming across a town on a country drive that's remained hidden just waiting to be discovered once again. Are there any ghost towns in your neck of the woods? Share your favorite ones in the comments below!