The Northern California Ghost Town That’s Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip

Fall is the perfect time for exploring our state's many ghost towns. After all, Gold Country looks simply outstanding in vibrant fall colors. If you're looking to visit a little-known gem, then you'll definitely be interested in the destination featured below. When you first think of Northern California ghost towns, Bodie is usually the one that comes to mind. However, there are an endless amount of small and equally beautiful and intriguing hamlets dotted throughout Northern California that are begging for a visit. This North Bloomfield ghost town is one of them. Keep reading to learn all about this fascinating slice of history and what it has to offer.

Formerly known as Humbug City, the ghost town of North Bloomfield is a wonderfully preserved historical gem that will take you back in time to approximately 150 years ago.

Located in the heart of Malakoff Diggins State Park, one of numerous lesser-known state parks located in Northern California, it's a fascinating place with a little-known history that you'll definitely want to discover for yourself.

Today, you'll find that many of the town's original structures are still standing and a few have been reconstructed. Town tours are offered daily throughout the summer and on weekends during the off-season.

During the tour you can expect to learn all about the people who lived here in the 1800s, how mining came to the town and went, and other fascinating historical tidbits. North Bloomfield is so much a part of Northern California mining history that you just have to see it to really grasp it

The town's lore centers around its original founding in 1851 when three miners discovered gold nuggets in the region.

Like in many early California towns, other prospectors flocked to the townsite but were disappointed when they didn't find any gold. So, they named the area "Humbug" to reflect their disappointment.

However, hundreds of miners would flood the region during the following years. That is when this small mining camp quickly turned into a small town.

Humbug grew even more with the introduction of hydraulic mining, which is the use of water to wash away mountainsides in order to discover gold.

In 1857, the town changed their name from Humbug to North Bloomfield. The prosperous little mining town continued to thrive and grew to roughly 2,000 residents by the early 1880s.

The new North Bloomfield was comprised of several saloons, hotels, lodging houses, grocery stores, breweries, and much more. However, this prosperity would not last long.

Like so many other mining towns, North Bloomfield fell victim to the busts of the Gold Rush as much as it experienced its booms.

The final nail in the coffin was when hydraulic mining was officially made illegal in 1884. At this point, miners and families made their departure from North Bloomfield and headed to the next boomtown.

Today, just a few residents remain in the abandoned ghost town. However, North Bloomfield never completely died.

After all, it's still very much here and the park has done a wonderful job of preserving the town's colorful history and historic landmarks.

A day spent in Northern California's Gold Country is always a day well-spent. North Bloomfield may be no longer but its history will always be alive. Experience it for yourself and plan a visit to this wonderful ghost town soon.

You'll find Malakoff Diggins State Park at 23579 N Bloomfield Rd in Nevada City. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Have you visited this little-known ghost town? If so, what did you think? We'd love to read about your experience there in the comments section below!

You might also want to take a look at our list of 9 Creepy Ghost Towns In Northern California for more awesome places to visit!