Bodie is truly worth a visit if you would
like to see how a small mining town looked 75 to 100 years ago. Granted
things have changed since then; buildings are weather worn, only several
people live here now, and the town shows its age. Bodie used to have
10,000 people in its heyday. In the early 1900's it was plagued by fires
and earthquakes. Eventually the gold ran out and the town slowly died,
like so many other California mining towns. However, Bodie, unlike other
mining towns still retains many buildings and its charm. Today it is a
state historic park. Even though there are still quite a few buildings
to see, this is only approximately 5% of the amount of buildings that
were here in the 1880's.
The famous quote about Bodie is, "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie"!
There are two ways to reach Bodie: one way is to
take highway 270 off of the 395 about 10 miles south of Bridgeport. For
ease of transportation this is the best way. The road is paved until 3
miles before the town of Bodie. The rest of the drive is on improved
dirt. The road is smooth, although a bit dusty, during the summer
months. It is fine for cars. The second route is to take the 167 off of
the 395 and then turn onto a dirt road that takes off from the northside of the 167. This road is a bit shorter than the other route, but it
is dirt the entire way and some sections can be a bit rough. A car can
still make it to Bodie on this road. I have driven into Bodie on both
roads as late as late January. This is quite rare as usually there is
enough snow to block the roads. Normally both routes are closed in the
winter due to
snow.
Bodie sits at about 8,400 feet in high desert. As you drive up to Bodie
you leave the sharp tall peaks of the Eastern Sierra behind and you
enter high desert country.
Bodie rests in the upper end of a small valley, butted up against the
many mine shafts. The tailings are a wonderful mix of oranges, yellows
and reds. Somehow, the colors of everything become muted at this
elevation. Over time due to the elements everything fades in color.
There are many dirt streets that you can walk along, among the old
buildings. There are two streets I recommend, the one that runs east
west from the dirt parking lot and the other ones that bisects it
running north south. I recommend seeing the schoolhouse, the museum that
is open to the public during certain times of the year, the saloon, and
the general store. There are several board walks left. Step onto these
and peer through the warped glass windows. What you see will be like
stepping back in time.
Be sure to take a picture next to the old gas pumps. Sometimes the
rangers will haul out an old truck which is a perfect addition to any
photograph at Bodie.
Bodie is normally open from 8am to 7pm Memorial Day weekend through
September 30. The museum is open daily 9:30am to 5pm from Memorial Day
weekend through mid October. Admission is $3 per person and $1 is charged per pet
(dogs must be on a leash). Another dollar will buy you a very
informative California State Parks guidebook to Bodie and information
about each of the buildings that you will see.
For more information feel free to call PHONE NUMBER 760.647.6445. Make
sure you bring snacks, lunch or drinks. There are no services provided
here. For more information about Bodie, please visit
