Discover Calico: an abandoned town in the Californian desert

On the road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, you can't miss Calico. Like Hollywood, the town's letters are on top of a hill, but it's less glamorous and glittery. This mining village was built in 1881 in the heart of the Mojave Desert. The location was ideal for exploiting the silver mines nearby.

Calico became a ghost town in the 20th century.

At the entrance to the village, the tone is set: a sign indicates the number of inhabitants who lived in the heart of the village over the years. Built in 1881, the town reached its peak in 1887. That year, there were 1,200 inhabitants. Then the figure fell and fell and fell, until there was no one left. In 1907, the town was abandoned.

But Calico is not dead

It was thanks to Walter Knott that the village rose from the ashes a few years later. In 1951, the American bought the village for a pittance and decided to restore it with the help of period photographs. Since then, the town has become a major tourist attraction in the region, with many travellers stopping off in this ghost town to admire the old saloons and shops, as well as the village school and church. As proof of its new-found fame, just like the huge letters of Hollywood, those of the village of Calico can be seen in the distance, inscribed in large letters on the hill overlooking the ghost town.

We're not going to lie to you, there's little chance, if any, that this house is an authentic construction from the time of the Conquest of the West. But ghost towns, and more broadly, abandoned towns, are favourite playgrounds for artists. This creation, made entirely from empty glass bottles, is a real hit with visitors and a must-see in Calico. What's more, it's located on the heights of the village, so you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town.

Getting there couldn't be easier. It's located around fifteen kilometres east of Barstow, on the road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The town of Calico is listed in many tourist guides. The town is a must-visit on any trip to the American West. Many guidebooks recommend a visit, and we can confirm that they're right.

The sun (almost) always shines in Calico's skies, in summer as well as in winter, and even a little too much in summer. Because of the heat in summer, travellers who fear high temperatures will certainly prefer to visit the city in spring or autumn, when the weather is less extreme, such as in May, September or October.

Even if winter is fairly mild, it is not recommended as this is the low tourist season and travellers may not be able to enjoy certain activities, and many establishments may be closed.