Spooky Side Trips

Spooky Side Trips

Watched over by two lovable caretakers, George Novak and his son, Rocky, the crusty, dusty Ballarat Ghost Town saw its heyday between 1897 and 1917. The Novaks run a working store-museum here, where you can grab a cold soda and hear a story or two before venturing out to explore the crumbling landscape. Don't miss the saloon, assay office, and small graveyard, where wooden crosses mark the graves of forgotten prospectors, including "Seldom Seen Slim," who mined the area until his death in 1968.

Ballarat's more infamous draw is Barker Ranch, accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicle, where convicted murderer Charles Manson and his "family" were captured after a 1969 murder spree. The small cabin, surrounded by rocks, fruit trees, a primitive swimming pool, and streams, still has furniture inside. Down closer to Ballarat, Tex Watson's 1942 Dodge Power Wagon rusts in the landscape, still bearing eerie graffiti from the Manson family members. From Highway 395, take exit SR-178 and travel 45 mi to the historic marker; Ballarat is 3 1/2 mi from the end of the pavement.