7 Ghost Towns In Canada That Are Worth A Road Trip If You Love Spooky Stuff (PHOTOS)
Need an excuse to hop in the car and explore?
A historical building in Sandon, B.C. Right: An old train in Bankhead, Alberta.
A g-g-g-g-ghost?
Canada is full of wild, unique and interesting ghost towns. From the west coast all the way to the east, Canadian history is full of towns that, for one reason or another, everyone decided it was time to high-tail it out of. Perfect for your summer road trip.
What this means is that there are a ton of places in Canada that look exactly how they did in the past back when people used to live there.
From old mining towns in the mountains of B.C., to places that were abandoned as recently as the 1980s, there are many ghost towns in Canada that are well worth the visit.
And if you do stop by any of these locations, please do make sure that you respect the places you visit and follow all safety rules!
Sandon, B.C.
Nestled in the Selkirk Mountains near the town of Nelson in B.C., this old mining town was a hotspot for miners looking to make their fortune in silver in the 1890s.
But according to the city's official site, after the declining price of silver and a flood, the town eventually became what it is today.
Sandon not only is a few minutes from a popular hiking spot, Idaho Peak, but it also has the original City Hall building from 1900 as well as a fleet of old trolley buses from around the province.
Butedale, B.C.
This ghost town on the shores of the Pacific in Northern B.C. is unique for, partly, its remote location.
Per Canada's Historic Places, its main draw is a salmon cannery that opened in 1911 and is one of the few structures of that nature still standing.
And if you're not interested in checking it out from a historical point of view, it's hard to pass up on the unique ocean views and terrain that this part of the country is famous for.
Bankhead, Alberta
Next time you're out visiting Banff National Park, take a quick detour to see this 100-year-old abandoned coal-mining town.
The town of Bankhead once had 1,000 residents, according to Atlas Obscura, and a coal mining company to boot. But, after the mining company went out of business in 1922, the town slowly disappeared.
Now you can visit it to get a good glimpse of early history in the area, there's even an interpretive walk you can take through the abandoned mine itself.
Orion, Alberta
This ghost town has everything you could ever want, which are mostly old abandoned buildings that look like they're on the brink of collapse.
Located in Southern Alberta, this small town was, as the story goes, hit by droughts and dust storms which drove its residents away, at least according to Ghosttowns.com.
Now, it's a great place to go to see the facades of old buildings that are likely almost 100 years old.
Balaclava, Ontario
This spooky Ontario ghost town looks exactly what you'd expect a ghost town to look like.
Right in Renfrew county in Ontario, this spot has the remains of a sawmill that was reported by Ghosttowns.com to have been built in 1855.
This location is a great one to check out to see what an old lumber town was like and is only about an hour and a half from Ottawa.
Exploits, Newfoundland & Labrador
This old-fashioned, east coast fishing town was built on Burnt Island in Notre Dame Bay, which makes it a bit of a challenge to drive to.
But, there are ways to get to the island via boat. And if you want to check out more than the site of an old town you can also stay on the island, hike and watch icebergs.
The town was founded in 1874 and was eventually subject to a "resettlement" in the mid-twentieth century according to the Maritime History Archive, wherein the town's population was moved to bigger cities.
LeMieux, Ontario
One of the more recent ghost towns on this list, the Ontario town was said to have been abandoned only in 1991, reports ontarioabandonedplaces.com. The reason? The town was located on clay that, if conditions were right, could lead to a major landslide. Which it eventually did in 1993.
It's not often ghost towns are so young.
While now a lot of the buildings have either been demolished or relocated, you can still visit the preserved cemetery just 50 minutes outside of Ottawa.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
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