Some people might consider it to be a strange hobby. But if you’ve been bitten by the travel bug, and you’re running out of interesting places to visit, you might consider heading to one of our nations abandoned towns.  These ruins are creepy, but fascinating.  If you’re an amateur photographer, you’ll find plenty to like about these places. And the best part of all, you can be virtually assured of having the place all to yourself.

Cahawba, Alabama

If you’ve never heard of Cahawba, you’re not alone.  The town used to be the capital of the state of Alabama though, from 1820 to 1826.  It suffered from such a chronic flooding problem, however, that it was eventually abandoned.

In the years since, it was briefly used as a Confederate prison camp, housing captured Union soldiers. But since then, has been largely left to slowly fade away.

Virginia City, Nevada

A real piece of Wild West history.  This was once a gold rush town, and it slowly died when the gold dried up.  In its heyday though, it was one of the most rough and tumble towns in the American West. It once served as the home of Calamity Jane and other notable historic figures.  Not much of it remains these days, but it’s well worth a visit.

Ashcroft, Colorado

Located not far from the famous skiing town of Aspen, Ashcroft was once a thriving mining town and later, plans were made to turn the area into a ski resort.  When those plans fell through, the ski resort was located in Aspen, and Ashcroft was quietly forgotten.  There are less than a dozen buildings still standing, but the beauty of it is that you can get in a great skiing vacation and check out a glorious abandoned site at the same time.  That’s win-win.

Kennecott, Alaska

This was another mining town, situated in a remote corner of Alaska.  The rich vein of copper supported the town, but when the mine was depleted, the town was just too far off the beaten path to survive on its own, and it quietly died.  The harsh winters haven’t been kind to the place in the intervening years, but if you go during the summer, you’ll find accessing it fairly easy, and will get some unforgettable photographs for your effort.

Dogpatch USA

Located near Marble Falls, Arkansas, this was originally built as a theme park, modeled after the comic strip “Lil’ Abner.  As it turns out, “Lil’ Abner” wasn’t really a great basis for a theme park, and after struggling for a few years, the place quietly went out of business.  Many of the buildings are still there, however, and it makes for an intriguing place to pay a visit to.

Lynch, Kentucky

This is the only town on the list that actually isn’t quite abandoned.  An old coal mining town, it still plays home to a few hundred people, but is filled with eerie abandoned buildings that haven’t seen use in decades.  A strange, and strangely unsettling place to visit.

Honestly, these are some of the most intriguing places in America.  These destinations aren’t for everyone, but if any of them grab your attention, you definitely won’t be disappointed.  A series of truly unique travel destinations.