Ballarat ghost town is the remnants of a gold mining town that was built at the western foot of the Panamint Mountains, at the edge of the Panamint Valley. It is just within Death Valley National Park. Ballarat contains a collection of building ruins, with a small store still in operation. Ballarat was founded in 1897 after gold was discovered nearby at the Radcliff Mine in Pleasant Canyon, in the Panamint Mountains. It served primarily as a supply town to miners of Panamint and Death Valleys. Ballarat now serves as a recreation center for this area. The Post Office closed in 1917, marking the end of this small town as a community. Panamint Valley's Ballarat was named after the famous gold mining city in Victoria, Australia.
All photographs copyrighted by David L. Magney 2005
