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California Parklands 07-03-22 This (almost) ghost town near Yosemite harbored a legendary outlaw

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A wanter poster offers a reward for infamous bandit Joaquin Murrieta, dead or alive.

A wanter poster offers a reward for infamous bandit Joaquin Murrieta, dead or alive.

Ashley Harrell

Some 60 miles from Yosemite, the town of Hornitos got its start in the mid-1800s as a rowdy tent camp of Mexican miners who left a nearby settlement when gambling and other indulgences were outlawed there. The population eventually swelled to 15,000, and the streets were soon lined with saloons, gambling halls and bordellos.


The progress was short lived, though, and today only about 40 people call Hornitos home. Visiting feels like quite the timewarp, thanks to the old wanted posters, crumbling ruins and abandoned homes. But on weekends, the old-timey bar is still open for business. Read more here.

 

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This is California’s mini Yellowstone. What Lassen Volcanic National Park lacks in geysers and bison, it makes up for in volcanoes and proximity. Read more here.

 

California Parklands is curated by California Parks editor Ashley Harrell. Contact her at Ashley.Harrell@sfgate.com.

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