How It Started
Cerro Gordo was founded in 1865, high in the Inyo Mountains, where silver, lead, and zinc were discovered in veins so rich they drew fortune-seekers from every corner of the West.
Within a few short years, it became the largest silver-producing mine in California. Nearly 4,000 miners lived and worked here, carving more than 30 miles of tunnels through the mountain and pulling out the modern equivalent of over $500 million in minerals.
The boom transformed not just the mountaintop, but the entire region. Cerro Gordo’s wealth helped fuel the early growth of Los Angeles, earning it the nickname:
“The mines that built L.A.”
The town’s remote perch and lawless energy made it a magnet for legends. Butch Cassidy, Mark Twain, and other larger-than-life figures of the American West were rumored to have passed through. Newspapers of the era reported a murder a week. Saloon doors swung late into the night. Fortune, violence, and hope lived side by side. Cerro Gordo was the Wild West in its purest form.
Mining slowed and eventually stopped in the 1940s, after nearly eight decades of nonstop activity. The town entered a long sleep—sometimes cared for, sometimes left to the wind—its buildings weathering harsh winters and desert heat, its stories waiting for new listeners.
A New Chapter
In 2018, Cerro Gordo was purchased by Brent Underwood and a small group of friends who believed the town was worth saving. The goal was simple but ambitious:
preserve its history, restore its buildings, and open the town to visitors once again.
In March 2020, Brent moved to Cerro Gordo full-time. What began as a plan to stay for a week turned into years of living alone at 8,500 feet—through fires, snowstorms, rebuilding efforts, and endless discoveries in the mines. He began documenting the journey on his YouTube channel, “Ghost Town Living,” sharing both the challenges and the small miracles of bringing an abandoned mining town back to life.
Since then, thousands of volunteers, supporters, and history lovers around the world have contributed to the town’s restoration—swinging hammers, donating materials, sharing stories, and helping rebuild structures that haven’t stood straight in a century.
Today, Cerro Gordo is in the middle of its greatest chapter yet:
a place where history is preserved, adventure is welcomed, and a once-forgotten mining town is finding new life in the 21st century.
The restoration of Cerro Gordo is made possible thanks to the generosity of thousands of people around the world.
There are several ways to get involved and support the town's revival.
VOLUNTEER
We always appreciate an extra set of hands, regardless of experience of skill level. If you're interested in helping with projects around town, reach out to our town manager at:
SUPPORT THE PROJECT
You can also make a big impact by subscribing to our YouTube channel, purchasing items from our online shop, or checking out our Amazon Wish List.
DONATE
If you'd like to directly support the preservation and interpretation of Cerro Gordo, contributions can be made through Friends of Cerro Gordo, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2021 to help protect the town's history.