South Pass City is one of the old west ghost towns which in the 1860s and 1870s had a population of over 2000 residents and over 150 business structures together with homesteads. Remnants of the old town are still lingering in Fremont County, Wyoming.

History of South Pass City

South Pass City was established at the Oregon Trail in the 1850s near the present-day Burnt Ranch in Fremont County. The town was dormant in its early days with a population of fewer than 150 residents. Post office, blacksmith store were the only active and valuables of the town. In 1966, gold was discovered in the town by prospectors putting it out there on the ladder of success. Miners and farmers flocked the town in an attempt to take advantage of its earthly riches. South Pass City was fully flagged as a town by 1968 with a population of more than 1800 residents. Carissa mine was the principal mine in the town.

End of an era

As the saying goes, everything that has a beginning must have an end. South Pass City met its death decades later in the 1870s when gold mines were exhausted. By 1879, the major mine was rendered unprofitable and was closed leaving Carissa mine as the only standing mine in the area. Since Carissa mine employed less than a quarter of the town, most of the miners from other closed mines were prompted to leave the town for greener pasture. The population continued to fluctuate over the years with the highest and lowest being between 100 and 180 respectively. South Pass City continued to be deserted and by 1901 there was a population of fewer than 10 residents in the town. The last known family left in 1949 rendering the town an official ghost town.

What is the current condition of the townsite?

South Pass City was listed on the national register of historic places in the late 1900s and is today South Pass State Historic Site. Most of the old structures are still standing, having been preserved by the park management. Guided tours, nature walks, and biking on the old mining trails are some of the fun and adrenaline-pumping activities that the townsite offers to visitors. South Pass State Historic Site is only open to the public during the summer and autumn. Campgrounds are also available for booking during the same period. Though the town went down with a short life span, its culture and history are still in the heart of those who once called it home. South Pass City has a dozen of unstable old structures that can collapse at any given time causing injuries or even death.