Cool ghost town visible from train - San Jose to Sacramento. It was so fun discovering this small ghost town in the middle of the South at wetlands. A raucous history clings to Drawbridge - hunting and maybe gambling at one time or another. Built in the 1870s and it became 'ghostly' after the last person left in 1979. I like the background of the town and how it spices up the history of the southern part of San Francisco Bay. read more

See all

I found out about Drawbridge on Atlas Obsura and was fascinated. It's definitely one the better elusive urbex destinations. You technically can't go here so I won't go into detail on how to get there but it's best to find someone who's been here before to guide you as it can be tricky to find and some entrances might be blocked off. The abandoned buildings on the side of the train tracks are spread out and you can get some nice photos with the hills and marshland in the background. It's worth going but this is a production. It's about a 9-mile walk and yes you do have to watch out for the train. Most of the time it's fine but there is a small stretch when you need to cross a bridge over water and let's just say you don't want to end up like those kids on Stand By Me. If you don't want to do the walk you can take an Amtrak Train which goes through it. read more

See all

I had watched numerous documentaries and videos and read plenty of articles about this ghost town months ago, and became extremely interested since this place is so close to home.  I finally made it here, after a last-minute decision during my run at Alviso Marina park. I always thought that the distance would be too far of a run, since the address/location is listed as Fremont, however, coming from San Jose (Alviso specifically), it was only about 2 and 1/2 miles. So it really wasn't that bad. Of course that's just one-way. I was pleasantly surprised to find that google maps directions leads you directly to a lookout point, so it's really easy to find and access from Alviso (even though there are plenty of "Do not enter" signs along the way, even toward Mallard Slough Trail, which is interesting since SF Bay Wildlife Society states that it is legal to enter this area. https://www.sfbws.com/drawbridge). On my way there, I passed by a run down "bridge" made up of broken planks (see my photo) with a sign post making it clear that entry beyond that point was prohibited. That bridge actually connected to the railway, which was interesting because although I know people have illegally biked/hiked to the old town via that railway, why is this bridge here?!? Are they encouraging bad behavior, or was this connected to something else in the past? That bridge, crossing the marsh was about a mile away from Drawbridge, so I didn't feel comfortable trying to balance on those unstable beams (illegally), then risking my life on the railway trying to access the ghost town, while expending energy (I mean c'mon, I still had to run back to Alviso, and then home). An entire mile, not knowing when to expect a train! I wonder if it's a shorter distance coming from the Fremont side. Either way, I think the view from the lookout point was worth it, and the videos and photos you see online provide sufficient up close shots of the homes that barely still stand. It looks like just old burnt moldy wooden skeletons of 3-4 small homes/cabins, lonely in the middle of nowhere (still can't believe this exists here within the busy metropolitan bay area). The vista point was actually quite nice, peaceful, isolated and lots of open space, surrounded by water and plant life. There is also informative signage describing the history and timeline of this quaint town, as well a bike rack and bench to relax and enjoy the view on a nice sunny day. The whole time I was there, starting with my run from Alviso at 6:15pm, I only saw one train come by (Amtrak, at exactly 7:05pm on a Saturday). And I only crossed a few pedestrians/bikers on my way there and back. If you're looking for a place to be alone with your thoughts and be surrounded by nature while taking in a piece of history, this is a place worth checking out. read more

See all

Went there recently . It was amazing, I think everyone should experience it . Take boots, water , look out for trains you'll b fine , went in threw Fremont side hole in fence by the McDonald's on Fremont Blvd south, walked about 2 miles to get to it read more

See all

Looks nice great place to go with your friends and it has many many many interesting things inside of it and outside of it

Nice go to place, minutes away from my house. We've been coming for many years. Bring your binoculars and watch the wildlife. read more

Drawbridge Ghost Town - Drawbridge Ghost Town - Local Flavor Near Me

Well it's no fun when you look dead straight at a park rangers eyes because let's face it, we're all not suppose to be there. Those rangers take their jobs seriously and will issue you a trespassing ticket. Was it worth the lecture though? Yes. The drawbridge is really cool and watching the trains go by makes me feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere. It is extremely muddy and you'll be hopping everywhere just to get on the other side of the creek. It's true people, Fremont's Ghost Town does exist! My dog even had a feeling that we're not suppose to be there and with a phone dead it just makes it even freakier. Anyways, what have you got to lose? Check it out Adventurous ones, it's worth it. read more

What a hidden gem. I never knew such a nice area was back there. The trail was great for my 14 mo the old to walk and he had so much fun exploring. On leash dogs are allowed so this would be a great place for a family hike. read more

I wanted to visit Drawbridge and learn more about its history without risking being splattered by an oncoming train or receiving a minimum $1000 fine. Thankfully, I found an alternative to trespassing upon the wildlife refuge by taking a free tour of Drawbridge, led by a seasoned Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge volunteer named Ceal Craig. She has literally written a book on Drawbridge and gave us an excellent presentation on the fascinating history of the area and its wildlife. Then, we departed the center and were driven around the marsh, stopping and getting out at points of interest and hearing interesting factoids for the entire trip. There was lots of beautiful waterfowl, and the marshes looked incredible.The total experience lasted about 2.5 hours, and we got as close to the ghost town as you are legally allowed to go. This was admittedly not very close, but we were given binoculars to get a good look at Drawbridge. If you are interested, please look up these free Drawbridge Van Excursions. You will learn infinitely more through the guide than if you just tromped around the town yourself, you will not risk a hefty 4-digit fine, you won't accidentally destroy parts of the wildlife refuge and you will NOT get yourself killed by the trains. These trains are SILENT! So many people have nearly been killed on the tracks trying to get to Drawbridge! This tour is an excellent alternative. A final note: if you really want to go even closer to Drawbridge, there are apparently volunteer opportunities that let you take a boat right up to the ruins while also helping out the great caretakers of the marsh. read more

The first time I went to Drawbridge was in 2010. My friend lured me on the trip with vagueness and the promise of awesomeness. Granted, if I knew I'd be hiking along a (dangerous) railroad path, roasting under the South Bay's notorious sun, illegally trespassing on land, falling into waist-deep marsh, and frolicking around a ghost town, I probably wouldn't have gone. In fact, I still didn't know it was a "ghost town" until I found this yelp page. Noted. However, I'm sure glad I went. It's worth a trip here because it is certainly memorable. If you're like me and love some good photo-taking opportunities, you'll love it even more. The walk down offers many picturesque views (complemented by funky smells at low tide). When you start to see the sunken wooden frames, you're kind of like, 'oh, is this it' However, keep in mind that the absurdly tall weeds/reeds/grasses are hiding a lot of cool details, and the inside of these spots are awesome to explore and take portraits in. To emphasize some points others have made: -You're following train tracks. This is dangerous, and you need to be careful. -Wear long pants and comfortable shoes that can get dirty - you will walk a lot and also inevitably sink in the mud/water as I did many times -You will probably be presented with the need to creek-hop. You will probably think you can make it across in a leap, and not make it. Prepare for this result. -Sunscreen and water are musts -Don't go alone. Go in a group so you guys keep each other in check and help drag each other out of the mud. It's also more fun, in general, to explore old sinking towns in groups. -Here's an idea of a route: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=886509 If you feel up for a walk and exploring, I definitely recommend checking it out while it's still around. read more

Drawbridge Ghost Town - You can get an idea of how tall the grasses/weeds were - Local Flavor Near Me

I just went! I was nervous it would be worth it nowadays but there are still a few structures standing. I went on a warm, dry Saturday. So many pros: We only saw one train, we walked on a defined, dry path almost all the way there and we were able to go into one of the houses. The rest of the structures were pretty flooded, so I think I would suggest tall waterproof boots for anyone who still wants to go. I got some amazing pictures and I highly recommend it. Oh, I parked at the McDonald's and walked as many others have suggested. read more

See all

This place is either the best or worst of places to visit; all depending on what you hope to see. Being a photographer with a zoom lens made it worth the effort. If I had gone for just a view the ghost town without binoculars I would want my money back. The surrounding wildlife reserve is great for a long walks, bike rides, guessing wild bird species, or getting a level view the SF Bay's south end. I suggest packing water, sunscreen, sensible shoes, and maybe a hat. It is easy to fry out there without noticing the burn until it is too late. The Mexican restaurants peppered throughout Alviso are an added benefit. Check the reviews as some are great while others mediocre. Alviso also has an interesting history; it was once a snob shop for the San Jose rich. Their yachts were kept there, but circumstance stopped the dredging and the town decomposed into a food stamp -although it is now slowly being gentrified... read more

This is a fun trivia / bucket list stop for folks living in the Bay Area. If you like sneaking into places, hikes, marshes, birds, and/or ghost towns, this is a pretty good one. My wife and I did a small amount of research - most of the reviews on this page will suffice - there are multiple ways in and it'd be pretty hard to get lost, I think. After about an hour of hiking (past salt flats, marshes, lots of birds and fun sights) we got to the ghost town, about a dozen busted buildings you can walk through. Pretty cool! read more

Hidden ghost town in the middle of the Bay Area. Since everyone else has already given the warning, history and directions to get to this place I'm not going to bore you with those details. I will bore you with the details that the place has changed over the last 30 years. Growing up near by my friends and I went out here before it was illegal to go. Back in the day many of the buildings were still standing with much of the fixtures still inside. The roofs actually kept the rain out. There were even pot belly stoves inside some of the buildings. After 40+ years of neglect the ghost town is slowing being reclaimed by the bay. It is still worth going along the park trails and seeing ti from a distance. One note: Don't go out during from late fall to early spring because the mud makes it really difficult to get to the town. Furthermore, the train still uses the tracks so it can be dangerous trek. read more

Drawbridge Ghost Town - drawbridge - Local Flavor Near Me

See all

While I don't condone putting yourself or anybody else at risk, this post is for information only and not to be used a a guide. I did the trek out to drawbridge back in October of 2006. There are still a few buildings standing and you can even walk up to a few of the old sheds on dry days. Most of the sightseeing is done from the train tracks that run through the middle of drawbridge. The train tracks are elevated but the rest of the area where the houses are is pretty muddy and you probably wont get very far in the marsh. Trains come over the tracks regularly, so anyone going must be alert be especially when crossing the bridge. There is plenty of space to stand at the bottom edges of the elevated area (about 10-15 feet away from where the train runs). The girlfriend and I both were carrying mountain bikes while at drawbridge and while crossing the bridge and we didn't have any problems. Pics Included: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluntzilla/tags/drawbridge/ read more

See all

Loved it! I was able to get there by walking the creek to the left of LAM Research until it hit the train tracks, then left and you will see it. Bring mud shoes. On the way you can see all the salt deposits, it makes for cool photos bc it looks like snow. I am glad i was able to visit this place before its gone! It is decaying quickly as a small waterway is creeping closer to it, and it's in the bay/marsh. I brought multiple format cameras and got some epic pictures! The walk to get there is a good one, but it is flat, so its not like hiking. We started the walk at 12:30 and got back to the car at 4:30-5:00. We parked at McDonalds too. The sunset was spectacular too! read more

See all

The zig-zag road from Cushing Parkway is a lot longer than it looks on the map. It is open part of the way, until you get to the salt flats. This would be a lot easier as a bicycle trip. It's not a breezy area so it could be hot if you tried to walk it in the middle of the day. We started at about 7:30 am and it got pretty warm. The drawbridge is short. Danger from trains has been exaggerated. They come about every two hours and you can hear them and see them from far away. You might not want to be seen from the train if you were in the ghost town when it came as the engineer could call ahead and report you to the railroad. As of today, the ghost town is more like a collection of shacks than a ghost town but it is still interesting. read more

See all

I love old things. I love old, decrepit things. I love ancient, falling apart at the seams things. Do the math, and it's only right that I would love ghost towns. Drawbridge is definitely a place you should go visit should you find yourselves in the same loving court as I. I've been to the locale twice now, and plan to go at least a few more times. Set between South Fremont, Alvisio and the Bay itself, this piece of "recent" history (recent to me being anything within the last 60,000 years) lies in the heart of Wildlife and Game country, and is technically off-limits to those without a permit or permission from the authorities to be there. Did that stop me? What do you think? My discovery of the town was made when I, as an amateur photographer, decided to begin a series on California ghost towns. Lo and behold! I discovered there was one quite close to home! Without due, I made the trek down with QT, and once again with The C., in the span of just a few short months. Allow me to describe my observations. The place to park is in the parking lot adjacent to the McDonald's off of the South Fremont Blvd. exit on Cushing Parkway, south of 880 (the driveway leading to the motel behind the sushi joint). Once parked, scramble across the street to where the wash is. I advise that you jump over the fence along the right (southwest) side of the wash to put you where you need to be to make the trek to the town. Oh, and don't tell anyone that I told you. I trust you. Along the easy 3.5 mile hike to the town, the path curves around huge evaporite flats, where factories mine salt for public consumption. During the rainy season, these flats are just ponds. I plan to revisit again in the spring to see if the ponds have dried up yet. The evaporites are really something to look at then, as they develop pink cocentric rings around the edges. An uber cool phenomenom. Once the path hits the train tracks, make your way south along the tracks to the other side of the creek (I don't think it's big enough to call a river). Exercise majour caution crossing the tracks, as they're highly active with trains running in both directions at 50-80 mph. You can usually hear the horns blowing before they reach you, but keep a weather eye on the horizon for their headlights. Once you get there, enjoy! The last building to have been evacuated was in 1974, which makes this a really recent ghost town, though the Bay is eating up these wonderful pieces of our history at an alarming rate, which you can plainly see once you're there. The ground is squishy in the rainy months, so be careful and wear appropriate footwear if you decide to investigate the sinking structures. All in all, this is a great way to spend a day out in the wide open should you find yourselves so inclined. Check it out! read more

FIrst I must reiterate, that visiting Drawbridge requires tresspassing into a hazzardous, if not dangerous desolate location. That said, we made the trek out yesterday and it was awesome. Very surreal and an interesting historical snapshot of the Bay Area from the early 1900s. Most of the buildings are only viewable by the train tracks, but at least 3 or 4 you can get up close and personal with. Our small group was really awestruck. I did write down the AMTRAK schedule for the day, approximating the time from the Great America station, and that really helped keep us safe. We took bikes but found the last leg we had to walk, about 30 mins from the safety of the entrance to the safety of being inside Drawbridge, and away from the train tracks. read more

Dude!!!! Pretty long hike I started from the alviso marina and took the bay trail down then kept straight at the railroad tracks and crossed the bridge and there it was It's a little spooky and tagged up with graffiti but I'm glad I got to see it before it all gets swallowed by the bay read more

For all of those posting "it's illegal but...." comments, know that the Wildlife Refuge rangers do enforce the rules. I got a trespassing ticket from visiting Drawbridge some years back. Embarrassing, and felt really weird, as I could see the ranger on the side of the railroad track a mile away but had no choice but to walk right up to him. I felt pretty stupid about the whole thing at the time and now side squarely with the Feds. It's protected and off limits for very good reasons. And the presence of your special ass isn't going to do anything to improve it. read more

I give Drawbridge three stars... two for the incredible interest factor involved in an actual ghost town located in the SF bay, and one for the fact that you can still see it from afar. A lot of websites talk about the possibility of going to check out Drawbridge up close and in person, but I contacted SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Drawbridge is located inside of the refuge) and they strongly urged against it. I guess the only way to trudge out there is via railroad tracks that are among the busiest in California, with trains coming along at better than 70 miles per hour. If a train comes when you are on those tracks, you don't have anywhere to go except into the bay. On top of the danger of the trains, I was also informed that it is illegal to be out there on the tracks and you can earn yourself a fine if you are caught trespassing. To see Drawbridge safely from across the slough, go to the Mallard Slough Trail and hike out to the water. The trailhead is at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso. Also, the SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge also offers a slide presentation about Drawbridge and its history once a quarter at their Visitor Center in Fremont. If you want to check it out, go to their website and check their calendar. read more

I took several hikes out there back in the 80's while taking a B n W photo class at De Anza College. Great photo ops then, and I'm glad the spirit is still alive. One trip I was half way across the bridge when a freight train approached at 50+ MPH. That was quite the experience. Even got a photo of it and didn't drop the camera! read more

Drawbridge Ghost Town - Crossing the RR bridge on my way to Drawbridge. - Local Flavor Near Me

Very cool! we went at night and found a hole in the fence in the business parking lot across from mcdonalds/sushi place. they might have it patched up by the time someone else goes out, but thought I'd throw that out there. the trail is long, and full of goose poop and foxtails. If I go again I'm wearing boots, we kept having to stop to remove foxtails from our socks. Crossing the railroad bridge is scary because it's not solid and if you misstep you could injure yourself, not to mention there's nowhere to go but in the water if a train comes. (we never saw a train while we were out there) Once we got into town, it was very cool and creepy! So creepy in fact, that we saw an actual ghost walking around in one of the houses, and I caught it on camera-eek! Believe me or don't, I'll attach the photos I took. After our close encounter, we high-tailed it out of there! read more

See all

Yes, Drawbridge is cool. Yes, it is not legal to go there -- though there are occasional sanctioned tours out there. But more importantly, it is really dangerous to go out there. I cannot understate how fast trains can come up on you and how little room there is sometimes to get away from them. When you go out there, you follow the train tracks. Trains are frequent and fast. Occasionally you will be in a situation where the only way to avoid them is basically to jump into the bay. Once you are out there, you see a half dozen old wooden buildings in various states of decay. At this point you are walking in mud or sludge. There are better ways to see old falling apart buildings. And places where you don't risk your life to see them. But the history here is compelling and the ruins will not last forever. read more

I, like some of us here do not encourage you to break the law. But the information I will put down should help you out if you decide to go out there. ok, the people that tell you its dangerous, you CAN disregard them. If you have common sense, you should be good. Wear closed toe shoes, a sweater if anything, some sturdy pants and be prepared to get dirty. If I were you, go out before the rain, or a week or 2 afterwards to prevent getting stuck in the wet marsh. The Train? The train comes one way, 15 minutes to drop off stuff, comes back, then waits roughly an hour after that to load shipment or so, depending on which train. The only thing you may have to worry about are the people who are there taking photos also. If anything, bring a friend or 2 to keep you company. The walk from fremont is about 30 minutes. The buildings are quite a view. It's a small town but you should definitely check it out before its gone. read more

Drawbridge was a once thriving small community located toward the cusp of the bay in Fremont, California. The houses here were built on structures that kept them raised above the marsh. Some people lived in Drawbridge as a summer home, and some lived here throughout the year fishing and hunting. As the houses were built on a marsh, the ground eventually began to subside and soon the structures began sinking into the ground. All who lived here were forced to evacuate as the living conditions and buidlings were no longer up to code. I believe the last man to leave left some time in the 70s. Since this time it has remained as a ghost town. An eerie area where rooftops are parallel with the ground. Some buildings still remain above the marsh, but for the most part everything looks as if it has been demolished or damaged by fire. Techincally you are not allowed to go here by foot, but you can get to Drawbridge following the railroad track from the Alviso Wildlife refuge. It is quite a walk, around 30-45 minutes. And since most of the buildings are gone some might find the sights not worthy of the journey. read more

Everything about drawbridge is... well, pretty nice if you're into urban exploring and a little mystery. It's like an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. Definitely coming back, but next time I'm bringing a bike; the trek there is really, really long. Oh, also, do watch out for that train. Passed by us and even being 10 feet away, the wind was enough to spin us around. read more

It's a great place to go if you're in the mood for some exploration! Wear long pants! once you start walking next to the train track and at drawbridge itself, the plants get really hard and painful. There's a lot of branches sticking out of the ground too. I looked up the schedule for the Capitol Corridor amtrak train. It mostly followed the schedule, but there was this one train that went by when I thought it was supposed to be safe. My friends and I took the route from Don Edward's National Wildlife Refuge's trail instead of from Fremont. If you go down that path, you'll eventually hit a bridge that crosses the train tracks that leads from one trail to the other. If you just follow the train tracks, you'll hit a section where the tracks cross a "river". It takes about 2-5 minute to cross this section, then you reach drawbridge. If you go down this path, careful on the left side of drawbridge! Right before you get to the impossible-to-go-into-house there's a long ditch with really slippery mud. We went in summer when it was 90 degrees and underestimated the mud. It looked dry but it really wasn't. read more

Drawbridge Ghost Town - Local Flavor Near Me

FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawbridge,_California http://www.ghosttown.info/ca/drawbridge/ I always wondered about this place. Now, I know, 20 years later. read more

Misadventure on the low seas! The closest legal way to see Drawbridge (other than from a train) is the Mallard Slough Trail from the Alviso end of Don Edwards Preserve. This will get you within viewing distance of Drawbridge, just across one of the creeks from the ghost town. Note that there is currently work underway on this trail and much of it is closed until sometime in 2013. It is illegal to walk onto Station Island where Drawbridge is located. You will be trespassing and getting fined is a possibility (although I've not heard any firsthand accounts of this happening). I have it on good authority that if you land your helicopter on the salt marsh, you are likely to get yelled at. However you view it, it's a treat to see this rickety old ghost town being reclaimed by the bay marshlands. I first came here on a field trip in grade school (it was legal way back then) and it's amazing to see how much Drawbridge has sunk into the marsh in the years since (and how much graffiti has sprung up). I love that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department has opted to let Drawbridge naturally decay rather than tearing it down or restoring it. Things to know if you do opt to visit: -As others have said, say yes to long pants. I also recommend boots. Or hip waders. -If you visit at high tide, the little creeks can be surprisingly deep. Approximately armpit-deep, in fact. And extremely slippery and sticky and difficult to claw your way out of. If you get unexpectedly dunked, you may feel fortunate to get away with your shoes still attached to your feet. Possibly this can be avoided by planning a visit at low tide. Using the buddy system is a good idea. -Related: it may be helpful to know just how far you can jump before you decide to leap across a creek like a graceful salt marsh gazelle. Perhaps some people (certainly not you or me, but, you know, someone else) *might* be older/fatter/less aerodynamic in general than they believe. -There are trains, and they are big, fast and exciting. You may get more audible (horn) warning from trains approaching from Alviso. Trains from the Fremont direction can more easily sneak up on you. Seriously, keep an eye out. read more

I first heard about Drawbridge in 1975 when a friend talked me into going out there. That was long before it came under the Park Service jurisdiction and back then it was wide open. You could easily go out there and explore. We hiked North along the tracks from Alviso. There were more buildings back then, and they were higher above the marsh. In the 36 years since then it is remarkable how much they have sunk down. Within the last year I took the Amtrak train through there and the difference was startling. In 1975 you could go into the houses, and even though the ceilings were not more than 6 or 7 feet above the marsh level, you could explore. Some still had wallpaper. I remember one had an old 1920s or 30s GE refrigerator with the coils on top. Old rusted bed frames, some remnants of furniture, a few dishes, pots and miscellaneous household items in poor condition were there. Lots of piles of boards, rusty metal, plumbing components, and wires. All ghost towns have their own character and this one was unique in its setting. The Mercury-News article has said the last resident left in 1979, but I think it must have been much earlier because I saw nobody there and there was not even one building that looked inhabited (or inhabitable). I don't know how probable it is that you may get caught trespassing there now; the trains are something to be concerned about because the Amtrak trains run through there at high speed and as someone said there are some places along the way where there is not much room alongside the tracks if you do have to get clear. I'd give it five stars except for the fact that so much of it is gone and the increased risk of visiting now. I highly recommend you read up on the history first. There is plenty of info online, and lots of old and new photos. You can still recognize some of the buildings as the same ones in period photos. BTW this is not the only ghost town in the Bay Area , depending on the definition of "Bay Area". There are several in the Santa Cruz Mountains South of Los Gatos (Glenwood, Patchen, Wrights Station, etc.), and some in the hills near Livermore. read more

So the location is sum hour and a half walk into what felt like nowhere then a right onto the train tracks that led us to the "ghost town." The town which was ultimately inaccessible due to the swamp-like marsh surrounding the dilapidated structures. I got dozens of mosquito bites and almost fatally learned that trains go both ways on that track so WATCH OUT read more

Really cool but BE CAREFUL. ***My friend and I almost got hit by a train***, and had to leap off the tracks, scraping ourselves up, at the last minute onto (thankfully) solid ground. The train is SILENT. Had we not noticed it sooner, we would have taken a plunge into the marsh or died. FYI. read more

This town is pretty rad, and considering that it's the only ghost town in the bay area, it's totally worth checking out if you like abandoned buildings. Lots of great history here too. The directions given by other reviewers are good, but I actually found a really easy way in, for those interested. Here's how it goes: 1. Park your car on Northport Loop W (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=northport+loop+w,+fremont,+ca&sll=37.490072,-121.956224&sspn=0.004248,0.009645&ie=UTF8&ll=37.492039,-121.95601&spn=0.008496,0.01929&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A) 2. Walk around the corner to Cushing Road (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=cushing+road,+fremont,+ca&sll=37.487322,-121.954937&sspn=0.008496,0.01929&ie=UTF8&ll=37.48831,-121.959529&spn=0.016992,0.038581&t=h&z=15&iwloc=A) 3. Follow the road (it's pretty long and zig-zags back and forth) until you see the train tracks, go along the tracks for a mile or so, then turn right onto the bridge. You will have to ignore the signs posted along the way that say not to enter. 4. Once you're on the bridge, you're basically there. You should see the buildings at this point. You will definitely want to watch out for the train, as other reviewers have said; it's really fast and pretty quiet (except for the horn of course) so it can kind of sneak up on you if you aren't careful. I was encouraged to find this place after reading the reviews here and wanted to provide the knowledge that I and my friends gathered trying to find it. This really is the easiest and shortest way there, especially if you have a car. We didn't run into anybody while out there, but we also arrived at night and left pretty early in the morning, so take that as you will. Be careful, bring your boots, and don't leave any trash. read more

I remember hearing about this town when I was still in elementary school. We rode our bikes there from newark all the way down the railroad tracks. The first set of houses on the right were torturous to try an enter but behind them on the shore area say 200 feet to the west their was a foot bridge to cross and if you did you got to see a house fully intact with all its windows and even doors. We used to go to this house as kids because living in Newark in the 70-80's their was nothing to do and everyone's parents wanted them out the house and the cops were always looking to abuse kids so we enjoyed the freedom and peace we had out their. I never damaged the places in part because It was in such good shape, you'd thought at any minute the owners would return. But that house strangely enough has be obliterated. I assume it was set afire because you can only see the bare spot from the air anymore whereas the other houses are still decaying. We couldn't understand why anyone would want to lie out their with no roads and murky mud everywhere, but hey it was a different time and I guess they were self governing. No authorities and no government. I wish the town would have been kept up. Its A nice peace of americana. read more

Disclaimer: I am not encouraging anyone to break the law or put themselves in danger!! Drawbridge is really cool, who would've thought that there's a ghost town so close to Fremont? I've been twice, and it's pretty cool. I drove to Auto Mall in Fremont and walked along the train tracks. It's a bit of a trek, but I thought it was worth it. And yeah, it's supposedly dangerous and illegal, but I've never had any difficulties. One of my friends got stopped there once, but they were just told turn around. The first time I went was right after the rain and all of the buildings were flooded, but the second time we could go into almost all of them. If old dilapidated buildings covered in graffiti don't interest you, or the possibility of getting hit by a train (even though this is very unlikely, there is only one short area where there's no room to walk along the side and you would be forced to jump into a sewage-filled bay if a train came along) or being fined for trespassing doesn't appeal to you, this isn't the trip for you. read more

Loved it. If you go, PLEASE be respectful of the area. Decaying buildings and erosion make for a beautiful setting (and some fantastic photos), but trash and vandalism are sad to see. read more

I had no idea this place, or even the town of Alviso really, existed in the Bay Area until now - and I've lived here almost my entire life of 48 years. Anyway, I am doing an internship right now at Don Edwards National Wildlife center in Alviso, and today went on a vehicle tour of the levee trails surrounding the salt ponds. I was amazed by those, but totally amazed when we happened upon Drawbridge! The Fish and Game guy giving the tour explained that it was a ghost town. I was fascinated, and kept thinking - OMG - a real tiny ghost town right here in the Bay Area, so close to everything! Anyway, now I have a goal while doing my internship to lead an Interpretive walk/tour out to this place. (I will first have to walk out there myself and check it all out - heeding some of your advice from this site). I hope the Don Edwards staff will let me do this! I just need to find out more history about it too. I also found Alviso very interesting - a small, old fishing town - nothing else really like it in the SF Bay Area either! read more