Hedges

Once a functioning mining town, Hedges — later known as Tumco — now stands as a ghost town in Imperial County, California. The site sits at roughly 617 feet elevation along Tumco Wash in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, a remote desert setting that gives the ruins a stark, unfiltered character.

Visitors today find an abandoned townsite and, nearby, the Hedges Cemetery, which sits at a slightly higher elevation of 643 feet. The cemetery is among the most tangible remnants of the community that once operated here, offering a quiet and sobering connection to the area's past.

Access is into open desert terrain, so preparation matters. Summer heat in this part of Imperial County can be extreme, making cooler months the far more practical time to visit. Come with ample water, sun protection, and a reliable vehicle, and expect a place defined more by absence and atmosphere than by standing structures.