Keeler

Keeler sits on the eastern shore of Owens Lake in Inyo County, California, a small unincorporated community that grew out of an earlier settlement called Hawley. Silver was the economic engine that brought people here, and the town's fortunes rose and fell with that industry.

Today Keeler retains a handful of residents — the 2020 census counted 71 people, a modest increase from 66 a decade earlier — making it less a true ghost town than a near-ghost town where remnants of its former life share space with a quietly persistent community. Visitors will find a stark, evocative setting on the lake's edge roughly 11.5 miles south-southeast of New York Butte.

The dry, open terrain and desert atmosphere make this a destination for photography and quiet sightseeing rather than structured recreation. Access is by road, and the arid climate means visits are most comfortable in spring and fall, with summer heat being a real consideration in this low-desert environment.