Leon

Tucked into what is now southwestern Riverside County, Leon is a ghost town with roots in the gold mining activity of the 1880s. The town took its name from the Leon Mine, which sat on a hill to the northwest. It operated with its own post office for over two decades, from 1888 until 1911, when postal services were consolidated and shifted to Perris, California. The county boundary shift of 1893 moved Leon from northern San Diego County into Riverside County, where it remains today.

Visitors drawn to historic California mining settlements will find Leon a quiet, largely vanished remnant. The reference record is sparse on standing structures or maintained access routes, so come with modest expectations, a sense of historical curiosity, and solid navigation tools.