Brief
Adventurer spends $1.4 million buying abandoned California town to turn it into a tourist spot
The former silver‑mining town near Lone Pine is set to become a vacation destination after a $1.4 million purchase by an entrepreneur with a love of history.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Brent Underwood bought the abandoned silver‑mining town of Cerro Gordo near Lone Pine, California, for $1.4 million in 2018, using his life savings and a high‑interest loan. He plans to convert the site into a tourist destination, opening a hotel and eight cabins for visitors. Underwood said the town’s remote location and clear night skies appeal to him, and that he feels “in touch with nature” there. He first learned of the property from a friend’s text and spent six years researching before purchasing. The town once housed a few thousand residents in the 1880s but now has about 20 buildings left in varying states of repair.
Key facts
- Brent Underwood purchased Cerro Gordo for $1.4 million in 2018 (nypost.com)
- Underwood plans to open a hotel and eight cabins (nypost.com)
- The town has about 20 remaining buildings (nypost.com)
- Underwood used life savings and a high‑interest loan (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Adventurer who blew life savings on California mountain ghost town reveals how his gamble has gone”
