The Forgotten West: Lost Towns, Trails & Mysteries

Howdy. Chip Schweiger, here.  Welcome to another edition of Way Out West. 

The podcast that takes you on a journey through the stories of the American West, brings you the very best cowboy wisdom, and celebrates the cowboys and cowgirls who are feeding a nation. 

There’s a certain romance to the West that never quite fades, no matter how many years pass or how many miles we put behind us. It’s in the hush of a forgotten ghost town at sundown, the whisper of wagon wheels on a vanished trail, and the promise of mysteries hidden just beneath the dust.

So, today on the show, I want to invite you to wander with me—hand in hand with history—through the lost towns, secret paths, and untold legends that still echo across the prairie. 

Because out here, under a sky full of stars, the past isn’t just something we read about. It’s something we feel, deep down in our bones.

So, settle in close, and let’s fall in love all over again with the magic and mystery of the Forgotten West.

After the episode, check out the show notes at WayOutWestPod.com/Forgotten-West

[Short Music Break]

Welcome back. Today, we’re heading into the shadows of history for a special episode: “The Forgotten West.” We’re going to dig deep into tales of lost towns, vanished trails, weird western mysteries, and, of course, the promise of buried gold. These are the stories that never quite make it into the history books, but they sure do stick in the imagination.

Before we dive in, though, I wanted to let you know about a small change—starting next week, new episodes of Way Out West will be dropping every Wednesday instead of Tuesday. Same great stories, just a new day to saddle up together. So mark your calendars, and I’ll see you here each Wednesday for more tales from the trail!

Ok, for this episode, it’s time to saddle up and let’s take a long ride through the unknown corners of the old frontier.

Chapter 1: Ghost Towns—Where Time Stands Still

Let’s start with ghost towns—those lonely, wind-swept places where the only thing busier than the tumbleweeds are the ghosts of the past. The West is littered with these forgotten settlements, each with its own story of hope, heartbreak, and sometimes, a whole lot of wild living.

Take Bodie, California. In its heyday during the late 1800s, Bodie was a gold rush boomtown. At its peak, it had nearly 10,000 residents, 65 saloons, and more than its fair share of shootouts and shenanigans. Folks came from all over, chasing the dream of striking it rich. But when the gold dried up, so did the people. Today, Bodie’s a state park, preserved in what they call “arrested decay.” You can walk down the dusty main street, peek into homes and shops, and almost hear the piano playing in the old saloon.

Or consider Terlingua, Texas. Once a thriving mercury mining town, it’s now a quirky mix of ruins and revival. There’s a famous chili cook-off every year that draws folks from all over, and the local cemetery tells stories all its own—just read the hand-carved stones. It’s a reminder that even when a town “dies,” the spirit of the West finds a way to stick around.

Bannack, Montana is another prime example. Founded in 1862, it was the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery. Bannack boomed, then busted, and now stands as a ghost town—one of the best preserved in the country, with original log cabins, a schoolhouse, and a hotel that’s rumored to be haunted. Walking through Bannack feels like stepping into a sepia-toned photograph.

So why did these towns vanish? Sometimes it was the gold or silver running out, sometimes a railroad bypassed the settlement, and sometimes, like in the case of Glenrio, Texas/New Mexico, the highways changed and left towns stranded. Whatever the reason, these ghost towns are time capsules—snapshots of ambition, grit, and the unpredictable nature of frontier life.

Chapter 2: Lost Trails & Vanished Paths

Now, let’s mosey on to lost trails—the lifelines of the Old West. Before GPS and highways, these trails were the only way to get from point A to point B, whether you were driving cattle, hauling freight, or just looking for a fresh start.

One of the most legendary is the Old Spanish Trail, a twisting, rugged route running over 1,200 miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Los Angeles, California. Traders, explorers, and fortune-seekers braved deserts, mountains, and rivers, often risking everything for a shot at prosperity. Parts of the trail are still visible today, but much has been lost to the sands of time.

Then there’s the Goodnight-Loving Trail, made famous by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving—two cattlemen who blazed a path from Texas up into Colorado and beyond. The trail was a lifeline for hungry markets up north, but it was also fraught with danger—hostile territory, river crossings, and the ever-present threat of stampedes. The story of Loving’s death and Goodnight’s loyalty inspired the novel and miniseries “Lonesome Dove.”

But not all trails were mapped or even named. Some were whispered about—secret shortcuts, outlaw hideouts, or hidden passes used by native peoples long before settlers arrived. Over time, many of these trails faded away, overgrown or paved over, their stories slipping into legend.

And let’s not forget the infamous Lost Adams Diggings. Somewhere in the mountains of New Mexico, a canyon supposedly filled with gold has lured treasure hunters for generations. The story goes that Adams and his party stumbled onto the canyon, filled their pockets, but were attacked by Apaches and never found it again. Despite countless searches, the gold remains lost—if it ever existed at all.

Chapter 3: Weird Western Mysteries

Now, the West wouldn’t be the West without a few head-scratching mysteries and tall tales.

Let’s start with the Blue Light Lady of Nevada. Legend has it that she’s a ghostly figure seen wandering the ruins of a mining camp, lantern glowing blue, searching for her lost love who vanished in a cave-in. Locals say if you see her, you’re in for a run of bad luck—or maybe just a good story to tell back at the saloon.

Then there’s the Thunderbird photo. The story goes that in the late 1800s, a group of cowboys shot down a massive, bird-like creature near Tombstone, Arizona, and posed for a photograph with it. The image has never surfaced, but every few years, someone swears they’ve seen it. Was it a pterodactyl, a giant condor, or just a tall tale? We may never know, but the mystery lives on.

And what about the lost loot of the West? Stagecoaches carrying gold and payrolls were prime targets for outlaws. Sometimes the bandits got caught, but the gold was never recovered. Take the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains—a supposed motherlode of gold that’s claimed more than a few lives and driven treasure hunters to obsession.

The West is also known for its strange weather—like the “phantom rain” of Death Valley, where rain falls but never hits the ground, or the mysterious Marfa Lights in Texas, unexplained glowing orbs that dance on the horizon.

Chapter 4: Buried Gold and Treasure Legends

Let’s dig a little deeper into those tales of buried gold, because if there’s one thing that keeps folks dreaming, it’s the thought of striking it rich.

The Lost Dutchman’s Mine might be the most famous. Jacob Waltz, the so-called “Dutchman,” supposedly found a huge gold deposit in the Superstition Mountains. On his deathbed, he gave vague clues to its location. Since then, countless people have searched—and some have disappeared in the process. The gold, if it’s there, remains hidden.

In Texas, the legend of the San Saba Treasure has lured adventurers for nearly 300 years. Spanish missionaries and soldiers reportedly buried gold and silver near the San Saba River to keep it away from invading forces. Expeditions have searched for it ever since, with nothing to show but a few old coins and a lot of tall tales.

Why do these legends endure? Maybe it’s the thrill of the hunt, or maybe it’s that universal hope that there’s still something undiscovered out there. Either way, these stories have a way of sticking around—long after the dust has settled.

Chapter 5: Why These Stories Matter

So, why do these tales of the forgotten West still capture our imagination? I think it’s because they remind us that the world is still full of mysteries. They speak to something deep in us—a longing for adventure, a respect for resilience, and a belief that there’s always more to discover.

Ghost towns, lost trails, weird mysteries, and buried gold—they’re more than just stories. They’re a testament to the people who built the West, who faced the unknown with grit and a sense of wonder. And maybe, just maybe, they remind us to keep a little bit of that spirit alive in our own lives.

Chapter 6 - Buster The Bull and the Cowboy Glossary Term of the Week

OK, before we wrap up for this week, we’ve got one more thing.

[BULL SOUND]

Yep, that distinctive call from Buster the Bull means it’s time for the cowboy glossary term of the week. 

And this week’s term is ‘Hogtie’.

To hogtie means to tie all four legs of an animal—usually a calf—together so it can’t get up or run off. Cowboys use this technique during branding or doctoring out on the range. So next time you hear someone say they’re gonna ‘hogtie’ something, you’ll know it’s classic cowboy lingo for securing a critter that needs to stay put.

Chapter 7 - Thanks for Listening

Well, that’s a wrap on this week’s episode. Thanks for exploring the forgotten West with me today. If you enjoyed this episode, let me know—maybe you’ve got a favorite ghost town, lost trail, or western mystery of your own to share. 

And hey, if you ever find yourself wandering through an old ghost town or hiking a forgotten trail, keep your eyes peeled. You never know what stories—or treasures—you might stumble across.

One more thing, don’t forget, new episodes of Way Out West now drop every Wednesday. 

Until next week, this is Chip Schweiger reminding you to keep your boots dusty and your sense of wonder alive.

We’ll see y’all down the road.