Fishtrap, Washington
Just 30 miles west of Spokane, many outdoor enthusiasts today know Fishtrap as the home of the Fishtrap Recreation Area. The 9,000-acre public site, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, boasts plentiful wildlife and scenery as part of Eastern Washington's Channeled Scablands. One remnant of Fishtrap's old days is the abandoned Folsom farmstead site. At its peak around the start of the 20th century, the town once counted a post office, train station and resort. It was named for the nearby Fishtrap Lake, where the region's Indigenous people frequently harvested fish.
Hanford and White Bluffs, Washington
To make way for Hanford Nuclear Site's construction in 1943, about 1,500 residents in and around the towns of Hanford and White Bluffs along the Columbia River were forced out of their homes. One of few remnants of pre-WWII life there is Hanford High School, now little more than a concrete shell. Free, seasonal tours of the historic area are offered through the U.S. Department of Energy and include stops at the old school and a handful of other buildings. Learn more at tours.hanford.gov/historictours.
Molson, Washington
Near the U.S.-Canadian border and more than four hours from Spokane, Molson still boasts plenty of historic buildings from its heyday as a mining outpost. Serving as sort of an open-air museum, the town's bank, a homesteader cabin, general store and old schoolhouse (now a museum) are still being preserved as windows to the past.
Bodie, Washington
About 30 miles southeast of Molson, Bodie is another remnant of the mining industry's boom and bust; it was originally established by gold prospectors. Several deteriorating wooden structures still litter the landscape, including a two-story former school and log cabin. ♦
