Babbitt

''Elevation: 4,229'

A former government housing community, 1 mile north of Hawthorne.''

Throughout World War II, the town of Babbitt was expanded and additional housing was continually constructed to accommodate the growing number of military personnel who were relocated to the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Base. Following the Korean War, Babbitt was slowly dismantled in the subsequent decades; the very last residents left in 1987, and only a school and a bowling alley remained in operation for some years afterwards.

Today, Babbitt is occasionally occupied by a few stray military personnel, and other than that, the town remains a ghost. Public access into Babbitt has become increasingly difficult over the years as the town still belongs to the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Base and there is almost always one guard posted at the entrance gate. Babbitt is quite picturesque with its Cottonwood tree-lined streets and abandoned suburban homes. A sure fire way to get in is to ask the guard, "to see the golf course."