Once a grand hotel popular with celebrities in the early 1900s, Byron Hotel is now basically a ruin, but it is on private property so trespassing is frowned upon. Witnesses have reported apparitions of a man wearing white rags and a child running. The sounds of voices and dragging objects have been heard here as well.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- Byron Hot Springs Road
Byron, CA
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 37.84751371151222, -121.63369417190552
- County:
- Contra Costa County, California
- Nearest Towns:
- Byron, CA (1.4 mi.)
Discovery Bay, CA (4.6 mi.)
Mountain House, CA (6.7 mi.)
Brentwood, CA (7.4 mi.)
Knightsen, CA (8.6 mi.)
Oakley, CA (11.2 mi.)
Bethel Island, CA (11.6 mi.)
Livermore, CA (13.6 mi.)
Tracy, CA (13.6 mi.)
Antioch, CA (14.4 mi.)
Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time.
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I belong to a team known as Bay Area Ghost Investigation Team. We just went here (aka Byron Hot Springs) last weekend. We did get 1 picture with a white mist in it. Also received many responses through our spirit box.
I live by it, and wanted to see it. Can we set up some sort of time to see it with the team?
By the way, I am so fascinated with ghosts, that I want to join a paranormal investigative team someday.
Don’t go there. I went there a few months ago at night and the owners were patrolling the property in their trucks. When the guy (late teens/early 20s) drove up to us he told us to get out and threatened to shoot us. When we were exiting the gate, he stood there with his rifle in his hands like he was really tough. Don’t waste your time going here.
Oh, and when we left he decided to tailgate us down the road for about a mile.
You will get shot at if you go, it’s trespassing and to many have reported this happening including some friends of mine.
It’s just rock salt pellets… and he tailgated the others because many people have snuck onto the property & vandalised it or gotten injured. I’ve recently also heard that they are trying to clean it up & possibly fix it up again.
How can I get permission to go vist there.
You can’t it’s private property
Krysta can you post the photo?
As a stupid teenage a group of friends and I decided we would spend the day and night exploring both this hotel and the Empire Mines Road/Slaughter House. I cannot say I experienced anything paranormal, but it was defiantly creepy. First we had to cross some train tracks, hop over a small fence and then walk down a dirt road littered with shotgun shells.The hotel itself was beautiful and tragic, you could really see its once grandeur in the front staircase and crumbling fountain. Venturing inside I a large chunk of roof from the third floor fell between my friend and myself, that is when we decided to get out of there. However, as we were making our way out a friend yelled for everyone to get back inside and hide. from what once used to be a window I could see two men coming up towards the hotel carrying guns. The two men, more young guys really ordered everyone out of the abandoned building and proceeded to lets just say have some fun scaring us. luckily a police officer saw our car and figured some kids went exploring where they shouldn’t. All in all the night ended with the policy telling us to get out of there while the two gentlemen with guns put them down and their hands on their heads.
Definitely one of the creepiest places in the area
We came out once before hearing stories about other people who we know that have gone before us. Everyone would say that the people who own the property drive trucks and carry guns threatening to shoot whoever trespasses through their gates. Regardless, we went anyway. We came and went with zero problems at all. Since we didn’t encounter anything dangerous, we wanted to come back again, this time bringing new friends. We arrived there and started walking down the dirt road that lead to the hotel. Before were even halfway there we look back to see headlights so we run and hide. Two men in a small vehicle passed by leaving us undetected . We thought that the coast was clear so we jumped back on the road and started trying to decide whether to keep going or to turn back. Literally a minute later we saw more headlights, we got scared and hid again but this time we saw 4 large trucks with their brights on and loud engines driving up directly to the spot where we were hiding. They had spotted us. They surrounded us yelling at us to get TF off there property, they were Erving their engines and started driving towards us “. We were spooked and ready to get the hell out of there. When we were trying to come out of the bushes that we were hiding in a guy in one of the big white trucks drives up on the side of the hill where we were and started gunning it in hopes of running us over with his truck . They shot a 22 rifle and we did not know until later when we realize they actually hit one of us in the knee leaving a bloody gash. We finally were able to get out of there but no thanks to them following behind us making sure we left. These people are crazy down there and if you are trying to go down there and explore be ready to face some crazy rednecks with fat trucks and guns who will do whatever they need to do in order to get you tf off their property. Be carefull because this last time we went we had a guy shot in the leg and a guy hit by one of there trucks and a shitload of people out of breath from running for there lives. One of the girls dropped her hat while running and she got it back torn down the middle. The rednecks said that they ran it over but we all knew that was bs. They think it’s funny. They will do whatever it takes to get you out of there, whether you get out alive or not. They’re not afraid to hurt you. We were with girls and guys and no matter how much the girls would scream that we were leaving and to stop trying to run us over they wouldn’t care and they were laughing filming our reactions. They are sick and shouldn’t be allowed to treat anyone like this, just because some kids wanted to explore a haunted site.
You could sue for that. This is California, where guns are not welcome. They didn’t give you a chance to leave by asking politely, then started shooting at you? Yeah, no. Should have called the cops right then and there while announcing it. Even if you were trespassing, they did not follow the proper law for removing trespassers in CA. Next time someone points a gun at you, call the cops. You will get in a lot less trouble for trespassing than they will get for shooting at you.
You can also sue for trespassing. And in Cali is you own you own land over a certain size you can shoot people that trespass on site.
I’ve been there (trespassed) w/ friends, there were people on horseback on the ridge and shot gun shells everywhere along with a dead coyote on the path so I would not recommend sneaking the property…..also bums and gangbangers hang out there, the place is scarier than sh*t…..a friend of a friend got some great video of a bright light anomaly in a dark corner and a shadow figure blocking light coming in from a door (it was starting to get dark so we didn’t stay long) also there was a voice on the video, unfortunately I’ve lost contact with him, he got ill shortly after going there (he was the only person I didn’t use my “protection” sage smudge holy water spray on-I’m a psychic medium btw). I had a bottle cap thrown at me upon entering the place and on the third floor (and I don’t recommend going upstairs, the stairs are slippery w/ rubble and dust) I got an orb flashing by. Brentwood Historical Ghost Tours used to do tours here until they had guns pulled on them so like the posts above say, it’s dangerous going there…..BUT, if you head over to the Wild Idol Saloon in Byron and adjacent train car/track and a field on the other side of a few dilapidated buildings you’ll get paranormal activity there…we’ve gotten voices of Chinese people speaking Mandarin on our ghost box sessions, a demonic voice that responded to me asking if it was a demon by saying “DE-MON”….something tried to follow me in the field (which was a makeshift hospital in a masonic building that’s now long gone), you’ll see a fence that’s torn down and a palm tree or two…it’s very active, as is the smelly train car by the tracks…the back of the saloon by the grassy area is also haunted, a shooting occurred there. Some say the town is cursed…..a family was murdered somewhere in the area but I’m not sure where….
That place was creppy been there twice first time I went there with 4 of my friends. We have arrived there at around 12:30 or 1:00 AM. We were heading to the front gate and we seen some other people there to luckily they wernt the owners just some other kids wanting to check the hotel out. We start walking down the path and we could see flash lights in the hotel so we all stop and thought if we should turn back or not beacuase we didn’t know who was in there. We then decided to just go anyways and luckyly again it was some other people just checking out the hotel. I talked to some of the people to ask if the place was haunted one guy said yes he did have some paranormal stuff happen to him also he had told me he has been chased by the owner and shot at. Didn’t know why he kept coming back but he still does. But anyways after the people that were already in the hotel left me and my friends and the other people that we met up with at the gate decided to split up. We all made an agreement that we will not fuck with each other. Me and my friends went to the top floor into the last room on the right and we did hear weird ass noise. Then the 2nd time I went with 2 of my friends and this was around 4:30 or 5: PM. we were walking down the walk way and I had seen this guy with a shot gun shooting at stuff. I told my friends we should turn back and leave but they didn’t want to. So we went back to the car and wait for 30 minutes then we went back and we didn’t see the guy so we got to the front of the hotel and them the guy with the shotgun appeared in one of the windows on the seocjnd floor and just looked at me and my friends. We turned around and started walking away and my dumbass friends decided to hide behind this dirt mound to the left of the hotel, I kept walking away. So I stopped and yelled at my friends to come on they didn’t listen and stayed there. The guy then shot a waring shot into the air. My friends still did not leave behind the dirt mound. He then shot at the dirt mound next to me friends that’s when I said fuck it I’m leaving and straight dipped out. I wouldn’t go there the owner will shoot yoi
I was working in the grape field thats located right next to this hotel.I saw the hotel and looked it up online.and found this.I would like to know who I can talk to so I can get permission to go see the hotel.
I went there on October 24th,2015 . its not haunted at all I spent all night there with my friends. Its basically a HUGE ABANDO (abandoned place) shot gun shells everywhere, but who else wouldn’t want to shoot in a deserted area. It was fun. Be careful where u step the stairs are steep from the crumbling walls +ceilings. There is a bunch of holes in the ground. I repeat NOT HAUNTED AT ALL. I was waiting for something spooky to happen . I had to creep my friends out by saying it was a mental hospital. There’s this big ol window on the third or fourth floor, the view from there is beautiful if you just think back to 50years ago. Palm trees surrounding the entrance. When u park on the road, u have to hop 1 fence and then walk about half a mile,jump another fence and walk through another half mile. Then you’re there. Beautiful! Not haunted
I think this place is really creepy
i went there last night, we were on the top floor and as soon as we walked by the rusty old water pipes we started hearing rushing water, My friends that i went with said that hearing the water pipes turn on was a common occurrence at this place, which seems to be true due to the video my friend showed me of him walking by them and the water noises started going. My friend told me that the first night he had went which was like 3 nights ago, he was so spooked when he came home because he shut his laptop off and went to bed, and then he started hearing music playing from the other room, and he goes into that room and his laptop is sitting in the middle of the room on a stool playing music while it was closed. He said he was so spooked he went and got his dad lmao. Stop listening to those people that say this place isnt haunted as it clearly is, go visit it yourself, take some sample data
I’ve wanted to visit this place for a while and finally decided to go even after reading previous comments, Went with my friend around 5pm today and made it to the hotel. As we stood taking photos of the outside we heard a truck and ran around to the front thinking we could just hide inside. After a minute or so three shots were fired into the hotel hitting the cement on the first floor. I’ve never been so scared in my life. We ran towards the dirt mound to the left of the hotel trying to take cover as more shots were fired. Finally after a few minutes we decided just to run out into the open and make a dash for the gate about a mile back down the road. I have never run so fast in my life. I do not recommend going here day or night. THE OWNERS WILL SHOT YOU. I should have listened to the previous comments.
Ive been the hotel a few months ago around midnight, luckily the owners were asleep so we were able to make it all the way up. There were a lot of cows along the way, but just before we got there, there were some people up at the hotel with cellphones or flashlights checking out the place then dipped soon afterwards, could have been the owners checking for trespassers since they had a vehicle with them as well. I didn’t take pictures however for fear that I might get shot at, i went with a friend and i believe he took pictures. Before that time i went one other time, but it was earlier in the night and all the lights from the owners house were on so we decided to turn back and dip. Im not sure if the big sign that was spray painted on is still there that says No Trespassing or something like that. Don’t go there, its not worth it!
To add to the previous comment, I totally forgot to add that I am pretty certain that I heard something following me when climbing the stairway in the hotel.
A friend and I went here today after seeing lots of photos of people coming recently (someone even brought their kid) so we figured it was safe. There’s an immediate creepy vibe as soon as you walk in. We made it about 100 feet from the hotel before we saw a truck at the top of the ridge behind the building, a guy with two other people walking around. We thought at first that they were a family who was also exploring, but then we heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot. As we started quickly walking back down the road, another shot was fired. I will never come here again and I strongly advise against going here.
***WARNING! *** Do not go here! It is a beautiful place no doubt with a ton of history and beauty to explore. But the owners or neighbors or whoever they are, ARE NOT FRIENDLY. My friends and I were walking down the road by the entrance and noticed a security camera which is probably how they know people are coming. Once across the gate we were walking down the road and approached the hotel and noticed a few cars out front and a few men with riffles. My friends and I turned around to leave at which point the vehicles were already coming up the road. We tried to hide but there wasn’t much cover and we had already been seen. A big guy pulled up in his truck and asked us how fast we could run. We stayed quiet out of fear at which point he said you better get running before I pull out my AR again. My friends and I ran as fast as we could. They chased us down the road cussing at us and warning us to never come back. We got to the gate and they had asked us where we parked. They assumed we parked by the cell tower up the road but we told them we parked farther up the road (we didn’t want to give them exact locations as other reviews I had read prior to exploring said they were tailgated out and harassed). We ended up telling them we had to walk a ways up the street to get to the gate. They left once we were outside of the fence but had parked up the street waiting to see where we walk to. We had a good distance between them and us so we booked it to the car and left as fast as we could.
Plus side to all of this is that there is a dinner up the street that has one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had. So if your still wanting to come to Byron hotel make sure to stop and get a milkshake and bring your running shoes.
My daughters and I took an excursion there this past weekend and ran into the owners grandson and his friend. I asked him nicely if we could see the place and he said yes. They escorted us up told us to take our time they were going to shoot squirrels (hence all the shell casings). We looked around took pictures and had a great time. When we were done they told us they bought the property a few years back to run their cattle on. They shoot the squirrels and coyotes that come out at night after the cows. The guys were really nice and the building was amazing. I was hoping we would see something or feel something paranormal but nothing happened.
I had never heard of this place, until one night about 2 years back when I was with 2 thrill seeking friends, one of them had caught wind of this location and on a chilly February night we made the drive from the Walnut Creek area to check it out! I really had no idea what to expect, though I too am very much a thrill seeker and love poking around in creepy abandoned places so I was excited, yet I’m very cautious, so I’m always hit with a bit of conflict going forward, mainly for the “no tresspassing” disclaimer. We drove forever out in the boonies, and came apon a railroad track that we crossed and led us to a narrower road. We parked by what appeared to be some sort of indistrial/mechanical related business that was across the street from the barricaded entrance to the hotel. It also happened to be an incredibly foggy night, so visibility was faint esp out in the middle of nowhere with no streetlights/etc…just the soft yellow glow from security lights from the industrial facility which were soon buried in the fog. It was late too, probably about 11pm when we started out on our adventure! In all honesty, looking back, the scene was set, this couldn’t have been a better…creepier night to visit such a menacing location. We jumped the gate and started up the dirt road..at that point we had no idea how far we had to walk. As we got further from the “main street” it got quieter and colder with no more sight of that eerie yellow factory lighting…it was dark! The fog was dense though the overgrown foliage kept us on the road as it kept emerging from the grey. With all the moisture in the air, the trees were dripping, all you could hear were drips of water falling from the trees and plopping to the dirt below. It was creepy, but kinda cool too!
Dead quiet all around us, the occasional scurry of a critter in the brush, but the anticipation of our walk up seemed to last forever…all of a sudden the smell of the air changed…it had a damp and musty smell to it…that kind of old wood and plaster smell you get when you go into an old home…sure enough, we kept walking and after a little turn in the road a large square-ish shilouette started to emerge from the fog backlit by the moon. Sure enough, we had stumbled upon the base of the hotel…the smell was the moisture kissed remains of mainsonry, wood, and dirt. I still reflect on this night and have no idea how I so bravely embarked on this whole adventure. We walked up the stack of front steps and into the lobby foyer. With only flashlights from our phones we looked around in the dancing shadows from the columns in what I assume was the lobby or dining hall with its tall windows. Of course we didn’t stop there, we were determined to explore it all…we ascended the crumbling marble stairwell which was set back a little deeper in the lobby area, making our way to several landings that led to different levels of halls and rooms..all crumbling and hardly recognizable, though some of the ornate moulding still remained in dusty segments around doors and windows. On the top and I believe third floor we stumbled upon what I would assume to be the ballroom, a larger open space, though some creepy shit I don’t ever imagine to dabble in was marked on the floor right in the middle of that space, a pentagram with remnants of candles and wax were present..that’s when we all got a little freaked and started to make our way back downstairs with haste. We decided to go down to the basement as our final destination before we fled, and off in the distance we saw a faint greenish light…I have no idea why we actually approached it, but I guess we all are just way too curious of individuals…it was none other than a glow stick probably left by some other stupid teenagers from earlier in the night. We had turned around to head back up the stairs to the main floor when we got the first biggest spook of the night…movement and a loud huff of air came from not all that far from us…after getting ready to take flight, we realized it was just a cow…chillin in the basement, golly geeze, the poor thing just wants shelter! Lol We make our way back into the lobby and then turn around to take one last look at the creepy yet beautiful remains of what used to be cutting edge luxury…might I add through this adventure we all bobbed around huddled in a blanket cuz it was frigid af out! Well….in this moment as we were taking our final mental snapshots, I was on the left end of the blanket…and I kid you not, I felt the slightest tug at the edge of the blanket…freaked me out and we dipped! (It wasn’t till after our adventure on the drive home I did my research on the place and saw a couple claims of children-like activity in the lobby area…creepy, yeah?! Oh…and I’m not done…so as we were on edge making our way back down that foggy lightless road…I was very assertive and aware…looking around, side to side, behind, and straining to look in front…I thought we were in the clear until not all that far away from us I could make out the faintest of some sort of figures in the fog…my friends were not paying any attention and it wasn’t until I stopped cold in my tracks, they became aware too…we had stopped moving, and what appeared to be three other figures had also seemed to stop moving….one crouched, and that’s when I freaked…about to dip in the bushes on the side of the road, my bold friend shouted out to them, “hey, who are you?” We froze..and they started to move…as they cautiously came closer and became more opaque from the depths of the fog, it was none other then another group of 3 adventure seeking teens headed towards what we were now walking away from…we wished them well and made it back to the car with no crazy rednecks with riffles….though from the sounds of many others, we got lucky because it’s a pretty common happening around these desolate parts! That’s my adventure, and I hope to go back…this time for a photoshoot! 😉
My boyfriends friends and I came on a trip here a few years back .. really late at night and it was pretty eerie. We split up and explored in groups of 4-6 and heard random rocks dropping and noises which could have been us . Major thing that happened when I was there was my friend said he saw a man walking that didn’t look like anyone that was was in our group and when I was in the top floor I saw a little girl in white standing outside the hotel way down by where we parked . And as I tried to call my boyfriend over to look she disappeared . And after I had this weird feeling until we left.
fun no crazy owners scary
I have been here a few times me and my two buddies. All 3 of us have served in the Marine corps amd we always are armed. We never had any run ins with anyone there except for the 2nd time we went we passed a group of kids walking out. Reading this stories all I can say is fuck those guys if they ever came across us and pulled any type of weapon they would have regretted the wrath we would bring on them.
As far as paranormal yea we experienced voices on spirit boxes and captured stick figures on our cam. I wouldn’t recommend going if you don’t have fire power or if your intimated by red necks. We will be back we enjoyed the experiences we had and if we have to we will light them fuckers up Like Christmas! ♂️