Wingo: Sonoma County’s Forgotten Ghost Town Hiding in the Marshes
Updated July 23 2025: According to locals most of this area is now private land.
Wingo isn’t easy to find. You won’t drive past it on accident. There’s no real signage. And unless you’re coming by kayak or on foot, you’re not getting there.
This former fishing village near the Petaluma River is one of Sonoma County’s most interesting and overlooked ghost towns. A place where the marsh seems to be slowly reclaiming what’s left.
The History of Wingo, California
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Wingo was a small but active town. Boats brought passengers from Petaluma and San Francisco. Families came here to fish, hunt and escape the city. It had cabins, a hotel, and even a post office. For a time, Wingo was on the map.
Eventually, the tides changed are the Golden Gate Bridge was built. The steamships stopped running. People stopped coming. And Wingo started to fade.
What’s Left Today
Wingo is now mostly ruins and marshland. A few decaying structures remain. Old docks. Broken foundations. Pieces of the past scattered across tall grass and tidal water.
But there’s beauty in it. There’s still wildlife. Still peace. Still history. And it feels like something out of a movie.
It’s one of the most hidden places in all of Sonoma County. No paved roads. No cell service. Just silence and salt air.
Duck Hunters and Fishermen
Wingo is still a popular spot for fishermen and duck hunters. I first heard about the town via Instagram from someone paddling their kayak through the area. When I went the water was low but most images that I’ve seen have higher water. According to someone that watched the YouTube video they used to go hunting there as a kid.
He said, “Wingo was used by market hunters in the early 1900s, they’d shoot hundreds of ducks and sell them to the hotels in San Francisco.”
How long will Sonoma County Ghost Town Wingo be around?
We were careful not to trespass. There were a couple buildings that looked like they had been somewhat renovated. The only buildings that we went inside were the buildings that had no doors. A lot of the buildings we went inside had signs of people partying inside.
What Happened to Wingo’s Water?
According to Wikipedia a lot of the water in the Wingo area was “diked” to create agricultural areas. This makes sense because half of the road walking to the ghost town in next to vineyards.
Lady with the Shotgun
After my visit to Wingo, I heard the “Urban Tale” about a lady with a shotgun that stays there. According to this tale a lady squats in one of the buildings and has kicked a few people out of Wingo. When the unwelcome visitors tried to go inside one of the buildings, the lady held a shotgun to their faces and told them to get out. We did not run into the lady but there are definitely signs of some one living there.
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