Bodie State Historic Park is known as a ghost town due to the legendary "curse of Bodie," where visitors who take artifacts from the site are said to suffer misfortune. The haunting descriptions often mention ghostly presences and a history of lawlessness in the rough 1880s mining town. Visitors can experience the spooky atmosphere by walking through the deserted streets and seeing the interiors of buildings left in a state of "arrested decay". The most famous aspect of Bodie's haunting is the "curse" associated with removing items from the town. Visitors who take anything, even a pebble, are believed to experience bad luck and misfortune. Rangers have received letters and packages from past visitors attempting to return stolen items to lift the curse. Some sources mention seeing occasional ghosts within the park. The general atmosphere of a deserted, lawless town from the past is also a key part of its spooky reputation.