Auraria, Ghost town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States

Auraria is a ghost town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States, located southwest of Dahlonega. It sits near the junction of the Chestatee and Etowah rivers, with a few remaining buildings such as an old store and a red house that was once a bank.

Auraria sprang up in 1832 as a gold rush boom town after thousands of settlers came to Cherokee lands seeking gold. It declined quickly when the county seat moved to Dahlonega and miners left for California after 1848.

The name Auraria comes from the Latin word for gold, a nod to the town's origins. Today, visitors can see the old store that served the community until the early 1980s, a reminder of how long a few residents stayed.

To reach the site, take the west road from Dahlonega toward Dawsonville, turn left at the bottom of the hill after the college, and continue for a few miles. The remains are scattered along the road, so drive slowly and look for the red house and the old store on the left.

A former resident of Auraria, Jennie Wimmer, was the first to confirm the authenticity of gold found in California in 1848, helping spark the California Gold Rush. Another group from Auraria later founded a settlement in Colorado that became part of Denver.