America's abandoned islands are among the most extraordinary urbex destinations in the country — quarantine hospitals where Typhoid Mary spent her final 26 years, a potter's field where over a million unclaimed New Yorkers are buried and a WWII Naval torpedo testing station accessible only by boat. Here are the 5 best abandoned islands in the USA, selected from our Abandoned Places Map USA — 5,000+ GPS locations across the United States.
1. North Brother Island – 1885 East River, New York — Quarantine Hospital Where Typhoid Mary Was Imprisoned for 26 Years, Buildings Standing, Accessible Only by Special Permit (Known Location)
North Brother Island in the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island was home to Riverside Hospital — a quarantine facility that treated smallpox, typhoid and tuberculosis patients isolated from Manhattan. Mary Mallon ("Typhoid Mary") was forcibly detained here from 1915 until her death in 1938 — 26 years of quarantine on a 13-acre island she never chose to inhabit. The hospital closed in 1963; the island is now a bird sanctuary. The original hospital buildings, staff cottages, the nurses' residence and the chapel still stand amid the forest that has grown back over the entire island since closure. Accessible only by special NYC Parks permit. One of the most historically extraordinary abandoned islands in the USA.
🔗 Learn more: Wikipedia – North Brother Island
2. Hart Island – 1869 Long Island Sound, New York — Potter's Field Containing Over 1 Million Unclaimed New Yorkers, Largest Public Cemetery in the World, Accessible Since 2021 (Known Location)
Hart Island in Long Island Sound has served as New York City's potter's field since 1869 — the burial ground for unclaimed bodies, stillborn infants, the unidentified and the destitute. Over 1 million people are buried here in mass graves dug by Rikers Island prisoners, making it the largest public cemetery in the world. The island also hosted a Civil War prison camp, a boys' reformatory, a women's asylum, a tuberculosis hospital and a Nike missile battery — layers of institutional history above the vast burial grounds. NYC Parks opened the island to public visits in 2021 after decades of restricted access. One of the most historically profound abandoned islands in the USA.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Best Abandoned Places in the USA →
3. Gould Island – 1918 Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island — WWII Naval Torpedo Testing Station, Bunkers and Test Ramps Still Intact, Accessible by Kayak (Known Location)
Gould Island in Narragansett Bay served as the Naval Torpedo Station's testing facility from WWI through WWII — torpedoes were test-fired from the island's launch ramps into the Bay, recovered and returned for evaluation. The testing infrastructure, concrete bunkers, launch ramp foundations and the island's military buildings still stand in various states of subtropical decay across the 77-acre island. Accessible by kayak from the Jamestown shoreline. One of the most unusual and least-visited abandoned military island sites in the USA — a weapons testing station in a recreational boating bay. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
4. Abandoned Chesapeake Bay Quarantine Island – 1890s-1940s Federal Quarantine Station, Hospital Buildings Still Standing, Maryland Bay (Exclusively on Our Map)
A federal quarantine station on a Chesapeake Bay island — built in the 1890s to inspect and isolate immigrants arriving at Baltimore before they were permitted to enter the United States, with hospital buildings, disinfection chambers and staff quarters. The station operated through the early 1940s before the development of modern medical screening made island quarantine obsolete. The original brick hospital buildings, the dock infrastructure and the bay setting create one of the most atmospherically isolated abandoned island sites on the East Coast. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
5. Abandoned Great Lakes Lighthouse Island – 1870s-1900s Lighthouse Keeper Station, Keeper's Dwelling and Fog Signal Building Still Standing, Lake Superior (Exclusively on Our Map)
A Lake Superior lighthouse island from the 1870s-1900s era of Great Lakes shipping — the lighthouse tower still standing with its original Fresnel lens housing, the keeper's dwelling with period woodwork intact and the fog signal building with original steam whistle machinery still in place. Great Lakes lighthouse automation from the 1960s onward eliminated the need for resident keepers; dozens of keeper stations were simply abandoned when the lights were automated. This island station is one of the most complete surviving examples of 19th-century lighthouse keeper infrastructure on the Great Lakes. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
Safety Tips
- Water access: always wear a life jacket when accessing island sites by kayak or boat; check tidal conditions, weather forecasts and current warnings before departure
- Unexploded ordnance: military island sites may contain unexploded ordnance — never disturb metallic objects on the ground and stay on established paths
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and always tell someone your exact destination before departing for any island site
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned island in the USA?
North Brother Island in New York's East River — the quarantine hospital island where "Typhoid Mary" Mary Mallon was forcibly detained from 1915 until her death in 1938. The original hospital buildings still stand amid the forest that has reclaimed the entire 13-acre island since 1963. Accessible only by special NYC Parks permit.
What is Hart Island?
New York City's potter's field since 1869 — the burial ground for over 1 million unclaimed bodies, stillborn infants and the unidentified, making it the largest public cemetery in the world. The island also hosted a Civil War prison, a boys' reformatory, a women's asylum and a Nike missile battery. NYC Parks opened it to public visits in 2021 after decades of restricted access.
Can you visit North Brother Island?
Officially only through special permit from NYC Parks — the island is a designated bird sanctuary and unauthorized visits are not permitted. The NYC Parks Department has occasionally organized limited official tours. The island is visible from the Amtrak Hell Gate Bridge approach and from water taxis passing through the East River.
🎯 Summary
America's abandoned islands range from a quarantine hospital where Typhoid Mary spent 26 years against her will, to the world's largest public cemetery and a WWII torpedo testing station in a recreational sailing bay. Each of these 5 abandoned islands in the USA carries a history as isolated and extraordinary as the waters that surround it.
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