How to Use Google Earth to Find Abandoned Places

Google Earth is one of the most useful tools for finding abandoned places before you travel. It helps you scan satellite imagery, save GPS placemarks, compare access routes, and build a private research database for future urbex scouting.

In areas where satellite resolution is good enough, Google Earth can reveal industrial ruins, isolated buildings, unused rail corridors, empty lots, and rural structures worth researching further. The goal is not to expose sensitive locations publicly, but to organize clues and verify them responsibly.

Google Earth Urbex Scouting Checklist

Use these checks when you are researching abandoned buildings or potential exploration areas:

  1. The satellite images may be out of date. The building as it appears in the picture may not be as it appears now. In fact, it may not even be there at all anymore. Often, Google will note when the photo was taken at the bottom of the screen.
  2. If you look at parking lots of places nearby, and you see cars parked there, odds are the photos were taken during regular business hours. Use that as a clue by looking for parking areas that are empty.
  3. Pay attention to some of the more minor roads marked on Google Earth. Sometimes they are placed from historical information, and may not even be anything more than a cart track now. This is good hunting ground.
  4. Use the photos to look for potential problems such as close proximity of neighbours, police stations, etc.
  5. Use the photos to scout out a place to leave your vehicle while you explore a building on foot. Your vehicle is the most obvious clue to your presence, and can be your undoing.
  6. It is not always easy to discern obstacles like fence lines through the photos. Things that look easily accessible aren’t always.
  7. Try to correlate your information with other sources, include Microsoft’s Live Maps. It may give you better perspectives, or more up to date information to look at two sources.

Save GPS Placemarks and Research Notes

Google Earth allows you to put placemarkers on the map anywhere you like.

This is incredibly useful when you consider that it also stores the GPS coordinates with the placemarker. This makes a handy reference when you use GPS tools to navigate near a research area while still checking legality, access, and safety in the real world.

Organize Abandoned Places by Country, State, or Province

You can create folders and subfolders in which to put your placemarkers. For example, I like to start at the country level. I have a folder for each country. Inside, I have subfolders for each province or state. Inside those, I keep my actual placemarkers. I color code the icon used with each one. Red for places I have yet to explore, and green for those I’ve gotten to. Sometimes I use blue to indicate that I went and either couldn’t get in, or conditions weren’t right.

Build a Responsible Urbex Research Workflow

Finally, you can also store information, notes, and even hyperlinks with your placemarkers. This can become a fast private database for your explorations. Before visiting any lead, confirm current conditions, ownership, permission, hazards, and local rules.

If you prefer starting from organized map files, browse USA urbex maps by state, Canada urbex maps by province, or the Texas abandoned places map.

Google Earth for Urbex FAQ

Can Google Earth confirm that a place is abandoned?
No. Satellite imagery can provide clues, but you must verify current conditions with other sources and never assume access is legal or safe.

Should I publish GPS coordinates I find?
Avoid exposing sensitive locations publicly. Responsible urbex research protects sites, owners, and explorers.

What should I save in each placemark?
Save the name or clue, source links, date checked, access notes, risk notes, and whether the lead still needs verification.