The owner, businessman Bruce Krall, is hoping for a minimum bid of $1.75m (£1m) for a town he admits does not even have one horse.

The price does, however, include three cows, eight houses, and a post office.

Mr Krall says he no longer has time to spend in Bridgeville (population: about 20) but he says the town offers the "opportunity of a lifetime".

Lush green hillsides, sweeping mountain views and warm sunshine are among Bridgeville's delights to tempt buyers, according to the advertisement on eBay.

The seller has no doubt that Bridgeville, founded in 1865 in the wake of California's gold rush, is worth the money.

"You get 83 acres (34 hectares), you get redwoods, you get a river, you get eight houses, you get a post office. That sounds like a bargain for $1.75m," Mr Krall told the BBC.

'Retreat'

Mr Krall bought the former logging town, which lies 420km (260 miles) north of San Francisco, for $700,000 (£400,000) in 2004.

A river runs through it: part of the rustic charm for sale

The Bridgeville sales site says the town has been fixed and is now "in great shape and ripe to be taken to the next level," suggesting it could be the site for private or corporate retreats, or "you could recreate your own working town".

Mr Krall says Bridgeville's inhabitants are taking the latest sale in their stride.

"It's not like it happens all the time. There's only been three owners in the last 130 years."