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About

For over three decades, I've been documenting the forgotten corners of Western backcountry before they vanish forever. Historical mines are deteriorating and rock art sites are falling victim to weather and vandalism. These irreplaceable pieces of our past are disappearing. That's why this site exists - to document these hidden places and share them with those who appreciate their significance.

Who I am

Hello, I'm Guy Starbuck. I've spent most of my life exploring the remote backcountry of the Western United States (mainly California and Nevada). My passion is seeking out historical mines, Native American rock art sites, and other little-known places with historical significance; the more remote the site, the better.

I originally started hiking to lesser-known peaks, but along the way, I discovered countless historical sites. What began as peak-bagging adventures evolved into a mission to document vanishing history.

Some peaks. L: White Mountain. C: Langley. R: San Gorgonio.

What This Site Offers

Starbuck.org is an archive of field notes from my explorations, featuring:

  • 18,000+ photographs documenting places few people visit
  • 500+ detailed posts about remote historical locations
  • 320+ GPS waypoint collections to help you find these places
  • 100+ sets of directions to hard-to-reach sites

This represents only a fraction of my explorations. My complete collection contains over 120,000 photos from decades of backcountry adventures. I add them as I can.

I like to go out and find things

While I can't always reveal exact locations of every site, I share what I can to help preserve their memory and inspire responsible exploration. Some locations remain undisclosed at the request of land managers or to protect sensitive sites.

See the Sample Trips page for examples of full-access posts.

Supporting This Work

Since 2021, this site has been reader-supported, allowing me to keep it ad-free and sustainable. Your subscription helps ensure these historical sites are documented before they're lost to time.

Free subscribers have access to:

  • Historical background and descriptions

Paid subscribers gain complete access to:

  • Everything free subscribers receive
  • Detailed directions (when available)
  • GPS waypoints and maps (when available)
  • Complete photo galleries
Subscribe

Site History

Starbuck.org has been online since 1997. It is an on-going project that evolved from hand-coded HTML pages to PHP to WordPress. Today it runs on Ghost.org.

Preservation Ethics

Please Tread Lightly and Leave No Trace. Take only photos and leave only footprints. Respect what you find. Give others the joy of discovery.

If you use my website to find places, please credit me at Starbuck.org. Don't use my text, photos, or videos without permission.

Guest Authors

These excellent contributors also document forgotten corners of the West:

Hugh M. Smith - Starbuck’s Exploring
I have been hiking and photographing the Southwest deserts, mountains, and canyons since 1978. My main focus has been on little-known locations, with an emphasis on historical mines and mining camps.
Starbuck's ExploringStarbuck’s Exploring
GC - Starbuck’s Exploring
Field notes from exploring backcountry locations of the Western US.
Starbuck's ExploringStarbuck’s Exploring
Jonathan Pusey - Starbuck’s Exploring
JP gets harebrained ideas about what he might find in the desert if he’s clever enough. Most of the time, he finds only photos. Sometimes they make for good stories, which he posts here…
Starbuck's ExploringStarbuck’s Exploring

Interested in being a guest author? You can contribute, too!

Published Works

Articles

  • "Searching for Petroglyphs in the Cottonwoods" in the Panamint Breeze. June 2011.

Photos published in

  • "Pahranagat Mines, and the Settlement of Lincoln County, Nevada" - Jeanne Sharp Howerton. 2024.
  • "Skidoo, The True Story of a Mail-Order Bride in the Mining Camp of Reveille, Nevada" - Jeanne Sharp Howerton. 2021.
  • "The Cosmological Connections to Rock Art in the Great Basin and California" Western Carolina University Research Poster - Samantha Clark, Clara Ennis, Brittany Hormel, Kaley Kelly. 2019.
  • TRACCE Rock Art Bulletin - Maarten van Hoek. 2015 & 2018.
  • "Tybo, Nevada" - Robert McCracken, Jeanne Sharp Howerton. 2016.
  • "Historical Sites in Joshua Tree Closed Due to Theft of Artifacts" in The Survivor - David Halligan. Fall 2016.
  • "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" - The Friends of the Public Land Cabins. 2015.
  • "Ancient Universal Language of Man" - Chris Hegg. 2015.
  • "Religious Symbolism in Eastern California Ghost Dance Rock Paintings" - Alan Gold. 2014.
  • "Applying Trait-Based Models to Achieve Functional Targets for Theory-Driven Ecological Restoration" - Ecology Letters - Daniel Laughlin. 2014.
  • Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History. Promotional flyer. 2013.