In 1929, the Gold Hill Mine, comprising five claims about a mile west of the Pinto Wye Arrastra in Joshua Tree National Park, was owned by C.H. Wiser and Anvil B. Johns of Rialto, California, and J.A. Johns of San Bernardino. To support their mining endeavors, they established John's Camp nearby. While the Gold Hill Mine's production records remain elusive, the camp's remains suggest a modest operation that persisted for some time in this unforgiving terrain.
Scattered around the camp is a small concrete foundation, an oven, a water storage reservoir (possibly doubling as cold storage), a trash dump with old bottles and tin cans, and miscellaneous debris. The Gold Hill Mine is above the camp.
Just down the wash from John's Camp lies what I've dubbed the "Boulder Cabin." This intriguing structure, nestled between massive granite boulders, showcases the resourcefulness of early miners. It's possible that one of the Johns or Wiser, founders of the Gold Hill Mine, constructed this shelter. It is an interesting spot.
Near the rock-stacked cabin sits an unexpected piece of automotive history: the rusted remains of what appears to be a 1915-1916 Dodge converted into a flatbed truck.
