Golden Bee Mine
Most people who visit the Cholla Cactus Garden don't know is an old mine with an interesting history is just a few miles away, gazing down on them.
Hanging Valley and Tungstar Mines
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, surging worldwide demand for tungsten led to the opening of several tungsten mines in the High Sierra above Bishop. Two small but relatively high-grade ore bodies were discovered on the west side of Mt. Tom, which would become the Hanging Valley Mine and
Morning Glory Mine (Death Valley)
The Morning Glory Mine is a neat little mine high up in the pinyon pines of Trail Canyon. It's not easy to reach, so it doesn't get as much visitation as other places in Death Valley. You really have to want to go there. And despite
Rattlesnake Canyon Smelter and the Heartbreak Ridge Arrastra
Most people interested in the old mines of Southern California know about the old "Spanish" smelter on the eastern edge of the San Bernardino Mountains. It is just off Burns Canyon Road in Rattlesnake Canyon and is well-visited.
Martin Crossing Cabin
I've been to this cabin in the backcountry of Death Valley National Park a couple of times over the years. The first time I visited was in 2006 with Dan. More recently, I made a return trip in 2022. It is a moderate hike, but getting close to
Sky Portal Pictographs
It took quite a few hours of bushwhacking to reach this remote set of pictographs under a single boulder in the backcountry of Joshua Tree. It was an all-day adventure.
The brightness of the pictographs found here is rare. Most rock art in Joshua Tree is faded from weather and
Hexahedron Mine
Sometime before 1894, Al Tingman ("The Father of Indio") and Ed Holland (of Lost Horse Mine fame) staked claims on some rich gold ore outcrops high above Pleasant Valley. They sold the mine to Bill and John Garrison, who formed the Hexahedron Mining Company. The Company dug a