Paymaster Mine
The Paymaster Mine, also known as the Black Warrior Mine, was a good producer in the Gold Park district. It had a 140-foot shaft with two levels of drifts and cross-cuts.
Contact Mine
Information on these gold mines is sparse. Phil Sullivan, an early pioneer of Twentynine Palms, located the Contact claims by at least 1921. He filed a homestead there in 1897. (Also see the Silver Bell Mine.)
Along with Bill McHaney (see the Desert Queen Mine), Sullivan reportedly built an arrastra
Garrett’s Arch
This trip is a nice cross-country hike into the granitic maze that is the Wonderland of Rocks to find its best arch. Finding it will be much simpler with a map and GPS, so don't attempt the hike without either. It is easy to get lost back there.
Clark’s Pass Bullseye
During World War II, the vast deserts of the Southwest became unlikely training grounds for military personnel. One lesser-known spot was a bombing target now tucked inside the northern border of Joshua Tree National Park.
Bombs were dropped on Joshua Tree? Yes! Apparently so. But at least they were only
Johnny Lang Mine and Quail Mountain
I’ve hiked to the top of Quail Mountain from Covington Flat, but I wanted to visit the Johnny Lang Mine. Johnny Lang, being noted for his involvement at the Lost Horse Mine, made me curious about his mine on the shoulder of Quail Mountain. He worked this small mine
Samuelson’s Rocks
This isolated rock outcrop known as Samuelson’s Rocks was once the homestead of Johann (or John) Samuelson, a Swedish immigrant who arrived around 1926. He must have had some time on his hands because some of the boulders here have 1930's Depression-era political and naturalistic commentary. Search
Twin Tanks
The Twin Tanks are a couple of natural tanks enhanced by cattle ranchers with concrete dams to hold more water. The southern dam is concrete with rock mixed in, and the northern one is plain concrete. This one also has an inscription of "C. O. Barker" in the