Starbuck's Exploring

Sign in Subscribe

Death Valley-Northern

Northern Death Valley region of California, including the Cottonwood, Grapevine, Saline, and the Last Chance mountain ranges

25 posts

Inyo Copper Mine

Inyo Copper Mine

Perched above the Lippincott Road in Saline Valley, unknown to most travelers below, is the nearly forgotten Inyo Copper Mine. Once owned by the Inyo Copper Mines and Smelter Company in the early 1900s, ore ranging from 4% to 41% copper was discovered here. The rich ore must have been

Sauerkraut Trail Petroglyphs

Sauerkraut Trail Petroglyphs

Early in 2021, we were on a trip into the wilds of Death Valley to hunt down some lesser-known petroglyph sites in the area. This site is a mile-long set of ancient petroglyphs along an old Native American trail. It is a fascinating site. We were really surprised at just

Lemoigne Mine

Lemoigne Mine

Jean François de Lamoignon (shortened to Jean or John Lemoigne) was a black-bearded Frenchman who differed from most of the other early Death Valley prospectors; he was a well-educated mining engineer. He came to Death Valley around 1879 to supervise the Eagle Borax Works. Unfortunately, by the time he had

S & O Cabin

S & O Cabin

As is often the case, I know about a ton of places but never have the time to visit them. This backcountry cabin out in the Death Valley area falls into that category. In 2020, I finally had the chance to get out and search for it. I’m not

Lee Hilton Cabin

Lee Hilton Cabin

Also known as Macey’s Cabin and the Nelson Cabin, it was built for the Cerrussite Mine, which it sits next to. It is a cozy little spot we’ve been visiting since 1999. J. F. Wasson staked a claim on the site on February 25, 1954. The cabin probably

Little Boulder Valley Petroglyphs

Little Boulder Valley Petroglyphs

In 2008, Dan led us out to a small native site that he had discovered. It seems to be a very old and isolated site in this little valley. (Although, we should really poke around in the hills around here some more.) We found a few more artifacts than he

White Rambler Mine

White Rambler Mine

In early 2009, we went off searching for a few seldom-visited mines on a cold and overcast winter day. It was nice hiking in this remote, isolated corner of Death Valley National Park. The mines are small and more modern. I couldn’t find any information on them. GPS