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Death Valley-Southern

Southern Death Valley region of California, including the Greenwater, Funeral, Black, Owlhead, and Panamint mountain ranges

61 posts

Secret Panamint Tunnel

Secret Panamint Tunnel

In 1991, I found this little mining tunnel high in the Panamint Mountains, west of Death Valley. This adit is unique because it is filled with water and flowstone. It was beautiful inside. Tunnels like this in mines are rare, especially in the desert. Hopefully, the flowstone will continue to

Bob and Ward’s Cabin

Bob and Ward’s Cabin

Also known as the Salt Basin Cabin, Bob and Ward’s cabin is a little wooden cabin that is all that remains of a 1920s mining camp in this isolated valley. These days, the cabin is available as a first-come, first-served camping spot and receives many visitors each month. The

Gold Spur Mine

Gold Spur Mine

I’ve been to this old gold mine in the Panamint mountains a few times over the years and have watched it slowly be destroyed by vandalism and looting. Someone has pushed the ore car off the tracks and down into the canyon. This mine site is special because it

Bald Peak Mine

Bald Peak Mine

In 2010, I decided to return to this small mine I had first visited in 2000. It is still a pleasant and quiet hike to this little remote valley. I had come out here before to see a small and seldom visited miner’s cabin. Now, I wanted to see

Skidoo Stamp Mill

Skidoo Stamp Mill

Much about the history of Skidoo has already been written in various books and online, so I will only give a brief summary here: The fifteen stamp mill was quickly built in 1908 by mine developer Bob Montgomery (of Bullfrog mining and Rhyolite fame) to develop the gold ores of