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Southern California

Southern California's Coasts and Mountains

12 posts

Black Lava Butte Petroglyphs

Black Lava Butte Petroglyphs

Black Lava Butte is one of a pair of mesas rising from the desert north of Pioneertown within the Sand to Snow National Monument, its dark basalt cap slowly eroding at the edges. Lava-covered mesas are rare in the Mojave, and these two stand as remnants of volcanic flows that

Hondo Wash Pictographs

Hondo Wash Pictographs

The Hondo Wash pictographs sit where granite boulders narrow the canyon to a passage. Rock art on both sides of the wash, exactly the kind of spot where people would pause as they moved through. The site features both petroglyphs and painted images in red and black. What's

Parson's Ranch Petroglyphs

Parson's Ranch Petroglyphs

Rattlesnake Canyon Smelter and the Heartbreak Ridge Arrastra

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. The smelter is old. One report states that it was

Chaparrosa Peak

Chaparrosa Peak

There is nothing historical here, but this is a nice hike to a peak with great views just outside of Joshua Tree. Directions

Pipes Canyon

Pipes Canyon

Pipes Canyon is a pleasant and easy hike. The trail heads out from the visitor center at the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve and follows the canyon up into a riparian habitat. The canyon is usually dry, but water does occasionally surface to support this isolated oasis. Keep an eye out for

Belden Arrastra and Mikiska Petroglyphs

Belden Arrastra and Mikiska Petroglyphs

I had looked for this arrastra some time ago but instead found another mining camp. That ended up being a good trip, even without finding my elusive target. Still, it wasn’t an arrastra.