Joshua Tree National Park -- Abandoned Mines

Once a haven for gold and iron mining, Joshua Tree National Park still shows the scars of mining activity that is now banned in national parks. Mining became the chief activity of the Mojave Desert in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Prospectors left the northern California area as early as 1865 to head south to the desert.

I visited one of the most coveted and sought-after mines in the park -- Desert Queen Mine. I parked at the backcountry registration gate near Negro Hill and hiked about a mile to Desert Queen Mine. It was from this vantage point that I was able to photograph the mines on Eagle Cliff Mine. See the photos below.

Through the years, Desert Queen Mine changed hands through force, bad luck, and death. The infamous McHaney brothers earned the reputation as "bad men of the High Desert" by gaining control of the mining area though ambush. After spending their fortune on luxurious items, the McHaney brothers lost control of the mine (details of the transaction are unclear).

Somehow William Morgan gained control of the mine and hired William F. Keys to oversee the mining activities. Keys became a staple the area, building a ranch house a few miles away and raising cattle nearby. Named Desert Queen Ranch, the house that Keys built in 1917 still stands today. Keys built a five-stamp mill at Desert Queen Mine, where gold was discovered. Through the years, he acquired a number of other abandoned mines from bankrupt prospectors. After his death in 1969, mining activities came to a halt.

The National Park Service offers guided tours of the Desert Queen Ranch several times a day. The most spectacular view in the park, called Keys View, oversees the Coachella Valley, where Palm Springs in located.

Early miners lived in this small stone building. The metal frame bed still stands in front. I didn't see a roof on the build probably because it was made of a canvas material.	Built by Bill Keys, the metal five-stamp mill was used to pull material, including gold, from Desert Queen Mine. This particular mine shaft (in the foreground) has been abandoned since the late 1960s. The shaft has been covered by metal gratings and a small layer of rocks.
These are abandoned mine shafts on Eagle Cliff. I photographed these shafts from the opposing mountain, where Desert Queen Mine is located. This mine has been closed since the late 1960s.	These are various shaft openings at Eagle Cliff mine. The shaft openings have been sealed with metal gratings. Explorers should not enter abandoned mines because the trapped gases may be deadly.

The five-stamp mill at Desert Queen Mine. The mine shafts in the background are actually on Eagle Cliff, the opposing mountain to the one on which I was standing.

Now considered artifacts, these metal cans stand as a symbol of early mining activities near Desert Queen Mine. Visitors to the park should not touch or remove an historical artifacts.

© Brad Biringer 1999-2003
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