Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Lippincott Mine Road
The Lippincott Mine Road is a one way trail from Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa to Saline Valley. It is a steep trail which is not for the novice or the feint of heart. Greeting you at the trail head is a sign which reads:
“Lippincott Pass, 4×4 High Clearance, No Tow Service, Caution”
Experienced drivers using 4×4 high clearance vehicles only. What traveler in their right mind could resist a challenge like this? Provided you are equipped to do so.
The top of Lippincott Mine road starts at the end of the Racetrack Valley road and descends into the west towards Saline Valley. Â The road is steep and narrow but is not too technical. Â At the top of the route is the Lippencott Mine site which gives the trail it’s name. Â The Lippincott Mine offers great views of both Saline and RaceTrack Valley. Â
There are several structures, and mines to explore and a lot of time could be spent exploring the site on foot. The Homestake dry camp offers a great spot of overnight in the area for those of us who are so inclined and look forward to being really away from it all. The best night sky I have seen in the last 35 year was at the Homestake Dry Camp.
Lippincott Mine Road Trail Map
Afton Canyon Campground
The Afton Canyon Campground offer amazing access and camping for the Old Mojave Road, surroundings areas of the Mojave. The dry, desert campground is found in the heart of the Mojave desert at 1640 feet in elevation and is a great place for birding and wildlife due to close proximity to the Mojave River which is briefly above ground in this area.
Afton Canyon Campgrounds features 22 large sites which all include tables with sun shades, BBQ and fire pits. The campground does offer pit toilets and no RV Facilities. The camp sites are dispersed nicely, so you are not going to be too crowded when staying here.
Afton Canyon is commonly referred to as the “The Grand Canyon of the Mojave” due to its diverse geology and impressive rock formations. There are a view slot canyons to explore and even a buried rail road car. Afton Canyon is one of the few places in the Mojave where surface water can be found. Like many deserts, this water offers an oasis which supports the local wild life and plant populations.
Due to the location severe weather, poisonous snakes and flash floods are all possible here.
This campsite is an nice spot for astronomers to view the dark night skys.
Campsites are provided first come first serve.
Afton Canyon is managed by the BLM.
Campground Summary
| Campground Name | Afton Canyon Campground |
| Latitude, Longitude | 35.038306, -116.383813 |
| Address | Afton Rd, Baker, CA 92309 |
| Number of Sites | 19 |
| Elevation | 3800 |
| Reservations | No |
| Amenities | Campsite Tables, Drinking Water, Fire Pit, Fire Rings Grills, Group Camping, Pets OK, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets |
| Webiste | https://www.blm.gov/visit/afton-canyon |
Afton Canyon Campground Trail Map
Candelaria Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town
Candelaria was a ghost town in Mineral County, Nevada located about 120 miles south of Falen. The location may be closed due to another local modern mining concern.
The area first received attention in 1864 when Mexican prospectors discovered silver. However it was not until 1879 when European prospectors came into the area that it became a mining town. The Nothern Belle was founded in 1873 and was the towns most profitable mine.
The towns growth was limited by the amount of available water. Water is a requirement for both people and mines. The lack of water caused Candelaria mines to operate the stamp mills dry. This dry stamping process caused a fine particulate dust to fill the air, and many miners suffered from “Miners Consumption” as a result.
For a while, in 1875, there was daily stage service to Columbus Nevada. The Nothern Belle produced about $15 Million in silver. The town itself consistend of two hotels, stores, saloons, and all of major professions of the time, including doctors and attorneys.
Lack of water prevented growth and the populations dwindled. The post office closed in 1939 and 1941 it was truly a ghost town. Today the site is mostly destroyed by a modern mining venture.
Candelaria Town Summary
| Name | Candelaria Nevada |
| Location | Mineral County Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 38.1589, -118.0892 |
| Nevada State Historic Marker | 92 |
| GNIS | 857457 |
| Elevation | 5,715 ft (1,742 m) |
| Post Office | August 1876 – November 1882 – 1941 |
| Newspaper | True Fissure June 12, 1880 – Dec 4, 1886 Chloride Belt Dec 10, 1890 – Dec 24, 1892 |
Candelaria Trail Map
Candelaria Personalities
 Christian Brevoort ZabriskieChristian Brevoort Zabriskie was a vice president and general manager Pacific Coast Borax Company located in Death Valley National Park. Zabriske served teh Pacific Coast… |
 Francis Marion Smith – “Borax Smith”Francis Marion "Borax" Smith Francis Marion Smith, also known as "Borax" Smith was a miner and business man who made a fortune in the hostile… |
Resources
Bodie California – Mono County Ghost Town
Bodie, California is the ghost town by which all others are judged. Located at 8300 in the Bodie Hills above Mono Lake, Bodie is the largest and perhaps best preserved ghost town in America. Established as a ghost town and state park in 1962, the town site is now administered by the Bodie Foundation.
Currently preserved in “Arrested Decay” a condition and phrase coined by the State of California for the Bodie, the town site is preserved as it was found in 1962. This essentially maintains the structures as the were at that time, and work may be done to keep them to that standard. Some buildings get new roofs, windows sealed and foundation rebuilt to preserve the state of degradation. It is because of this forward thinking policy that the town remains in the state of decline that it does.
I remember my first visit to Bodie was probably in the the late 1970’s. My father drove our old Ford truck into the town, and as I jumped out my eyes found the old Standard Mill. The Standard Mill still dominates the valley with its grayish-blue siding, multiple smoke stakes and extreme size. The Standard Mill is the most intact mill in California and processed over $14 million dollars in gold during its 25 years of service.
Formed in 1859, the town under went several mining booms, busts and fires. At it’s peak in 1879, Bodie hosted 5000 – 7000 souls, 65 saloons, a “Redlight” district, a china town, four volunteer fire stations, several newspapers, churches and of coarse, a Jail. Bodie maintain a rough reputation over the years and suffers from murders, shoot outs, stage robberies and the odd bar room brawl.
They say you were wild and woolly, Bodie
And fast on the draw as them make ’em;
That you lived at ease with the bad and the bold,
Who thought nothing of shooting a man down cold,
And defying the law to take ’em
Lillian Ninnis
By 1910 the population settled at about 700 people, mostly families, as the miners and those who service the miners moved on to more prosperous areas. The last printed paper was in 1912, and signaled the beginning of the end for the scrappy little town. Although labelled a ghost town in 1915, Bodie continued to linger and dwindle is size until 1940 when the Post Office closed.
Under threat and vandalism the state of California took over the town site, and currently hosts some 200,000 visitors per year.
Remote locations, harsh weather and rustic builds make Bodie is a popular site for photographers.
The road into Bodie is accessible to almost any vehicle, but can server as a launch point the many back roads and trails. Nearby attractions are Masonic, Chemung and Aurora who like to get off the beaten path.
Gold was first discovered in the Mono Lake region in 1352 and placer gold was then discovered at the future site of Bodie in July, 1859* by William S. Body. On July 10, 1860, the Bodie Mining District was organized. In August, 1859 quarts veins were also discovered in the area, but the lack of -water and the extreme difficulties of transporting supplies and equipment over the mountains and desert tended to severely restrict mining activities at Bodie for some time. From 1860 to 1877, Bodie polled only some 20 votes a year, and in 1865 the town still had only SOP 14 small frame and adobe houses.
NATIONAL SURVEY OF HISTORIC SITES AND BUILDINGS
In 1876-77, however, new quartz discoveries were made at the Bodie and Standard mines, touching off a great gold rush to Bodie in 1878. From a few shacks, a term of some 250 wooden buildings rapidly appeared in the desert and the population leaped to 10,000 or 12,000 persons, with the usual assortment of gambling dens, breweries, saloons, and the nightly shootings, stabbings and brawls. Bodie soon merited the title of “Shooters Town,” and a “Bad Man from Bodie” was then universally recognized to be a particularly unpleasant individual. In 1879, when Bodie reached its pinnacle, its main street was over a-mile long and built solidly with one and two-story frame buildings. In 1881 a 32- mile narrow gauge railroad was constructed from Mono Lake to Bodie to carry in fuel and lumber. % 1883, however, the boom was over and all but the Bodie and Standard mines closed down; these two mines finally consolidated in 1887. In 1895 Bodie had a small revival when the cyanide process of recovering gold was put in use, Mining continued intermittently up to World War II, when Bodie finally became a true ghost town.
Historic Images
Town Summary
| Name | Bodie |
| Location | Mono County, California |
| Latitude, Longitute | 38.2121, -119.0120 |
| GNIS | 1658094 |
| Newspaper | Bodie Standard 1878 – ? Bodie Morning News |
| National Historic Landmark | 66000213 |
Bodie Map
Bodie Photo Gallery
Bodie Points of Interest
 Bodie and Aurora rivalry continues to this dayTwo towns located in the hills above Mono Lake maintain, the Bodie and Aurora rivalry continues even now, long past their demise. Bodie, CA and… |
 Bodie and Benton RailwayThe Bodie and Benton Railway operated for about thirty eights years, supplying the town of Bodie, California. The narrow gauge railroad travelled north, from the… |
 The Hoover HouseThe Hoover House, located in Bodie, California, is a significant part of the town's rich history. Bodie itself is a well-preserved ghost town that exemplifies… |
 The Standard Mill – Bodie, CAThe Standard Mill, also known as the Standard Consolidated Mining Company Mill, was a pivotal element in the history of Bodie, California. The building is… |
Bodie Townspeople
 Eleanora DumontEleanora Dumont Eleanora Dumont, born around 1829, likely in New Orleans or of French Creole descent, was a famed American gambler known as Madame Mustache.… |
James Stuart CainJames Stuart Cain (April 17, 1853 - October 28, 1938) was a business man and entrepreneur who lived and worked in the mining town of… |
 Rosa MayRosa May, Born Rosa Elizabeth White in January 1855 Rosa May was a prostitute and madam in Bodie, California, during the late 19th and early… |
 Theodore Jesse HooverTheodore Hoover in Bodie, Calif., 1904 Early Life and Education Theodore Jesse Hoover was born on January 28, 1871, in West Branch, Iowa. He was… |
Waterman S BodeyWaterman S Bodey (14 May 1814 - 9 Dec 1859Â ) was a prospector whose name became immortalized in the annals of American mining history through… |
Bodie Newspapers
Bodie Evening Miner NewspaperThe Bodie Evening Miner was a key newspaper in Bodie, California, a bustling gold-mining town in Mono County that reached its zenith in the late… |
 Bodie Standard NewsBodie Standard News, Bodie, Mono County, California The Bodie Standard News, originally known as the Standard and later as the Bodie Standard, was a cornerstone… |
 Daily Free PressDaily Free Press - Bodie, California The Daily Free Press was a prominent newspaper in Bodie, California, a gold-mining boomtown in Mono County that flourished… |
 The Bodie Chronicle NewspaperThe Bodie Chronicle, Bodie, Mono County Newspaper The Bodie Chronicle was a short-lived but notable newspaper in Bodie, California, a gold-mining boomtown in Mono County… |
 The Bodie Morning NewsThe Bodie Morning News Newspaper The Bodie Morning News was a short-lived but significant publication in the bustling mining town of Bodie, California, during the… |
Further Reading
 A Pathway Through ParksPathway Through Parks written by Carl S Chavez "Bodie, the very sound of that name conjures up images of "The Bad Man From Bodie", a… |
 Bodie: 1859-1962 (Images of America)Bodie: 1859-1962 (Images of America) - Author Terri Lynn Geissinger Nestled amongst the sage-covered, windswept hills of California’s Eastern Sierra is the site of one… |
 Bodie: Good Times & BadBodie, Good Time and Bad - Author Nicholas Clapp Author Nicholas Clapp and photographer Will Furman portray Bodie in both vivid words and stunning photography—a… |
Resources
Grantsville Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town
Named for Ulysses S. Grant, Grantsville Nevada is a ghost town and gold mining camp located in Nye County Nevada. Initial prospecting in the area which became Grantsville began in 1863 when gold was discovered by P. A. Haven in the Union District. The camp was founded where a nest of ledges was worked. Initially the area was promoted by P. A. Haven and lots were sold between $50 and $500, the the fledgling town was off to a good start. Soon the valley was home to about 50 people seeking fortune.
In 1877, a large mining company, the Alexander Mining Co. invested into the town and the small community started to show some promise. The mining company built a 20 stamp mill to process the ore produced by the nearby mines. Following the new investment, the population ballooned up to about 1000 people. The citizens brought commerce and soon the town supported the usual assortment of hotels, drug stores, general stores, blacksmiths and the ever profitable saloons. The town was served by two papers, the weekly Sun and later the Bonanza replaced the Sun’s weekly paper. Grantsville is also known to have a jeweler and brewery which was not commonly found in every boomtown.
The Grantsville post office opened in 1879 to supported the town. The Alexander Mining Co, expanded its milling operations by doubling the size of the mill from 20 to 40 stamps. The town had two stage routes running to Autin via a route through Ione and Eureka via the town of Belmont. Considerations were made from a train line with the Nevada Central. 1881 saw the opening of a bank and an express office to supply the town and its forty odd businesses. The citizens of Grantsville kept themselves entertained with dances, banquets and the odd baseball game to which the winner might received a keg of lager.
Despite the seemly solid financial foundation and commerce, the town population began to slowly fade in the 1880s and by 1884 the population fell to 400. Two years later the population was just 50 and the post office was closed in October 1887. There were several attempts to restart the mines, however none of these subsequent operations lasted for long.
Grantsville Town Summary
| Name | Grantsville |
| Location | Nye County Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 38.8454829, -117.5731563 |
| Elevation | 2141 meters / 7025 feet |
| GNIS | 859881 |
| Population | 400 |
| Newspaper | Grantsville Sun Oct 19, 1878 – Apr 16, 1879 Grantsville Bonanza May 7, July 30, 1881 |