How to drive the unpaved road to Desert Queen Mine in California?
Desert Queen Mine is an abandoned gold mine located in Riverside County, in the US state of California. You can still see some of the equipment on site, but all the mine entrances and stuff like that is fenced off.
What is the origin of the mining track to Desert Queen Mine?
The route was cut into the mountain ridges in the 1890s to access a gold mining site. The infrastructure remains intact alongside the lane, featuring the original 1890s vertical timber shafts and heavy iron extraction machinery. Operations stopped abruptly following the murder of the mine’s discoverer, who was killed by a cattle rustler. The killer used a false lost-mine legend to local authorities to mask the tracks of the crime. Following the death, the industrial site was abandoned, leaving the unpaved access track as a dead-end road through the canyon walls.
Where is Desert Queen Mine?
The mine is located in the southern part of California, within the Joshua Tree National Park.
Is the road to Desert Queen Mine unpaved?
The dirt road to the mine is totally unpaved. It’s called Desert Queen Mine Road. The one-lane trailhead road is dirt but you can do it in a regular low-clearance car. It ends on a parking lot.
How long is the road to Desert Queen Mine?
Starting from Park Boulevard, the road to the mine is 1.3 miles long.
When is the best time drive to Desert Queen Mine?
Tucked away in the California Desert, you can drive the road year-round except midday summer. Early morning is best at any season.