Discover Death Valley's Hidden Gems: Historic Miner's Cabins

I spent 4 days touring a few historic miner's cabins in death valley. These 100+ year-old structures, preserved through the BLM's Adopt-a-Cabin program, offer a glimpse into the past while providing comfortable accommodations for modern-day explorers. These cabins operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. Claim your spot by raising the American flag upon arrival. Remember to treat these historic sites with respect, leaving them cleaner and better than you found them. To reach these remote cabins, you'll need to navigate challenging off-road trails. The journey itself is part of the adventure, offering stunning vistas of Death Valley's breathtaking landscapes. To protect them from vandalism and destruction, I will not disclose their locations here. If you're interested in exploring these historic cabins, I'd be happy to share specific details and photos with you privately. While the general locations of these cabins are public knowledge, often found in books, maps, or online resources, I believe it's important to limit their accessibility on the internet to help preserve these delicate sites.

Barker Ranch





Russel Cabin



Geologist Cabin



Briggs Cabin








Minietta Mine Cabin




Boxcar Cabin

To be continued because I have posted too many pictures already.

 

[Sean Bonick]

Thank you for the wonderful read and pictures, my wife and I are planning on going in late November. I would greatly appreciate some information on the cabins locations.
We visited the Baker Ranch in November 2022.
Thank you.
Please contact me:
Sean Bonick
Member in good standing with OTG

bonsolair@gmail.com

 

[shierei]

Continuing my previous post. It did not allow me to post more than 15 pictures.

Boxcar Cabin


Nelson Cabin

 

[shierei]

Thank you for the wonderful read and pictures, my wife and I are planning on going in late November. I would greatly appreciate some information on the cabins locations.
We visited the Baker Ranch in November 2022.
Thank you.
Please contact me:
Sean Bonick
Member in good standing with OTG

bonsolair@gmail.com

Barker Ranch, gained notoriety due to its association with Charles Manson and his cult-like "family" during the late 1960s. In October 1969, authorities raided the ranch and arrested Manson, who was hiding under a sink.




In 2009, someone went out there and burn down the stone house. This person was caught and convicted but the damage has already been done. This tragic incident at Barker Ranch serves as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting these invaluable historical sites from vandalism and destruction.

Hi Sean,

I will DM you on how to find those locations.

-Shierei

 

[flyboy]

I've been to about half those cabins. If you do that trip again keep me in mind if you want some company. It's fun to do the more challenging trails. Was at Barker Ranch last year and met a couple that knew Sharon Tate's mother! Very intriguing story.

 

[shierei]

I've been to about half those cabins. If you do that trip again keep me in mind if you want some company. It's fun to do the more challenging trails. Was at Barker Ranch last year and met a couple that knew Sharon Tate's mother! Very intriguing story.

On the recent OTG Death Valley trip led by Ben, they also explored some of the trails I previously did and visited a few of the same cabins. While I wouldn't mind revisiting them sometime, I'm also itching to explore new territory. If you’re interested, I can DM you the trails and coordinates of the cabins I visited.

During our visit to the Nelson Cabin, we encountered two guys parked there. Curious about how they discovered this little-known cabin, they revealed they had followed a book to get there:

[Desert Summits: A Climbing & Hiking Guide](https://www.spotteddogpress.com/shop/desert-summits-a-climbing-hiking-guide)

Their main interest wasn’t the cabins, but rather using the book to hike the desert summits. I have since acquired the book and am considering planning a trip to find and climb those remote desert summits in Death Valley, as well as others in California and Southern Nevada.

 

[flyboy]

On the recent OTG Death Valley trip led by Ben, they also explored some of the trails I previously did and visited a few of the same cabins. While I wouldn't mind revisiting them sometime, I'm also itching to explore new territory. If you’re interested, I can DM you the trails and coordinates of the cabins I visited.

During our visit to the Nelson Cabin, we encountered two guys parked there. Curious about how they discovered this little-known cabin, they revealed they had followed a book to get there:

[Desert Summits: A Climbing & Hiking Guide](https://www.spotteddogpress.com/shop/desert-summits-a-climbing-hiking-guide)

Their main interest wasn’t the cabins, but rather using the book to hike the desert summits. I have since acquired the book and am considering planning a trip to find and climb those remote desert summits in Death Valley, as well as others in California and Southern Nevada.

Great. List of trails and coordinates would be very helpful. Might look into this run for November.

 

[OTG Ben]

Great. List of trails and coordinates would be very helpful. Might look into this run for November.

The Trona Desert Trail hits all of the cabins and trails featured in Shierei's post. If you like moderately technical trail, it's a good one

 

[shierei]

The Trona Desert Trail hits all of the cabins and trails featured in Shierei's post. If you like moderately technical trail, it's a good one

You are right, Ben. Trona Desert Trail does not seem to reach Minietta Mine Cabin, Boxcar Cabin and Nelson Cabin but they can be found from google map.