Eagle Cliff Miner’s Cabin

May 2, 2018 tarannosaurus

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → South Central Desert → Joshua Tree → Eagle Cliff Miner’s Cabin

Location: Eastern Park Blvd area, Joshua Tree

Time Required: 2.5 – 3 hours total including the Desert Queen Mine (1.5 hours for the Miner’s Cabin portion)

Distance: ~4 miles total roundtrip (including the mine); 2.6 miles for Miner’s Cabin portion leaving from the summit of the Desert Queen Mine

Elevation Gain/Loss: ~350 feet

Red Tape/Notes: Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle and the park is open 24 hours. For more information on the park, visit the Joshua Tree NPS website. For a nice description of the trail starting at the Desert Queen Mine (with pictures), Cali49 has a nice post. Since we couldn’t find these available anywhere else, here are the gpx and kml files from our route. We started the track at the summit of the mine, but didn’t turn it off until we were nearly back at the car, so the return track includes the mine area. For beta on available climbing sites and routes, Mountain Project has an extensive list and lots of details, and you could also try The Crag.

What’s Nearby?: Hidden Valley, Desert Queen Mine, Skull Rock, Willow Hole

This spot is a “secret spot” that’s not really a secret. The hike isn’t clearly marked, and it isn’t advertised on any of the official Joshua Tree maps, but there is a well-established trail and it’s not difficult to find if you have some basic information. The mine reportedly dates back to 1895, so the cabin was presumably built sometime around then. The cabin makes use of a natural “cave” created by large boulders and added some walls and a roof to supplement the naturally occurring shelter. Inside, the cabin looks almost like a time capsule, with pots and pans still hanging on the walls and shelves that are covered in trinkets. If it weren’t for the lack of furniture, you could be forgiven for thinking someone still lived there. The site has remained in this state for many, many years – please don’t be the person to ruin it by taking anything. You can reach the site from either Split Rock or the Desert Queen Mine (DQM), although we’ve only done this from DQM. I can’t speak to the Split Rock approach, but people who’ve done both seem to universally agree that DQM is the more pleasant route, both in terms of scenic quality and ease of hike. We certainly found the hike to be very easy – simply hike up to the summit of the DQM area, and continue following the obvious use trail into the back country. You’ll reach a point where a branch of the trail splits off to the left, and you’ll take the left branch and continue on. You’ll eventually come to a mine shaft, and another left branch will lead through some rocks and onto a flat plane, where the notable Fraggle Rock boulder formation will become visible. This is your destination. There are several climbs on Fraggle Rock and in the surrounding area, so if you’re into climbing and also like historic stuff, this is a great combo stop!