Eastern Mojave Vegetation
Edited by Tom Schweich
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Eastern Mojave Vegetation
| Routes to Desert Watering Places in the Mohave Desert Region, California |
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Edited by Tom Schweich |
Topics in this Article: Literature Cited |
Originally published in 1921 as USGS Water-Supply Paper 490-B. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This route is much used by persons going from Goodsprings and Las Vegas, Nev., and neighboring points to Los Angeles, by way of Barstoe and San Bernardino. It is also possible to go from Goodsprings south to the National Old Trails road at Goffs or Fenner and thence west to Barstow. This route is about 65 miles longer than the road through Silver Lake, but it lies not far from railroads for most of the distance, where help can be obtained if necessary, and it also passes through several towns where supplies can be obtained. On the shorter route Silver Lake is the only place where supplies other than water can be procured in a distance of 140 miles.
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Locations: Goodsprings.
0.0 Goodsprings. Go west on main street of town, turning south after crossing railroad track.
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1.3 Turn to west up a canyon, joining a road on left (east). Road ascends a steep grade just east of divide.
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Locations:
Columbia Pass.
3.6 Cross divide (Columbia Pass) and descend into canyon.
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6.3 Avoid branch road on left (south) and turn to right (west) down alluvial slope.
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10.6 Road comes in on left (east of south). Avoid road to abandoned town of Platina and go to old Sandy mill. Water at well with windmill a short distance east of the mill. Water is also obtainable at a dug well in the center of Platina and at a ranch on the site of the old town of Ripley, a short distance farther south. From the mill a road leads southwest across Mesquite Valley.
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Locations: Sandy Mill.
11.6 Road forks. Geological Survey sign. Continue on left-hand road (south-west). Road on right leads to Pahrump, and to Tecopa and Zabriskie by way of Pahrump Valley. (See p. 208.)
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12.7 Cross northwest-southeast road.
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16. 3 Cross an old road. Main road continues southwest, ascending an alluvial slope into a canyon.
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 Looking east into Nevada from Winters Pass
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Locations: Winters Pass.
21.5 Summit of divide (Winters Pass). Road continues south and later southwest.
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 Winters Pass as seen from one of the small hills in Winters Pass Hills.
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27.1 Avoid branch road on left (south). (Kingston Road to Valley Wells).
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Between milepost 27.1 and 28.2, this road is not shown on current-day maps. However, it is still visible on air photos.
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28.2 Cross an arroyo in which are growing willows and cat's-claw.
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Between milepost 28.2 and 32.6, this road appears on 7.5 minute quadrangle maps as a 4WD road.
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32.6 Road comes in on right (north) from mine in Shadow Mountain.
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Between milepost 32.6 and 33.9, this road is not shown on current-day maps. However, it is still visible on air photos.
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33.9 Cross an old road.
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35.1 Old road comes in on right (northwest).
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Locations:
Francis Spring.
37.7 Francis Spring (on right). Geological Survey sign. The spring is about 200 feet southwest up the wash from a cattle trough and is covered with a wooden top. The water is classed as good for domestic use. From Francis Spring the road continues in a general southwesterly direction across a divide.
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Pond near Francis Spring, not mentioned by Thompson (1921), perhaps more recent.
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39.3 Road bends to right (southwest). Avoid old wagon tracks leading to left.
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Locations: Riggs Wash.
40.0 Old road on right (west) leads to a well near head of Riggs wash (1.5 miles). Geological Survey sign. The well at this place is in the form of a tunnel, from which water is piped to a trough. From mile 40.0 continue southwest, descending into canyon.
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View east near Francis Spring.
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View northeast to knob of granite
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Descending the canyon from Turquoise Mountain.
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47.5 Road forks. Continue southwest on right-hand road. Road to left (south) leads to Hytens Well (1 mile) and to Valley Wells. (See p. 209.)
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Locations: Hytens Well.
48.8 Road comes in on left (south of east) from Hytens Well, Valley Wells, Nipton, and Cima. (See p. 209.) Geological Survey sign. Continue west.
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View towards milepost 48.8, intersection with Halloran Springs Road.
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View west from near the intersection with Halloran Springs Road.
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53.4 Branch road comes in on right (northeast) from talc prospect.
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Locations: Silver Lake (site).
57.5 Silver Lake. Railroad crossing 0.1 mile south of station. Water, gasoline, meals, and sleeping accommodations for a limited number, and general supplies. From Silver Lake roads lead west to Barstow and Daggett (see p. 194) and to Leach Spring and Randsburg (see p. 174) ; north to Saratoga Springs, Owl Holes, and points in south Death Valley (see p. 202) ; and south to Baker and Soda stations (see p. 205).
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This route is used principally for local travel between the points mentioned, but also to some extent by persons going from the mines near Valley Wells to Barstow, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Travelers going to the latter points will probably find it best to go from Nipton south to Goffs by way of Murphy Well, Ivanpah, and Barnwell, and thence west along the National Old Trails road. The distance from Nipton by way of Goffs is about 50 miles greater than by way of Silver Lake, but on the former route the roads are better for the greater part of the distance, and several supply points are passed.
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Locations: Ivanpah Valley. Nipton.
0.0 Nipton. [Water, gasoline, food supplies, and sleeping accomodations for a limited number. From Nipton a road leads east to Searchlight, Nev. Water can probably be obtained on this road at Crescent wells.] Go west across south end of Ivanpah Valley.
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Locations: Murphy Well.
4.2 Geological Survey sign. Murphy Well 100 yards to left. Good water is obtainable here only when cattle are being fed in the valley, as a man then lives at the well and pumps water to a storage tank. A road leads south past the well to Ivanpah, Barnwell, Lanfair, and Goffs. (See mile 28.8 of log on p. 236.)
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5.9 Crossroads. Continue straight ahead (west). Road on left (south) leads to Cima, Ivanpah, Barnwell, and Goffs. Road on right (north) leads to Roach, Jean, and Goodsprings. (See mile 46.4 of log on p. 234.) This road does not appear on current maps, but can be faintly seen on air photos. On the edge of the clay lake bottom, relative to Ivanpah Road, it heads a little west of south until it joins the present-day Ivanpah Road, approximately 1.2 miles south of Nipton Road.
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6.6 Crossroads. Geological Survey sign. Continue straight ahead (west) up alluvial slope. Road on left (south) leads to Cima, Ivanpah, Barnwell, and Goffs. Road on right (north) leads to Roach, Jean, and Goodsprings. Judging from the distances from Murphy Well, I think this is probably the present-day Ivanpah Road.
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9.4 Old road comes in on left (southeast).
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Locations: Wheaton Spring.
11.2 Road comes in on right (northwest) in wash. Geological Survey sign. Continue west. Road on right is from Roach. Jean, and Goodsprings. Water may be obtained at Wheaton Spring, half a mile southwest of this road junction, where a green spot may be visible on hillside. The water is piped from a tunnel to a trough. No road leads to the spring.
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13.4 Roseberry Spring on right, just west of narrow pass. This spring is not dependable.
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Locations: Mexican Well.
14.1 Mexican Well on right of road. Water is of fair quality.
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Locations:
Mescal Spring.
14.6 Branch road to left (south) leads to Mescal Spring (see p. 212) and Cima. Mescal Spring is located about seven-tenths of a mile south and two-tenths of a mile west of this point. Continue west, avoiding branch roads leading north from main road, which continues west up the wash.
| This is likely Zinc Mine Road. The reference to "(see p. 212)" is a reference to routes between Silver Lake and Cima. It is not a reference to further information about Mescal Spring.
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19.1 Avoid old road on left. Main road bends to right (northwest) around point of long east-west hill.
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Locations: Mohawk Mine.
19.7 Camp of Mohawk mine on right.
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Locations: Copper World Mine.
20.5 Avoid branch road on right (around point of hill) to Copper World and other mines.
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20.9 Turn to left (south of west) on caterpillar road, which comes in on right (from east) from Copper World mine.
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23.3 Branch road on left (south) leads to Cima. (See p. 212.) Continue west.
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Locations:
Valley Wells Copper Smelter.
24.1 Pass Valley Wells copper smelter. A road comes in here on east from Cima. Continue west, descend hill, and turn slightly to left.
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24.2 Corral at Valley Wells. Geological Survey sign. Water of only fair quality obtainable from dug well about 500 feet north of Geological Survey sign on east side of wash. Continue southwest past ranch house.
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31.2 Old road conies in on left (southeast). This is impassable for automobiles.
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33.6 Avoid branch road on left (southwest).
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36.4 Faint road comes in on left (southeast).
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37.8 Faint road comes in on left (southeast). Shortly beyond main road bends sharply to right (north) across wash.
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38.0 Faint road branches to left (southwest) down wash. Geological Survey sign. Main road bends to right of hill.
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Locations: Halloran Springs.
38.1 Halloran Spring, 100 feet east of road. Water is of good quality. Continue north and later northwest.
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40.9 Old road conies in on right (from northeast). A short distance beyond the road divides, but the two branches unite again.
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Locations: Hytens Well.
42.6 Branch road on left leads to Hytens Well, about two-tenths of a mile from the road. (See p. 209.)
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42.7 Avoid branch road on right (north). Continue west. A road comes in here from Hytens Well.
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43.5 Road comes in on left (southeast).
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44.0 Road comes in on right (north of east). Geological Survey sign. Continue west. The road on right leads to Francis Spring, old Sandy mill, Goodsprings, and Pahrump Valley, (See mile 8.7 of log on p. 206.)
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48.6 Road comes in on right (northeast) from talc prospects.
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Locations: Silver Lake (site).
52.7 Silver Lake. Railroad crossing one-tenth of a mile south of station. Water, gasoline, general supplies, meals. and sleeping accommodations for a limited number. (See p. 208 for roads leading front Silver Lake.)
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Locations: Valley Wells Copper Smelter.
0.0 (19.9) Valley Wells. Just east of smelter. Road forks. Road to left leads to Nipton. Caterpillar road to right leads to Cima. Take right-hand road. [Water of only fair quality may be obtained at well in valley about 100 feet west of the smelter.]
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0.9 (19.0) Turn to right (south) on caterpillar road. Geological Survey sign. Old road continues east.
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11.4 (8.5) Old road comes in on right (northwest).
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13.9 (6.0) Road comes in onleft (north) to Mescal Spring and Mexican Spring. [Geological Survey sign. Main road bends slightly to right.]
| This is likely Kessler Peak Road that leads into the Piute Valley to Zinc Mine Road.
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14.9 (5.0) Kessler Spring. Water of good quality at wells in wash on left side of road.
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15.2 (4.7) Branch road on left (southeast) leads to Ivanpah. At about mile 19.4 the road to Cima leads through a gate.
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Locations: Cima.
19.9 (0.0) Cima railroad station. [Water, oil gasoline, and food supplies; sleeping accomodations for a limited number available. From Cima roads lead northwest to Ivanpah and Nipton, southeast to Lanfair and the National Old Trails road at Fenner, and southwest to Kelso. An old road, probably impassable for automobiles beyond Marl Spring, leads west and northwest to Baker and Silver Lake.]
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Travelers may reach Parker, Ariz., by three routes. One road branches from the National Old Trails road 3.5 miles north of Cadiz and leads to that station, whence it turns southeast along the Parker-Phoenix branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. This road for the first 18 miles beyond Cadiz is very rough and in places sandy. To avoid this some travelers continue on the National Old Trails road to Danby and then turn south, coming into the Cadiz- Parker road at Kilbeck, although this makes the journey 9 miles longer. Most …
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… travelers, however, continue on the transcontinental road to Needles and then turn south to Parker. This route is 37 miles longer than the Cadiz-Parker road but is much better, and the tourist will travel more comfortably and probably make better time by taking this route. It is also preferable, because on the Cadiz- Parker road supplies are usually not obtainable until Vidal is reached, although sometimes they may be obtained at Rice (formerly called Blythe Junction). Hotel accommodations for a few persons are available at Vidal and meals can be obtained at Rice. The route by way of Rice and Vidal is near the railroad for the entire distance, whereas the route by way of Needles covers a stretch of 60 miles through the open desert along which there is very little water. The latter road, however, is usually in good condition and is traveled almost daily. Each of the three roads is popularly known as the Parker Cut-off. The road to Parker from Cadiz and Danby is used by persons going to Vidal, Rice, and Blythe, and to Yuma and the Imperial Valley. A log is given for the stretch from the National Old Trails road, north of Cadiz, as far as Kilbeck, and the full log is given for the route from Dandy to Kilbeck and thence to Parker.
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