Daytrippin’ Inyo Mine
DEATH VALLEY
Once upon a time I was married and all he ever wanted to do was drive around all fucking day and explore abandoned mines, a generally common past time for those living in Nevada. I was in my air conditioning and mojitos phase so this didn’t interest me much. And I didn’t like him, so there was that. Ten years later I’m traveling around exploring dirt roads and abandoned ghost towns living his dream. Life’s funny that way. Anyway, I did this trail and it made me think of him and how much he would have loved it. And I loved it because he wasn’t there. The end.
Just kidding, about the end part at least.
I didn’t even know about the Inyo Mine trail until I picked up a Death Valley National Forest map from the Visitor’s Center down in Furnace Creek. While I usually scoff at stopping by those kinds of places, the first thing I’m going to tell you is get down there and get a copy of this map. It is crazy comprehensive and easy to read. It’s also free so long as you bring your park ticket or America the Beautiful pass card.
Before You Go
This is an overlooked trail for two reasons: 1. It’s not close so it takes a fair amount of time and effort to get there and 2. you should have a 4x4 vehicle, preferably with clearance. The trail is nine miles long of basically washboard gravel the entire way. There are a few patches of dirt and soft silting rock, but it’s few and far between. If you don’t plan on continuing down Echo Canyon after visiting Inyo Mine, the clearance thing is a moot point, meaning you won’t be rock crawling or doing anything that wild. I could’ve taken my BMW X6, but I wouldn’t. This is a Jeep or truck activity unless you have a little crossover you don’t give a shit about.
Getting There
As you’ll see on your map, Inyo Mine is located right off the 190 on Echo Canyon Rd just before you get into Furnace Creek. If you get around the bend and see the hotel, you’ve gone too far. There’s no sign for the road until you get on it so make sure if you’re heading north on 190, you’re keeping your eyes peeled for a nondescript dirt road on your right.
Once you’re onto the road, you’ll see a sign to your right indicating that you are in fact on Echo Canyon road. Below that you’ll see it specifically says “PERMIT REQUIRED”. This one fucked me up a little because nowhere on the .gov website did I read that Echo Canyon was permit only. I was aware that it’s a particularly rough trail, especially after the Inyo Mine turn-off so I was concerned that a permit might be for off roading but it is not; the permit is required for on site camping only and does not apply to daytrippers.
The Trail
As you drive down the washboard road, you’re going to quickly realize that 10mph is about as fast as you can go. This being said, I’d say the average trip time is about an hour to an hour and a half to get to the mine itself. As you follow the road, you’ll head straight into a fold in the mountain and this slot canyon is the beginning of your adventure!
You’ll wind your way through the canyon and see camping spots just off the road to the left and right. Be cognizant that others could be coming from the opposite direction through some of these slot canyons as there is only room for one vehicle at a time. Be considerate - unlike the California asshole in the Santa Fe that I came bumper to bumper with. If you’re reading this Mr. Santa Fe, go fuck yourself! Anyhoo, the canyon is very deep and incredibly beautiful so stop and take pictures, look around. It’ll feel like you’ve been on this trail for quite a while; that’s because you have. Eventually you’re going to come across a switchback canyon and at the top of the rock is a keyhole. To be honest, depending on the time of day, it’s harder to see. I almost missed it midday but coming back in the afternoon, it was much easier to make out.
Once you get to the keyhole rock, you’re only four miles from Inyo Mine. Yay!!
Right before you get to the mine, there’s a very clear split in the road indicating that the alternate trail is the other half of Echo Canyon. When they say this is a high clearance short length vehicle, they are not joking. I’ve done this trail from the other direction years before, and it was treacherous and unnerving. I had to get out and spot several times, and we still scraped the bottom of my Jeep in two places. If you have any second thoughts, do not go that way.
INYO MINE
On the day I did this trail, I showed up to the site and was the only person there. It is so quiet and because of the way the mountains sit, there’s not a lot of wind movement. Feels very The Hills Have Eyes if you know what I mean.
Right up front you’ll notice an ore loader with some machinery and two miner’s houses to the left, one of which is pretty cool and built into the side of the hill. There’s also a table out front with litter from the surrounding area. Most of it is junk but there are still some great finds if you feel like sorting through rusty metal and broken glass and are current on your Tetanus shot.
To the right are two other abandoned miner’s cabins, one barely hanging on by a timber and the other surprisingly in good shape with a tin roof, a heater and the remnants of a long gone mattress.
Higher on the hill is another chute with ore cart tracks leading into the main mine opening. Just know that the chute is extremely large and looks a hell of a lot closer than it is. That being said, the road to get up there is way rutted and washed out, a lot like the other side of Echo Canyon. I walked it, and it was still tough. Once you get to the platform for the chute, you’ll see the mine just behind it. Directly to the right is an open mineshaft. Watch your footing and your children. I threw a rock down it, and it’s definitely deep.
Up the mountain almost to the top on the left is another entry to the mine. I didn’t go that far because I’m fat and was in the process of having a heart attack in the middle of the desert all alone.
Overall, this is a great daytrip if you don’t mind a few bumps along the way. The site is still in exceptional condition compared to many others, especially with the equipment. The mine face is open if you’re feeling daring and want to explore. The best part is you’re missing all the crowds because most Death Valley traffic isn’t going to schlep nine miles off the main road.
A Death Valley attraction all to yourself?! Fuck yeah!
xoxo, The Bitter Bitch
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