DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR JOHN BARTON PAYNE, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 490-B ROUTES TO DESERT WATERING PLACES IN THE MOHAVE DESERT REGION, CALIFORNIA BY DAVID G. THOMPSON Prepared in cooperation with the Department of Engineering of the State of California WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1921 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR JOHN BARTON PAYNE, Secretary UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE 0ns SMITH, Director Water-Supply Paper 490-B ROUTES TO DESERT WATERING PLACES IN THE MOHAYE DESERT REGION, CALIFORNIA BY DAVID G. THOMPSON Prepared in cooperation with the Department of Engineering of the State of California WASHINGTON GOVBBNMBNT PKINTING OFFICE 1921 CONTENTS. ! Page. Preface, by O. E. Meinzer__________________________'._ 1 Introduction-_____ ___ ____________________ 87 < Scope of report- _______ __________________________ 87 ; Location and extent of area _ ______ ___ ______ 87 Sources Of information ____ _________________ 88 1 The maps___________________________________ 88 ' ; Acknowledgments _____________________________ 90 General description of the region_______________________ 91 1 > Name_____________________________________ 91 ; Physiography _:__ _*___________________________ 92 Geology____________________________________ 95 Climate _____________________________________ 96 Soils _______________________________________ 97 Plant and animal life_____________________________ 98 1 Natural resources : ____ _ __ __ 99 "; ' Railroads and settlements _____ 101 Suggestions for desert travel________________________ _ 103 1 General counsel___________J___________________ 103 Equipment_______ __________________________ 105 Road difficulties_______________________=_______ 106 Roads to watering places ________________________ 108 ' Types of watering places __________:___________ 108 ' Finding watering places____ _ __________________ 110 ' Quality of desert waters____________________ __ _ 110 Emergencies__________________________,__ ___ 112 Main routes of the desert _ _ ____ ___ _ _ 112 Western route (Midland Trail) :___________________ 113 Central route (National Old Trails road)______ ________ __ 114 Southern routes (Ocean to Ocean Highway)______________ 114 Routes between Los Angeles and Phoenix___________________ 115 Road logs__J__ ! _____ _ ____ 116 ' San Bernardino-Needles-Topock (National Old Trails road).____ 118 San Bernardino to Topock______________________ 118 Topock to San Bernardino_______ __________ __ 124 San Bernardino to Bear Valley ________________ __ 130 San Bernardfno-Atolia*Randsburg _ _ 130 San Bernardino to Atolia and Randsburg (direct route) _ 131 Randsburg and Atolia to Barstow, Victorville, and San Ber­ nardino (direct route)________________________ 133 San Bernardino to Randsburg and Hinkley by way of Hawes__ 134 Randsburg and Hinkley to San Bernardino by way of Hawes and Helendale ranch ______________ _ 136 Vietorville-Palmdale________________-____________ 138 Victorville to Palmdale ______________________ 138 Palmdale to Victorville-_______________ _ 139 m IV CONTENTS. Road logs Continued. Page. Vietorville to Adelanto and El Mirage post offices and Lancaster___ 140 Victorville-Lucerne Valley-Bear Lake__________________ 142 Victorville to Lucerne Valley and Bear Lake___________ 142 Bear Lake to Lucerne Valley and Victorville _________ 144 Victorville to Old Woman Spring, Bock CbrVal, etc__________ 145 Victorville-Barstow-Daggett (by way of Stoddard Well)___ __ 147 Victorville to Barstow and Daggett________________ 14T Daggett and Barstow to Victorville________,_j__;__- __ '148 Barstow and Daggett to Box S ranch and Bear Valley 150 Barstow-Kramer-Mojave___________________--..._,-_-<_ . 150 Barstow to Kramer, Randsburg, and Moj^ve_*.*__ +.,_.^^- 150 Mojave to Kramer and Barstow_______ _ r- .-.*. 152 Hinkley to Atolia and roads in Harper Valley .___ ._.,__ 154 Lancaster-Muroc _______ _ *___ . 154 Lancaster to Muroc__________-__ u*_ _ _ : 164 Muroc to Lancaster_________ _ _ _ _ < . 155 Palmdale and Lancaster to Fairmont, Neenach, and the Ridge route*. ' 157 . Routes between Mojave and Los Angeles____ _ _ . -. 157 Mint Canyon route____________________ __ 158 Bouquet Canyon route. _ ;159 Mojave to Bakersfield and San Francisco _ ___ _ 159 Mojave-Inyokern-Little Lake-Big Pine (Midland Trail)__>- _~ 159 Mojave to Inyokern and Little Lake________________ ; 160 Little Lake to Inyokern and Mojave- _ i_ 161 Inyokern to Westend, Borosolvay, and Trona ____ ____~- 163 Mojave-Randsburg _____________ _ _ : 163 Mojave to Randsburg by way of Cantil and Garlock- _ ___*, 164 Randsburg to Mojave by way of Garlock and Canttt-.__ __w« 164 Mojave to Randsburg by way of Atolia __, ^ -165 Randsburg to Mojave by way of Atolia ,_,! 166 Randsburg-Trona ___________________:____________ * 167 Randsburg to Trona__________ _________________ 167 Trona to Randsburg_'.____________ 169 Randsburg to Inyokern, Brown, and Midland Trail___* .__ 170 Randsburg-Silver Lake ________- _, *. .-_____, ..- 171 Randsburg to Silver Lake by way of Granite Wells, Leach Point, and Two Springs___ _ ,._ , -'. >. -173 Silver Lake to Randsburg by way of Two Springs, Leach Point, and Granite Wells_____.*___....___ - 174 Road to Quail Spring and Golden Fleece prospect j. __ 178 Randsburg and Atolia to Silver Lake by way of Blackwater Well, Copper City, and Indian Spring-- - < ; . 178 Silver Lake to Atolia and Randsburg by way of Indian Spring, Copper City, and Blackwater Well ^ --«.,- *- 180 Barstow-Ballarat_____________ *.--j~. ^ J.-_-_- 181 Barstow to Ballarat (direct route) _ - _ , -. 181 Ballarat to Barstow (direct route)^ . ._- t- 184 Barstow to Ballarat by way of Indian Spring and Hidden Spring- 186 Ballarat to Barstow by way of Hidden Spring and Indian Spring- 188 Barstow-Goldstone ___________ 7 ; -. __ ; 189 Barstow to Lanes Well and Goldstone ^ :_ a 189 Goldstone to Barstow ---»*.: : -^^- 190 logs Continued. ;. !;. Barstow tp Coolgardie camp and connecting .ri*a*Ja_4.> ;*4+ Barstow-Stlver Lake_4_-_,.~4H-; :-«..*-, i*^r,-^.-i Barstow to Silver lake v-__.,^+r^u**r4 191 Silver Lake to Barstow ^ -u-w.*.! 194 Barstow-Saratoga Springs-Shoshone ________ ^. *-*--, _ 196 Barstow to Saratoga Springs and Shoshone by way of. south Death Valley_* >~u.______^.__,,«.__,_^__^-_*,^__- 196 Shosbone and Zabriskle to Saratoga Springs and Barstow:,,by . way of south Death Valley, __. , - ..»..**- .. 199 Silver Lake-Saratoga Springs-Owl .Bofes-Bandsbnrg-* 4.^ ^.*,4>_ 202 Silver Lake to Saratoga Springs, south Death Valte$. Owl .Holes, and Leach Spring-________^_____-___ci «.*-. 202 Bandsburg to Owl Holes, Saratoga Springs, south Death Valley, and Silver Lake___________________:_-_i_;__._ , 208 Silver Lake to Baker and Soda stations-,-- __n___*.v___ ^- I 205 Silver Lake Goodsprings _______________________«*». 205 Silver Lake, Calif., to Goodsprings, Nev»______ _____, 205 Goodsprings, Nev., to Silver Lake, Calif______»_*»_.__»_w. 20? Silver Lake to Tecopa by way of Pahrump Valley_________ 208 Silver Lake-Nipton-Cima_________________________ 209 Silver Lake to Mpton___________,____________ 209 Nipton to Silver Lake__i______________________ 210 Silver Lake to Cima___________________________ 212 Cima to Silver Lake__________________________ 212 Daggett to Barstow-Ballarat road_____________________ 213 Daggett-Silver Lake-Death Valley_____________________ 214 Daggett to Silver Lake and Death Valley______________ 214 Silver Lake to Yermo and Daggett_______________ - 215 Daggett to Bitter Springs and Silver Lake_____________ 216 Daggett to Ord Mountain and Stoddard Well-.:____________ 217 Newberry (Water post office) to old Camp Cady__________ _ 218 Lavic to Imperial and Sunshine mines- _________________ 219 Ludlow (Stagg post office) to Crucero and Cronise Valley_-___ 219 Ludlow (Stagg post office) to Stedman_________________ 220 Bagdad to Orange Blossom mine, Providence Mountains, and Kelso_ 221 Amboy to Dale_________________________________ 221 Oadiz-Danby-Parker _ _______________________ 221 National Old Trails road to Kilbeck by way of Cadiz_______ 222 Danby, Calif., to Parker, Ariz., by way of Kilbeck and Rice,__ 222 Parker, Ariz. (Ferry), to Danby and Cadiz, Calif_______ 224 Milligan to Wilhelm Camp and Sunflower Spring___________ 227 Danby to Bonanza Spring and Clipper Mountain___________ 227 Danby to Weavers Well and Sunflower Spring_____________ 227 Fenner to Hidden Hill mine and Kelso__________________ 228 Fenner to Bonanza King mine and Domingo's ranch__________ 228 Fenner-Cima_________________________________ 229 Fenner to Cima____________________________ 229 Cima to Fenner_____________________________ 230 Oima to Kelso and Marl Spring______________________ 231 Cima-Ivanpah-Nipton_______________'____________ 232 Cima to Ivanpah and Nipton_____________ _ _.__ 232 Nipton to Ivanpah and Cima___________T__________ 232 71 CQTSITESFEB. Road logs Continued. '» Goffs-Barnwell-Goodsprings____ __-: ; _ : ~_ -,- -- 233 Goffs to Barnwell, Calit, and Goodsprings, Nev_^_ ___i__ __ ' 233 Goodsprings, Nev., to Barnwell and Goffs, Calif; - x-ii._L_ 235 Lanfair-Cima__________________.___.~___.__>__.^_ 237 Lanfair to Cima._______________ _ .u...^---^!' 1 237 Cima to Lanfair__________._.____,________^__ _-*__:___ 238 National Old Trails road to Searchlight and Las Vegas (Arrowhead Trail)______________i.;_____*i____________j^_-_d^ 238 Needles-Parker ____________________.________ ..-__ . 239 Needles, Calif, to Parker, Arlz________;_ _ 1_ 23» Porker, Aria., to Needles, Calif__________-_ - 241 Needles-Parker road to Carson