Eagle Cliff Miner's Cabin

A couple buddies of mine wanted to hike Joshua Tree National Park, so I was racking my brain... what's the best hike in the Park?? So many great ones to choose from, but I finally decided upon the Eagle Cliff Miner's Cabin hike. Not only does it go through some of the prettiest scenery in the Park, but you have a wonderful surprise waiting for you when you get to your destination!

Eagle Cliff Miner's Cabin isn't a secret in the strict sense of the word, but it's certainly not something the average visitor hikes to or even knows about. It can be difficult to find, and the trail sometimes disappears, so some navigation skills are required to find the place. I first posted about it in September of 2016 here, and, if memory serves, I think this was my third hike to the area. The Eagle Cliff Mine dates back to 1895. Bill Keys reportedly held possession of the mine for many years. The mine was so remote that the ore had to be packed out by burro. I've never found information about who actually built the miner's cabin.

My hiking partners enjoying the trail. Hey, wait up, guys! What's the hurry? These two are obviously not photographers. I usually hike solo, and I hike at a slow pace because I'm looking for photo opportunities or poking around in the rocks looking for pictographs. I had forgotten what it's like to hike with actual hikers!

The Weather Gods were smiling upon us this day. Beautiful blue skies, comfortable temperatures, and no wind. Eagle Cliff Miner's Cabin is at about 4600' in elevation (classified as Mojave Desert), so more rainfall and greater plant diversity than the lower elevation Colorado Desert. Here you can see Nolina, Mojave Yucca, and desert scrub oak.

The rock formations are impressive throughout the area. Unlike the NE section of Joshua Tree National Park were I do a lot of my hiking, the rocks in this area are "harder" and seem less prone to erosion. Arches and alcoves are relatively rare. This is "classic" Joshua Tree.

Grumpy face??

The view over the top of these Mojave Yuccas is impressive!

Pat and John in front of a mine shaft.

Pat checking out the view from Eagle Cliff.

Finally we manage to find the general area where both the mine and cabin are located. Do you see the cabin? No, I don't either. My point being, even if you were able to find this area, you could walk right by the cabin without seeing it.

OK, that's a little better. I think I see something up ahead. Gotta love that late afternoon golden light! Let's take a look inside...

Wow, look at this! The amount of old mining artifacts and other items from bygone years is truly impressive.

What a beautiful view from inside the cabin. If we walk outside the cabin and look in, here's what it looks like:

Someone put a lot of work into this place many years ago, and the fact that it's still standing speaks to the quality of their workmanship.

Just a quick power-nap and we will be ready to hike the trail back to our car!

I hope you enjoyed this adventure. Until next time!

Linking with Skywatch Friday and My Corner of the World.

Thanks for stopping by!!