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| Hiking | 5.50 Miles |
1,700 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.50 Miles | 5 Hrs 20 Mns | | 1.03 mph |
| 1,700 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | With the discovery of Silver ore (Silver Chloride)at the Chloride Cliffs in August,1871, Chloride City reportedly became the first mining venture on the east side of Death Valley in the Funeral Mountain Range. One of the highlights of this day trip you will not want to miss is the excellent viewpoint from the 5279 foot Chloride Cliffs highpoint. You will be looking down the length-north & south of Death Valley, more than 5000 feet below.
The main attraction of this day outing is the remote and scenic hike down from the TH/Parking area to the Big Bell Mine Complex located 2.75mls and -1408 feet below the TH Start (between the popular Keane Wonder Mine and the Chloride Cliffs). This Big Bell Complex has a very interesting and educational Gold Mining History. The majority of its well preserved remains date back from the 1935-37 time period with tons of old surviving mining equipment to view and numerous, large adits you can carefully walk into. A very well preserved mining site- frozen in time, and once fought over by a real western gunfight 
IF you enjoy:
..scenic 4x4ing to reach a remote, scenic destination;
..mining history with well preserved structures, tons of old mining equipment, and numerous adits to explore;
..a scenic highpoint at 5279' to view the depths and length of Death Valley;
..and are a capable GPS user who can download and follow the attached GPS hiking "and" GPS driving route attached to this HAZ hike description;
..visiting this area of DV in only Dec-Jan-Feb-early March;
..hiking downhill -1408' in the beginning of the hike, then uphill coming back for a total of 1700'AEG;
THEN  , this hike and exploration area should be on your "must do list" when visiting Death Valley National Park;
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Edit Update- April,2010:
PLEASE NOTE: The NPS has issued a "closure notice" for this area as follows- "Closed Area: Until the site can be made safer--while also preserving the historic features of the site and protecting those areas used by wildlife--the National Park Service has decided to close the Keane Wonder Mine and surrounding area to public access. The closed area is from the junction of Keane Wonder Road and Beatty Cut-off Road east to Chloride City, and approximately one mile both north and south of Keane Wonder Mine, including Keane Wonder Mill, Cyty Mill, Big Bell and King Midas Mines. For questions or a map of the closed area, ask at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center." Also, for more information and possible updates regarding this DVNP "area closure notice" see NPS link- http://www.nps.gov/deva/historyculture/ ... r-mine.htm ;
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| (Outside.. "there is No Place Like It!!") |
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