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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: Panamint Mountains


The Panamint Mountains rise from the floor of Death Valley to form its western barrier. This immense range of twisted, sharply creased sedimentary rock is crossed by only one road south of Wildrose and Emigrant Canyons, that accesses Death Valley itself. This desert byway pierces the heart of the Panamint Range, running between Wingate Road south of the ghost town of Ballarat, and West Side Road in Death Valley. The route crosses the summit of the Panamints at 4,328-foot-high Mengel Pass, via Goler Canyon, Butte Valley and Warm Springs Canyon. The range runs north-south for approximately 100 miles through Inyo County, forming the western wall of Death Valley and separating it from the Panamint Valley to the west. The range is part of the Basin and Range Province, at the western end of the Great Basin. The highest peak in the range is Telescope Peak with an elevation of 11,049 feet .
The Panamint mountains are the backdrop to death valley Both Mount Whitney and the Badwater Basin in Death Valley are visible from some points on the Panamint Range, making it the only location in the country where one can simultaneously see both the highest and lowest points in the Contiguous United States. Telescope Peak is also notable for having one of the greatest vertical rises above local terrain of any mountain in the contiguous United States. Its summit rises 11,331 feet above the lowest point in Death Valley, Badwater Basin at -282 feet  in about 15 miles, and about 10,000 feet above the floor of Panamint Valley in about 8 miles.

The historic mining town of Ballarat, now a ghost town, is on the Panamint's western side. The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns ruins are near Wildrose Canyon in the northern area. From 1897 to 1905, Ballarat was home and headquarters for 400 to 500 people. It hosted 7 saloons, 3 hotels, a Wells Fargo station, post office, school, a jail and morgue, but not one church. Ballarat was an oasis of fun, frolic, and relaxation, a town to go to and blow off the dust of long trails and hard work. The town began its decline when the Ratcliff Mine, in Pleasant Canyon east of town, suspended operations. Other mines nearby also began to play out, and in 1917 the post office closed and all that remained were a few diehard prospectors and desert rats.
Death Valley National Park has lots of great desert scenery but is most famous for it's hot temperatures. The majestic prettiness of Death Valley National Park is there for your viewing satisfaction. There are loads of cool things to do for everybody. There is good outdoors recreation at Death Valley National Park, so you may have a good time during your stay. These mountains rock, just explore all the entertaining things to do in the Panamint Range. Death Valley is generally sunny, dry, and clear throughout the year. The winters are mild with occasional winter storms, but summers are extremely hot and dry. Summer high temperatures commonly run above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Comfortable clothing providing sun protection and a broad brimmed hat are recommended in summer. Winter requires warmer clothing and light to medium jackets. Sturdy walking shoes are important year round.
panamint mountains are where they found the Manson family hide out Although the Twenty Mule Teams, prospectors with their burros, and lost pioneers represent the extent of human history in Death Valley to most people, it actually started long before and continues today. Native people have been here since at least the end of the last Ice Age. Towns and mining camps have come and gone. Mining companies have moved from harvesting the mineral wealth to developing the valley for tourism. Most recently, Death Valley has become a cherished National Park, visited by humans from around the globe.

The Timbisha Shoshone Indians lived here for centuries before the first white man entered the valley. They hunted and followed seasonal migrations for harvesting of pinyon pine nuts and mesquite beans with their families. To them, the land provided everything they needed and many areas were, and are, considered to be sacred places.

Badwater Basin, in Death Valley National Park, is the lowest place in North America and one of the lowest places in the world at 282 feet below sea level. The Dead Sea, between Israel and Jordon, is the lowest at 1371 feet below sea level.
 Panamint Valley is great for back roads exploring & old mines. Cerro Gordo & Ballarat are nearby ghost towns. Darwin Falls is a nearby hike & the south pass entrance to Saline Valley is just up the hill.  At the base of the Inyo mountains is the site of the infamous Barker Ranch, where the Manson family once lived. Barker Ranch is located in a rock and boulder filled valley in the Panamint Range. It is only accessible by sandy, primitive and rugged roads. Streams feed this little valley and provide much vegetation. There is a small one room guest house located to the side of the main house. There is also a makeshift swimming pool (this was probably a cistern to store water from the spring) made from cement and rock boulders towards the back of the property. The Inyo County sheriff department, California Highway Patrol, and National Park Service law enforcement captured the group in raids on October 10 and October 12, 1969. Manson was caught hiding under the bathroom vanity.
 
 
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