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OUTDOORBLUEPRINT

Hike Wall Street Mill Trail

Joshua Tree National Park

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Hike Wall Street Mill Trail pano

1.8 Mi

out-and-back

1.5 - 2

Hours

90

Gain (ft)
4 Star Quality
Quality

Easy

Difficulty

This short hike to Wall Street Mill is a great route to do alongside Barker Dam. Whereas Barker Dam is a good place to learn about water storage and usage in the desert, Wall Street Mill offers a chance to see a well-preserved gold mill and remnants of an old residence. This area is rich with history from both native peoples and homesteaders. If you are to only choose one trail to spend extra time exploring, this is it.

Hike Wall Street Mill Trail Map
Marker Trailhead

From the Wall Street Mill trailhead, follow the well-defined trail as it travels northeast alongside a wash. Shortly after you start, look for a side trail leading off to the left towards a series of pink walls.

Highlight #1

This is the Wonderland Ranch, also known as the Ohlson House. Very little is known about the Ohlson family, besides that they were originally drawn here by the gold rush. Besides the house, you can also find a large cistern used to store water during dry summers. Once you’re done exploring the house, head about 100 feet west into the wash and look for a series of small caves. A short wall tells us that the Ohlson family used these caves as cold storage for food. Take a closer look at you might glimpse one of the petroglyphs and bedrock mortars which indicate that this site has been used for hundreds of years.

Wonderland Ranch

The remains of Wonderland Ranch (AKA Ohlson House)

Marker A

Continue east along another side trail to rejoin the main trail to Wall Street Mill, crossing the wash at 0.4 miles.

Highlight #2

Shortly after the wash you’ll pass by a crumbling wind mill at the Desert Queen Well. William Morgan dug this 116 foot deep well to support the operations of the Desert Queen Mine and livestock. Despite it’s small stature, the Desert Queen Well was a key watering hole for many years.

Desert Queen Well

This windmill used to be an important watering hole for livestock and mining operations

Continue ahead as the trail parallels the wash for another 0.5 miles. The next time the trail dips into the wash is just before the mill site.

Marker B

Wall Street Mill is the best-preserved gold mill in the area and is protected under the National Register of Historic Places. Learn all about how important this mill was for processing gold ore at the interpretive sign, then spend some time wandering around the mill site. A variety of old cars in various states of disrepair mark the landscape along with discarded mill waste.

Rusted old car

One of the very rusty cars near Wall Street Mill

Once you are done, be careful to follow the trail (not the wash) back towards the car.

    Directions

  • The Wall Street Mill trailhead is located east from the intersection of Park Boulevard and Hidden Valley Road. Turn east at Hidden Valley Campground and continue straight for 1.7 miles, passing the parking lots for Echo Rock and Barker Dam along the way. Shortly after the road turns to dirt, turn left onto Wall Street Mill Road (unsigned) and continue another 0.3 miles to the road’s terminus.
  • Driving Directions

    Permits & Fees

  • $25 : Joshua Tree Entrance Fee

    Season

  • Year Round

What's Nearby?

Barker Dam Trail

Barker Dam Trail

Queen Mountain Trail

Queen Mountain Trail

Hidden Valley Campground

Hidden Valley Campground

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