Ocotillo Wells SVRA
Gas Domes
Devil's Slide | Gas Domes| Arroyo Salado | Video
To reach this natural phenomenon, on the Gas Dome Trail east of Pole Line Road. These mysterious, volcano-like mud pots of bubbling liquid are located approximately one and a half miles into the public lands of the Bureau of Land Management. Cold to the touch, the gray water releases large bubbles of gas. These mud pots of bubbling liquid are constantly building themselves up by depositing more and more of the fine clay particles on the surface as the waters dries. The color comes from various minerals in the soil dissolved water and brought up from underground by the rising gases. These domes are similar to the more active carbon dioxide mud pots near the Salton Sea. The domes have been fenced to protect their fragile soil structure. The flow makes the hill grow larger over time.
Click here to view a video on Ocotillo Wells.
Devil's Slide | Gas Domes| Arroyo Salado | Video
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Joshua Tree National Park - Black Eagle Mine Road Video - Beginning 6.5 miles north of the Cottonwood Visitor Center, this dead-end dirt road runs along the edge of Pinto Basin, crosses several dry washes, and then winds up through canyons in the Eagle Mountains. The first 9 + miles of the road are within the park boundary. Beyond that point is BLM land. Several old mines are located near this road.
Ocotillo Wells - Are You Riding Your ATV Over Gold? One of the most famous prospectors of the time, trapper/gold seeker "Pegleg Smith" traveled through the Anza Borrego region. It's rumored he discovered black gold somewhere in the east part of the Park. Where he found his gold has never been discovered, or if it has, the location has never been published or verified.
Randsburg, Living Ghost Town Video
Randsburg, California is located southwest of Ridgecrest, just off of Highway 395. Gold was first discovered here in 1895 at the Yellow Aster Mine. The mines of the area have produced over one million ounces of gold. Today the gold mining activities have been replaced by tourists shopping for antiques, part-time prospectors, and off-roaders looking for food and a rest stop.
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