Ballarat and the Rainbow Chasers
At the end of every rainbow is a pot of gold. Parked at the base of the Panamint Mountains are the remains of Ballarat, California. Founded in 1876 as a supply center for gold mines and prospectors, Ballarat lasted 21 years. After the post office closed in 1970, Ballarat became home for two famous rainbow chasers: Shorty Harris and Seldom Seen Slim. Learn more about these colorful prospectors, and the ghost town of Ballarat in this video.

Searching for Wyatt Earp's Gold Mine - NEW Bonus Edition Containing Interview with Author Ken Cilch!
In his book, Wyatt Earp, The Missing Years, the author Ken Cilch reports that Wyatt staked several claims in the Mojave and the Sonoran deserts. Earp bought his only home in Vidal, California, near the Colorado River and filed a number of claims at the base of the Whipple Mountains. Join DesertUSA as we search with the author Ken Cilch to find the location of his claims.

Trona Pinnacles
The Trona Pinnacles are some of the most unique geological features in the California desert. The Pinnacles have been featured in many commercials and films. In Star Trek: The Final Frontier, the crew of the Enterprise landed on this strange planet. These unique rock formations were created about 10,000 years ago, and give you the feeling that you are on another planet.

Randsburg, Living Ghost Town
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 Today the gold mining activities have been replaced by tourists shopping for antiques, part-time prospectors, and off-roaders looking for food and a rest stop.  

The Kingsnake
The Kingsnake gets its name from its habit of eating other snakes, and is most famous for eating rattlesnakes, copperheads and coral snakes. But it also feeds on other snakes, lizards, birds and their eggs, small mammals, turtles and frogs. This is one snake you want on your property. more videos like this

The Desert Food Chain
A food chain constitutes a complex network of organisms, from plants to animals, through which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and dissipates in the form of waste heat. The desert food chain features unique forms of plants and animals capable of surviving conditions of high heat and very little water.

The Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties, all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail. Most rattlesnakes, when disturbed, normally try to withdraw. But if they think they are cornered, the explosive sizzling buzz of their rattles is an unmistakable warning to retreat. more videos like this

The Black Widow Spider
The female black widow spider is the most venomous spider in North America, but it seldom causes death to humans, because it only injects a very small amount of poison when it bites. Black Widows spin webs that lack shape and form. The silk is stronger than most spiders. more videos like this

The Tarantula
The tarantula family includes the largest spiders known. The Goliath Tarantula (Theraposa leblondi) which inhabits South America, reaches a body length of 5 inches with a leg span of up to 12 inches. Tarantulas occur worldwide. Those found in North America occur in the southern and southwestern states. more videos like this

The Saguaro
Saguaros often begin life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which provides a shaded, moister habitat. The largest plants are estimated to be 200 years old and can reach heights of 15 to 50 feet.