Pleasant Canyon

Just behind Ballarat townsite to the east, lies the road that travels up Pleasant Canyon, a wonderfully enjoyable drive of class 2-3 usually. Weather, of course, can up the ante to class-4 if a flood happens by. This trip is “just right” for the average backroad explorer with a four wheel drive rig, as it takes us from the desert floor of Panamint Valley to the high reaches of the Panamint Range crest, through pines and past mines. Clair Camp (site of the Ratcliff Mine) and the World Beater Mines are in here ready to explore. Many ruins still stand. At the summit (Rogers Pass) we are standing on the edge of the world, looking easterly down into Butte Valley to the south and Death Valley to the east and north.

Lower in the Canyon are small stream crossings where the brush grows in tightly around the road. Wild burros live in this canyon, and are frequently seen foraging for food. If we have only one day, and want to experience the mining areas of the western Panamints, this drive is highly recommended, and can be done in just about any 4wd vehicle. It is popular though, so watch for occasional traffic. This road does not go through to the other side, however it does allow a round trip back through South Park Canyon, although a portion of South Park is not for the timid by any stretch of the imagination (it has an extremely dangerous place called Chicken Rock that has fatal consequences should a driver miscalculate). Returning back down through Pleasant Canyon is highly recommended!