Charcoal Kilns

These are seven of the ten charcoal kilns in Wildrose Canyon in Death Valley National Park. The park website has the following information: "The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns were completed in 1877 by the Modock Consolidated Mining Company to provide a source of fuel suitable for use in two smelters adjacent to their group of lead-silver mines in the Argus Range west of Panamint Valley, about 25 miles distant from the kilns. Although the mines themselves were worked intermittently until about 1900, there is no clear evidence that the charcoal kilns were operational after 1879. Evidently either other fuel sources were located or it was found to be more profitable to ship the raw ore elsewhere for processing. This short life may help to explain the remarkably good condition of these kilns, more than 100 years after their construction." After watching the sunset at Mesquite Flat, we drove to these charcoal kilns where we spent the night, going from 90F temperatures to snow on the ground. We spent the night in the back of our car, but there were a few others there who slept in the kilns. This photo was taken the next morning after sunrise and before we headed on to the west.