charcoal kilns

I'm fascinated by the things out there in the middle of nowhere. But I don't understand why the pavement suddenly stops where it does. So the last couple of miles is a really washboard road. There is a restroom option there at the trailhead in the parking lot.

As the road climbed to the kilns, we were treated to the sight of fresh sparkling snow! The craftsmanship of the kilns are interesting, well preserved and worth the drive.

OK , It's a long & winding drive to get there but if you plan the drive right you get a fascinating part of the old history of Mans (& Woman's) attempt to make a living out of Death Valley ! The Kilns were built in 1879 by Swiss engineers but sadly ran out of puff, pun intended folks !The Kilns are all in a remarkably good condition and worth a look ! I have never seen their like before and know I'll never see again and it was an interesting side bar to the trip through DVNP and you stop here for the Wildrose trek from the carpark. The dirt road is only a short stretch , don't be scared , especially if it's a hire car !!

Stop by the Charcoal Kilns on your way in to the Valley if you come through Trona. These 10 Kilns were built in the 1870's and are in amazingly good shape. Go inside and you can still smell the charcoal. This is also the start of the fabulous hike up Wildrose Peak.

let me caveat this, we stayed where most people stay, furnace creek. the drive, about 90 minutes each way. the payoff, a cool site, but unless you are there to hike to telescope or something else more substantial, save your time for other things. its just so far to get to them, that unless you enter the park from that side or have other plans, driving out for just the kilns just isnt worth it.

They are a real drive to get up on the mountain to see and are in ruins. Behave seen ones in far better repair elsewhere in Nevada.

Some 25 miles off the main Death Valley highway 190, then another 2 (was 6, but most recently tarmaced) on a 'so so' dirt road (quite OK for 2 w/d) to reach the kilns, will seem a wasted journey for some. But for the adventurous enthusiast, this is what a true 'Roadtrip' is all about.The kilns were built by - yes you guessed it - the Chinese late in the C19, for making charcoal from Juniper & Pinon trees that grow up at this high altitude, but were only used for about 5 years. Being isolated and little used they are well preserved - the best in The West, though they were 'renovated' some 10 years ago.They are a beautful site, high up in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees - 10 in a row like a row of centurians. Inside they smell of charcoal, a 1" layer covering the floor. Each is the size and shape of an old Stoke-On-Trent pottery kiln. But they are ony 50% the value of visiting this site. The journey itself is the other 50% - a relaxing quiet beautiful scenic drive not to be missed. You pass through a spectacular hoodoo/pinacle valley, followed by rolling high pleateau country, gt view points, wind through a deep valley, and finally take a long climb up a valley to the kilns - all wonderful clear and beautiful open country. And finally - its great to be out of the sweltering heat of the valley. Well worth it. And so peaceful - we only passed 2 cars on the journey, and had the site to ourselves. The decision is yours....

I've been to Death Valley dozens of times, and the road up to the charcoal kilns and on to Mahogany Flat remains one of my favorite parts of DVNP. They're not spectacular, but I love the adventure of driving up to see them. Trail to Rose Peak is up behind the kilns, and the road goes on up to Mahogany Flat, the trailhead to Telescope Peak.

I visited the kilns in November 2012 (not 2013 as indicated) with my two teenage daughters (third time for me). We couldn't believe we were driving on a bumpy dirt track to reach this unspoiled place. No parking lot, no tourist office, no facilities at all, we really felt out in the sticks. Thinking of those who worked there in earlier times in dreadful conditions was just amazing. For those interested in the history of Death valley, it's worth the detour.

The kilns are very well preserved but really are not worth the long drive with local petrol/diesel prices at $2 over the usual price.....the last 6 miles on a rough dirt road.

Getting to The Charcoal kilns is a very long drive but I guess it's worth it if you're looking for more adventure and scenic drive.and cooler temperatures (41 degrees ,march 2014).I'd say it's like driving from San Diego to Beaumont....the Charcoal kilns was built in 1877 which was used to convert pinyon and juniper logs to charcoal...

The kilns are interesting although they have been renovated so not exactly the original specimens we expected. It is a long drive especially with the price of gas/diesel in the park. Unusually for the fantastic National Park Service there is very little information about the kilns or that it is a very long drive the last 6 miles on a dirt road...

The Charcoal Kilns are in the Panamint Mountains that form the western side of Death Valley. . From Stovepipe Wells you get there by driving 9.3 miles west on RT-190 to Wildrose Rd where you turn left. Follow it another 13 miles to Wood Canyon Rd (AKA Charcoal Kilns Rd). Here you either have to make a sharp right turn to stay on Wildrose Rd toward Trona or left toward the Charcoal Kilns. Note: the road to this intersection to/from Trona to the West is marked as Closed. On March 4th the RT-178 end, North of Trona, was blocked with red cones across the whole road - however on March 5th we met some folks who said they drove it that day with 4 wheel drive with no problem - see http://www.nps.gov/deva/upload/Morning-Report.pdf which contains all the Death Valley road information information, sunrise/sunset times and the day's weather forecast and is updated each day. Anyway, at this intersection. Continue another 15 or so miles to the kilns. The last half of this stretch is dirt. The kilns are much larger than I expected from photo's I'd seen. There are waterless bathrooms there as well as historical signage. Photographing these kilns in mid day light is challenging. Early morning or late afternoon is better. Depending on which time of day you're there, you'll have better light on one side or the other (front in the PM, back in the AM). From the back you can climb the hill behind the kilns to get a more top down angle. If you have the gear with you, a very nice shot at dusk shot is to put lanterns (or other light sources) inside each kiln to cause the inside to glow with light spilling out the open doorways. Time this so there is still ample light to show the outside of the kilns and surrounding hillside but not so much that you lose the interior lighting affect I did not have the gear and was not there at the right time to do this. You will need a good tripod and/or flash to shoot the inside of the kilns, but those are very interesting shots. The outside is much more photographic where you have the entire row of kilns in the shot. Like a line of bee hives. Make sure you get both sun and shadow in the shot as the kilns, being made of the rocks found at the site, are the same color as the surrounding land. This means that they tend to blend into the background. So you, as the photographer, need to find a way to creatively use shadows to show the contour of the kilns and to isolate them from the background. One last note. These kilns are several thousand feet higher than the Death Valley Floor, and as such is much cooler than Stovepipe Wells. So, be sure to check road conditions before you go as many times there is snow there and bring a jacket - you may need it. If you found this information useful in your decision making process, you gleaned information you may not otherwise have discovered, or you just enjoyed reading it and appreciate the time I put into writing it, please give me a "helpful" vote. You're welcome to contact me through the "Ask Caifdan69 about ........." button at the bottom of this review.

A long drive there, the Kilns are well maintained, but unless one is continuing to the two long hikes, I don't believe it is worth the long drive just to see the Kilns. We also went to a abandon mines along the way, the mine is only 30 minutes from Stovepipe.

The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns were constructed in 1877 by Chinese Labor men in the employ of George Hearst. George Hearst had purchased into a mining operation at Lookout City (25 miles west of the Charcoal Kilns in the Argus Mountain Range). As the mining operation at Lookout City continued to grow the decision was made to build two furnaces directly at the mining site. Previously everything had been shipped to Panamint City to be crushed in their stamp mill. There was only one problem, there was limited lumber in the Argus Mountains which was needed to fuel the furnaces. Construction of the charcoal kilns in the Panamints was the solution.Once in operation the kilns employed roughly 40 woodcutters, and workmen. Remi Nadeau’s stage and freight company was hired to transport the charcoal from the kilns across the Panamint Valley to Lookout City three times per week.Each of the ten kilns stands roughly 25 feet tall, with a circumference of about 30 feet. Each kiln could hold up to 42 cords of wood, and could produce 2,000 bushels of charcoal.The men that worked at the kiln lived in the town of Wildrose. The location of the town has never been found, but it’s speculated that it may have been located near the kilns, or possibly at Wildrose Spring, 7 miles away. Due to there be no evidence of the location it was most likely a tent town with limited to no structures.Death Valley National Park states that the kilns had been used for three years (1877-1890). Most likely that is not so accurate. In the fall of the same year that construction was completed on the kilns (1877), the furnaces at Lookout City broke down and remained broken until May of 1878 (down time estimated at 5-6 months). Hearst and his associates had stopped mining the Modoc (the mine at Lookout City) in the later part of 1878. It wasn’t mined again until 1881 when it was leased to Frank Fitzgerald, by this time the kilns had already ceased operation. Based on my research I have determined that the kilns may have been used for the better part of a year and a half.The kilns are located off of the beaten path, however, it is worth the trip. You will not find kilns in this condition anywhere else in the western United States. During my latest trip I enjoyed lunch inside one of the 100+ year kilns, as it made for a cool break from the blazing sunshine.