Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

Located in Death Valley's Wildrose Canyon at an elevation of 6,800 feet are ten beehive-shaped structures made of masonry. Each of them reaches a height of 25 feet with a base circumference of 30 feet. These are the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns.

Built in 1877, the charcoal kilns were used to produce fuel for the two silver-lead smelters of the Modock Consolidated Mining Company owned by George Hearst. With a 96% pure carbon content, charcoal burns longer and hotter than other fuels, providing the sustained temperatures needed to melt and refine minerals. When operating at peak capacity, the stone ovens provided employment to 40 woodcutters and workmen.

Each of the kilns could contain 42 cords of wood, typically pinyon pine logs from the surrounding area. A weeklong burning process would yield about 2,000 bushels of charcoal per unit. The product was then freighted 25 miles west by wagon and jackass pack train to the smelters in the Argus Range. The kilns were only in operation for two years, however, as the quality of the ore in the Argus mines deteriorated, forcing a shutdown of the furnaces.

Owing to fine workmanship and the brief time they were in use, the Wildrose Charcoal Kilns are widely acclaimed as the finest example of such facilities in the West. They are located on the western side of Death Valley National Park. To get there, take Wildrose Canyon road off California Highway 178 between Panamint Springs and Trona. Note that the last three miles of the road are not paved and subject to closure during storm periods.