Georgetown Junction, historic crossroads along the Lincoln Highway

Map of the area between Kyburz and Strawberry, and The Georgetown Junction. Click map for larger view.

Leaving Strawberry, we head down the old Lincoln Highway, which Highway 50 closely follows today. However, there are many places along the freeway where the Lincoln Highway followed a more casual route. Milestone 41 is one such road, which today acts as an entrance to summer cabins. A number of these milestone roads were the Lincoln Highway, including Milestones 34 and 35. Another place the old road veers from today’s path is Wright’s Lake Road and the Georgetown Junction.

The Georgetown Junction once had a toll house, where a stone chimney left from those days stood well into the 20th Century. It seemed to be a popular place to take a photograph for Lincoln Highway and early Highway 50 for travelers. At its earliest, Georgetown Junction was where Johnson’s Trail left the river and climbed high up to Peavine Ridge, and eventually down to the river and a crossing at Bartlett’s Bridge. Later, after 1858 the state took over control of the road and built a new trail leaving the river further west at Silver Fork and the Sugar Loaf House site. Georgetown Junction then became a cut-off road for travelers headed to Georgetown rather than Placerville.

Monica on a found segment of the highway, off Wright’s Lake Road. Highway 50 is below, and to the right.

Map showing new segment in red. Wrights Lake Road is The Lincoln Highway. Click map for larger view.

While we were exploring the area around Wright’s Lake Road, we discovered a small stretch of the old Lincoln Highway at the Wright’s Lake Road turnoff. On the map at left, you can see a red line indicating the section of the found road. You can see Monica standing on that portion of the road in the above photo, with Highway 50 down below and Wright’s Lake Road to the left.

Continuing downhill from Wright’s Lake Road, we come to a wide spot on the right that is the site of Fred’s Place, a top-rated stop for food and lodging from the Lincoln HIghway days well into the Highway 50 era. We have written about Fred’s Place before. You can read more about it here.

During the Highway 50 era, Fred's Place placed the fake, wooden CHP car to get people to slow down as the grade here was quite steep, and people tended to pick up speed.

A bit further downhill from Fred's Place's site is Milestone Tract 34, which enters and exits on your left side. Drive this section of forest road to experience the Lincoln Highway in its original form. Half-way down Milestone 34, we come to the site of the "Register Rock,” or “Split Rock," which acted as a billboard back in the day. Some of the writing is still visible, such as an ad for pianos in Oakland.

Below is a short 2-minute video Monica and I made a few years back on Milestone 34.

A crossroads on the northern route of the Lincoln Highway, Part 5

The 1913 route of Lincoln Highway from the Second Summit outside Verdi to Truckee is likely some of the least visited sections of the old road. This route was active with transcontinental drivers until 1926 when the Truckee River's new route was completed. That Truckee River route is the path that Highway 40 took, and Interstate 80 follows today. The Dog Valley route soon lost most of it’s its traffic and became what it is today, a back road, little traveled, filled with history.

Map of entire area discussed. Click map for a closer view.

The above map shows the general location, from Verdi, NV., to Truckee. The yellow symbols are Trails West “T” markers placed on the old emigrant route. The markers are placed on or directly next to the original trail. In between the signs, the route is often undetectable, and that is why my lines from one marker to the next are often straight. We don’t know the actual route, yet.

Before reaching the Stampede Reservoir, we come to a famous crossroads mentioned by the emigrants and still existing today. Henness Pass Road, which we had been traveling on, continues west towards Camptonvile. Our road, the Lincoln Highway and DFDLWR, will become Dog Valley Road. We will use Stampede Reservoir Road to get over the dam and around the lake.

Map showing crossroads and Stampeded Reservoir. Click map for larger view.

In the lake, we can see the line representing the road going around two small islands that are visible when the lake level drops. The small iron bridge that used to cross the now flooded Little Truckee Rive may still be located under the water. The road then rises out of the reservoir and passes by a parking lot that was, unfortunately, built right over the road. The sign below explains what was lost.

Descriptive sign at Stampeded Reservoir. Click the sign for a larger view.

Once we pass Stampede Reservoir, we will have the opportunity to see five different Trails West “T” Markers showing the Emigrant Trail route. Rarely will we miss the opportunity to veer off course to take in the history of these markers. Some of California’s most interesting history is located along this stretch of road. Sometimes we can see the emigrant trail's actual route, and in those cases, we have detailed the route on our map. Wagon ruts and rust stains on rocks are often the best indicators that you're on the trail.

The photo shows Trails West “T” Marker, T-33, “To Prosser Creek”. You can vaguely see the wagon wheel ruts moving off into the distance.

Sign between Stampeded and Prosser Reservoirs. Notice the emigrant trail sign at lower left, pointing the way.

We now arrive at Prosser reservoir where once again we find the old road has been flooded by a reservoir, in this case, built-in 1963. You pass over the dam to get around the lake, and once past the reservoir, our next stop will be Truckee.

There is a great side trip to the Donner Party Campsite, where that family and others overwintered while the rest of the wagon train was caught at Donner Lake, then known as Truckee Lake. Monica and I visited that a year or so ago and put together this short video.

The area from Summit One on Henness Pass Road to Prosser Reservoir is one that we will visit again. We would love to make the drive on Henness Pass Road from the crossroads we described to Comptonville, which is quite a distance filled with all sorts of history. There are also a couple of T Markers and old building sites we need to explore. It’s beautiful out there, and with the added history, it is an area that could fill a lifetime of exploration.

Our next adventure, Part 5 on the Lincoln Highway’s northern route, will be in Truckee, a very historic town.

Slippery Ford to Strawberry on the Lincoln Highway, part 5

We have explored the Slippery Ford area on our eastward journey on the Lincoln Highway from Stateline to Placerville in part 4 of our El Dorado County Lincoln Highway adventure here. The Slippery Ford area is rich in history, and if you like hiking, it’s a great trip from Lover’s Leap campground to the Slippery Ford parking lot. If you are going to walk in both directions, we recommend starting at Lovers Leap campground and heading uphill first, then returning with the downhill, making it a bit easier to finish. The other option would be two cars with one parked at your destination. The walk is medium difficulty, though in the summer it can become scorching. The gravel roadbed has eroded in some areas making it difficult to walk over the small loose gravel.

Swan-Henry Toll Road and Lincoln Highway looking east.

The photo above shows a boulder that has fallen into the roadbed. We are a few hundred yards from the Slippery Ford Trail parking lot at Twin Bridges. This part of the old roadbed is easy to walk as it is not very steep. A forested area behind the photographer, a hundred yards or so, provides some welcome relief from the summer sun.

Pretty soon, we come to a wonderful rock which has been marked by old-time travelers. What era did they write this? We don’t know, but the Pony Express, Swan-Henry Toll Road, and the 1913 Lincoln Highway passed by this very rock. Someone wanted to record their passage through this historic route.

Register Rock on the Pony Express Trail, Swan-Henry Toll Road, and Lincoln Highway.

Heading down the old road a bit, we can see off to our right and below a rock building lacking a roof. At some point in the 1930s, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) built this as a ski hut. Apparently, it was never finished or used. You can head down and check it out from the trail.

Ski Hut built by the CCC in the 1930s. Never used. We are looking north.

A bit further on, we come to the Slippery Ford House site, a boarding house and supply stop for travelers in the 1860’s. This spot is amazing as there is literally nothing left of this old place other than debris, which should be left in place as archeological evidence. It’s great fun to take the photo below and compare it to the site today.

1866 photo shows Slippery Ford House with teams outside. The team is headed up-hill, east, towards Slippery Ford. . Library of congress photo.

Below you will find a short video we made in 2018 at the Slippery Ford House site.

These historic photographs come to us from the Library of Congress, Lawrence & Houseworth Collection, made in 1866. Slippery Ford was famous enough they took many photographers of the area, including the Slippery Ford House. The photo below is interesting as it appears to shows the third building on site. We assumed from previous photos there were just two buildings.

From Slippery Ford House looking east on the old Swan-Henry Toll Road.

Looking at these old photos of Slippery Ford House, the first thing I notice is the roadbed's great condition. Today this road is often a jumble of rocks resembling a stream bed more than a road. This is due to erosion over the years, with water etching deeper into the ruts each year. In addition there is no road maintenance anymore, so nature is left to it’s own creation along this trail.

Monica standing in the middle of the badly eroded roadbed. You can see a old culverts sticking out of the ground. That is likely Lincoln Highway era pipe.

Monica's photo above shows how the roadbed has been eroded over the years, exposing the base, which consists of softball size and larger sized rocks. These sections of the road can be difficult to walk as every time you step the rocks move. You can see a Lincoln Highway era culvert sticking out of the ground.

Looking west towards Strawberry Valley from the Slippery Ford House, 1866. Look closely and you can see the wagons coming up the hill towards the house. Click photo for larger view. Photo from Library of Congress.

Monica and a blasted rock.

As we travel these 19th Century roads in the Sierra Nevada, we often come across these rocks with a star-shaped pattern. These rocks were just too big to move, so the road builders blasted them, making the roadbed level. Dirt would then be graded on top of the rocks to make a smooth surface for travel. That’s why many of these roads were toll roads, to pay for the ongoing maintenance.

A rock showing the star shaped pattern from blasting.

We are approaching our destination near Strawberry, and there is one more historic obejct to enjoy, Monks Rock. Hank Monk was quite famous in his day for being a devil may care stage driver, who held records for his speed of travel. It’s said that one night, when stage traffic would travel the less crowded roads, he hit his head on this rock while speeding to his destination.

Monk’ Rock, on which the famous stage drive Hank Monk hit his head while driving his stagecoach team up the Slippery Ford Trail. Photo from the Library of Congress. Click the photo for a closer version.

We have looked at Monk’s Rock trying to envision how he managed to get close enough to actually hit it. Still can’t figure it out, but it’s a great story about a big old rock, of which this area abounds.

Monks Rock.

Just past Monk’s Rock, headed west towards Strawberry, the end of the hike is the Lovers Leap Campground. This campground is usually filled with rock climbers who find it thrilling to climb up the sheer side of Lovers Leap. Lover’s Leap Campground is only a short 1/4 mile from Strawberry. There is day-use parking at the campground.

Lover’s Leap Campground at Strawberry.

Now that we’re done hiking down the Slippery Ford Trail we’ll take a look around the Strawberry area in our next episode of our Lincoln Highway Adventure in El Dorado County.

Map of area showing key features. Click map for larger view.

Google Earth view looking east.This 3D view shows the topography of the area well. Click map for a closer view.

Echo Summit to Slippery Ford on the Lincoln Highway southern route, Part 3

Leaving Echo Summit on the old Lincoln Highway we continue our adventure west. Johnson Pass Road was the old highway, passing by the road to Echo Lake on the right. It was here that the American House roadhouse once stood during the 1800s. Later during the 1920s and 30s Echo Portals stood here. This was a resort with food and lodging as well as Echo Summits first rope tow for skiing. This resort went out of business with the arrival of the Great Depression in the early 1930s.

The early transcontinental driver making their way across the country might have used “strip maps” to guide them on their journey. In the above photo, we see one such “strip” of maps, which were originally produced by the Southern California Auto Association and is currently housed in the Library of Congress.

The California section from a strip map of the Lincoln Highway, 5th edition. Click map for a larger view.

In the above photo, we can see the California map that was part of the “strip maps” series showing the entire country. The above map is the California section of the maps. This map showed the 1913 Lincoln Highway route heading south from Sacramento towards Stockton and the Altamont Pass. In 1928 the Carquinez Bridge near Martinez was opened, and the newer, faster route was drawing in red by someone on the above map. You still would need to take a ferry from Berkely to San Francisco.

Phillips Station, just before it burned down around in 2019.

After passing the site of Phillips Station, and old stage stop and roadhouse, we come to Sierra Springs Road off to the right. As we can see in our Lincoln Highway interactive map, that road was the Lincoln Highway! Keep your eyes open for California “C” monuments, indicating this was a state highway. We have yet to find any, so maybe you’ll be the first! Go here to find out about “C” Monuments. Let us know if you find one, or two.

Edelweiss Ski Hill along Highway 50.

Just beyond the Sierra Springs alignment, we come to Sayle’s Flat, home of Camp Sacramento. The City of Sacramento has leased this land since the 1920s for recreation. Across from Camp Sacramento once stood Edelweiss, a small ski resort that once was the home of Spyder Sabich, a world-class skier. The above photo shows the ski resort in the 1950s. Eventually, low snow years and changing habits of skiers forced the closure of this place.

Looking towards Sayles Flat from the old Edelweiss Ski Resort Hill. Camp Sacramento is just out of view at left. You can see me lower left looking at the Trails West “T” Marker.

The original 1913 alignment of the Lincoln Highway often followed the old emigrant trails in these parts. As witnessed by the Trails West Association “T” marker just downhill from the Edelweiss site, this is no exception. This is the course of Johnson’s Cut-Off trail, which guided early travelers of the 1950s and 60’s down the mountain and across the American River at a place called “Slippery Ford.” We will discuss that extraordinary place in our next blog post following the southern route (Pioneer) of the Lincoln Highway.

Map showing location and features. Click map to see larger version.

Meyers Grade to Johnson's Pass, Lincoln Highway in El Dorado County, Part 4

We have been discussing the route of the original 1913 Lincoln Highway through El Dorado County, and with our last post, we started the climb from the Lake Tahoe Valley floor up Meyers Grade towards Johnson’s Pass. The photo above shows an automobile making the climb from where I believe the present Highway 50 passes. There are only a few flat spots along the grade, and one such spot is where Meyer’s Grade Road passes over the present-day freeway. In the map below, we show where this photo, #1, was taken. When the present freeway was built, some of the original section of the last climb up to the pass was destroyed. We believe the car is where the present-day freeway passes.

Click map for larger view!

This section from Highway 50 up to the pass was considered the last major obstacle on the way to the promised land of California. This is likely the steepest ascent yet, and you can still drive this section! Imagine trying to pull with oxen a wagon full of your goods up and over this section. Early automobiles would often break down, trying to navigate this last section and call for help from the Celio Ranch, in Meyer’s. In the photo below, we see the 1919 Army Convoy members being assisted by a caterpillar tractor.

1919 Army Convoy on Meyers Grade getting an assist from a Caterpillar tractor.

The photo below is a TC Wohlbrück photo showing his car in about the same spot as the photo above with the Army Truck. At this point we are almost at the summit, maybe less than a quarter of a mile away. Imagine driving this dirt road after rain!

A Theodore Wohlbrück photo from a few later than the Army Convoy photo at the same hairpin turn.

Once you reached the top of the pass after 1922, you would be greeted by a Canteen Service Station run by Theodore Wohlbrück. There you could pick up supplies, get water for the radiator, and have a bite to eat while enjoying the spectacular view. In our next El Dorado County Lincoln HIghway post, we will look at that Canteen service station and the summit pass.

The view looking east towards Lake Tahoe from Johnson’s Pass.

Aerial view Auburn at the turn of the century

We are looking west above Auburn, California, at the turn of the 20th Century. While automobiles existed, they were not common at this time, and the main mode of transportation was the horse and wagon. The canyon we see at right is known as Auburn Ravine and today is buried under Interstate 80. With that in mind, we can see the original location of the Auburn Volunteer Fire Department building, with stripes, on the far right. That building was saved and now sits at its new location.

At far left we can see the old post office building and the small gazebo building that held a drinking fountain. At the top of the hill, sit’s the white Snowden House.

In the above Google Earth photo, we can see the modern-day view of the same location. The stripped firehouse building now sits in the new location. Interstate 80 dominates the right side of the view. The Snowden House still stands at the top of the hill. The railroad trestle crossing the interstate was built by Southern Pacific in 1909 and therefore does not show up in the earlier photo.

The Lincoln Highway at Meyer's, El Dorado County Part 3

Traveling from the Trout Creek Bridge, we are headed west towards the town of Meyer’s. Along the way, our Lincoln Highway map has a small truck icon along the road. Clicking the icon, we find that this was the route used in 1919 by the US Army convoy traveling from Washington DC to San Francisco.

Click map for closer view!

This convoy was an attempt by the US Army to see if it could transport men and machines across the country on the new Transcontinental Lincoln HIghway. In 1919 it was still a novelty to drive across the country, and while the convoy made it, the trip was fraught with breakdowns, poor bridge crossing, deep mud, and sand. Along for the trip was Armored Corps representative, Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a 28-year-old officer, and future President of the United States.

Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Photo: National Archives

There is a video record of some of the trip at the National Archives', which can be found here. When the convoy reached Meyer’s, the pioneering Celio Family, who owned much of the small town, threw a huge celebration and BBQ for the soldiers. The convoy then made the trip up Osgood’s Grade and over Johnson’s Pass.

Looking at the map above, we can see the old Osgood’s/Meyer’s Grade up to Echo Summit is closed through traffic. It’s now a popular and very steep trail on a paved surface., where we see Monica making the climb in the photo below. This was the grade everyone used to get to the south Tahoe area for 80 years, until the 1930s when the present freeway was built.

Auto’s leaked fluids much more in days’ gone by. You can see the oil streak on the road. The Celio Ranch is marked with an arrow. This is their ranch along South Upper Truckee Road. Click the photo for a closer view.

The photo above was taken by TC Wohlbrück and showed the grade looking east. This is the same section we see Monica walking on in the photo below. TC Wohlbrück was an entrepreneur who built some of the first gasoline service stations and “rest stops” in the Sierra, which he called Canteens. He built one at the top of this grade, Johnson’s Pass, and it still stands today. You can read more about TC here. We will talk about that on our next post along the El Dorado County Lincoln Highway route.

Monica walking up Osgood’s Grade, now closed to traffic.

Exploring the Lincoln Highway in El Dorado County, Part 1

The Lincoln Highway was America’s first transcontinental highway in 1913. You could cross the country following local roads, but piecing them together into one grand cross-country trip was difficult. What the Lincoln Highway did was put a route that you could follow on a map, and along with directional signs, you could head out from Times Square, New York, and follow the road all the way to the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

In California and Nevada, unlike other states, the Lincoln Highway spit into two separate routes. One route entered California near Verdi, Nevada, and roughly followed the current Interstate 80 to Sacramento. The other “scenic route” entered California at Stateline, Nevada, and roughly followed the current Highway 50 through Placerville and into Sacramento. Once in Sacramento both routes followed the same path to San Francisco.

The map above, which is interactive, can be found here at the Lincoln Highway Association website. I have marked the map with the location of the two routes and their entry spots along the border between Nevada and California. A motorist back in the day would make the decision on which route to follow when they were in Reno. It’s in Reno where the road splits and follows the two different routes. Leaving Reno the motorist headed down to Carson City and up and over the mountains to Stateline and South Lake Tahoe.

The photo above was taken at Stateline sometime after 1928. We are looking into Nevada from the California side, as we can see the Nevada state line sign on the right. The red arrow is pointing at a Lincoln Highway concrete directional post. 2,436 of these posts were installed by the Boy Scouts of America on September 1, 1928 at 9:00 AM, across the country. This was the Lincoln HighwayAssociation's final act as the Highway was now numbered, Highway 50, and the association disbanded. Since we know the date these markers were placed, any photo with the posts shown is after September 1928.

In the above photo we see a couple of tired looking scouts and their marker in 1928.

In our next blog post we will be traveling down Pioneer Trail, headed west on the old Lincoln Highway. The next stop will be along Pioneer Trail at a very cool old bridge site and a Trails West “T” marker letting us know this is also the old pioneer Johnson’s cut-off trail. The original 1913 route of the Lincoln Highway often followed the older pioneer trails over the mountains of California and Nevada, making it a great road to follow and experience our amazing history.

The Yuba River at Big Bend

This beautiful scene is looking east from the Rainbow Lodge, where we can see the present bridge crossing at left, built-in 1928. This is the south fork of the Yuba River, which provides a natural passage through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The river begins near Donner Summit and flows through Summit Valley, Soda Springs, and eventually here where it makes a “big bend”.

Big Bend is a natural crossing spot for travelers starting with the native people who inhabited this land. The first pioneers to come this way where the Steven-Townsend-Murphy party and their covered wagons. Some of the party over-wintered here, and one of their party, Moses Schallenberger, was caught in a snowstorm and spent the winter of 1844 in a tiny cabin on the east shore of Donner Lake. He was eventually rescued, and the cabin he stayed in was put to use a couple of years later in 1846 by members of the Donner Party.

There are emigrant trail traces still to be found in Big Bend. Trails West Association has two of its “T” markers in Big Bend. These markers are placed on or near the original emigrant trails, and each has a quotation from an emigrant diary describing the place where the markers are today. The one pictured above is located just 50 yards north of the Lock Leven Trailhead parking (see map).

The emigrants lowered their wagons down the rocks and followed the S. Yuba River, staying on the south side, where the trail, after crossing today’s Hampshire Rocks Road, follows the Dutch Flat Wagon Roads path. Today the trial is named “Old Wagon Road” and follows the river for about a 1/2 mile.

This section of the trail on Old Wagon Road is magical as you are walking on all the trails at once. Following in the pioneers' footsteps, we cross a Lincoln Highway era concrete bridge and another creek with an old metal culvert exposed.

Metal Lincoln Highway era culvert.

Soon we reach the Trails West “T” Marker #46, which lets us know that this is where the emigrant trail leaves the route of the Dutch Flat Wagon Road and heads up the hill. They couldn’t proceed any further as the rock cliff juts into the water, making passage impossible for the earliest travelers.

In the photo below, we see the emigrant trail heading up the hill, past our bikes, while the Dutch Flat Wagon Road continues, following the river. The builders of that road used rock retaining walls so the trail could continue along the river. These retaining walls over 100 years old still support the old roadbed.

The emigrant trail goes left and up, past our bikes. The Lincoln Highway continues starlight.

We followed the emigrant trail markers for a bit, as we had heard there was a pioneer grave somewhere along the trail near here. The photo below shows the emigrant trail's view back down to our bikes leaning against the “T” marker. Once again, we are amazed at these early travelers' perseverance making climbs such as this with all their possessions in a wagon pulled by oxen.

Looking down from the emigrant trail. You can see our bikes leaning against the “T” marker.

We couldn’t find the pioneer grave and decided to head back down to the river and the road. If you follow the Dutch Fat Wagon Road/Lincoln Highway further west, you rise above the river and can admire the fantastic rock work used for this section. Check out the two photos below taken 100 years apart.

Theodore Wohlbrück photograph cutesy of the Donner Summit Historical Society, Norm Sayler collection.

Looking east on the old Lincoln Highway above the S. Yuba River, Big Bend.

The above photo is taken near the end of the old road, which was destroyed during Interstate 80. Below is a map showing some more of the features mentioned in the post. Fall is an ideal time to visit as the trees start to change color, and the temperatures make for great biking or hiking weather.

Through this narrow passage in the Sierra Nevada mountains, thousands of pioneers and later motorists passed on their way to the Golden State. Big Bend is etched into California History.

Map showing the location of certain features along the emigrant trail in Big Bend.

Big Bend, crossroads in history.

This is an intriguing photo taken by T.C. Wohlbruck of the Big Bend Ranger Station on the Lincoln Highway. We know it’s a TC Wohlbruck photo by the distinctive handwriting and numbering on each of his photos. These photos were taken with the idea of using them as souvenir postcards at his three canteen service stations located in the Sierra Nevada's high country.

Big Bend is rich in history as a resting place along the old Emigrant Trail, the Dutch Flat/Donner Summit Wagon Road, a county road , The Lincoln Highway, Highway 40, and today Hampshire Rocks Road. We see the Lincoln Highway passing by the Big Bend Ranger Station building on the left in the above photo. The road makes a sharp right-hand turn as it heads east, up the mountains towards Donner Summit.

At this time, Highway 40 was still a dream, so the Lincoln Highway followed the old Dutch Flat Wagon Road, which had been built by the Central Pacific Railroad to ferry men and supplies up the mountain for Transcontinental Railroad construction in the 1860s. Once the road was built, the Central Pacific opened it as a toll road, which was very popular. Once the railroad was completed, much of the traffic took the train instead of the wagon road, and the railroad turned it over the counties it passed through. In this case, it became a Placer County Road until 1913 when it became part of the Tranconental Lincoln Highway.

In the above photo, we are standing in the same spot 100 years later. In 1932 Highway 40, the predecessor of the Lincoln Highway was completed through Big Bend. As we can see, the road cut straight ahead, bypassing the sharp right turn the Lincoln Highway made. The Ranger Sation in the older photo has been replaced by a larger Fire and Ranger Station set back a bit from the road at left. We can barely see the old Lincoln Highway turn just past the no-parking sign at the right.

Once you make that right hand turn these days, you will come upon this scene, where we see Monica riding her bike on the old road. There is a large red building along this stretch, but we don’t know what it was used for back in the day. It does appear to have been a barn at one point in its existence. Check out the narrow pass between those large rocks. Between those two rocks traveled the thousands of gold-seekers, emigrants, railroad workers, and transcontinental travelers that used this section of road between the 1860s and 1932.

In the above photo, we are looking west just past the two large rocks.

We see Monica on the old road in the photo below, having just passed by the red building while walking east. The old road eventually curves back out and reconnects with Hampshire Rocks Road, where it would follow the same path until reaching the Hampshire Rock Campground, about a quarter-mile away.

The Big Bend area is a historians dream location. So many old trails pass through here, with stories of survival from the early days. This was the place where the Steven’s-Townsend-Murphy Party spent the winter after having been the first wagon train to cross the Sierra in 1844, even before the ill fated Donner Party’s attempt. An entire day can be spent enjoying and exploring this amazing place.

Below is a map of the area showing the key features.

Map showing key features. Click map for larger view.