Starting Point: Pendleton Raod, 0.2 miles west of I-40 and Daggett
Finishing Point: Camp Rock Road, 10.1 miles south of I-40 and Daggett
Total Mileage: 15.3 miles
Difficulty: 3 out of 10

Special Attractions:

• Calico ghost town, located a short distance from the northern end of the trail.
• Spectacular hiking around Ord Mountain
• Prime desert tortoise habitat
• Desert wildflowers in spring

History:

Dagget, originally known as Calico Junction, was founded in 1860s. In 1883, it was renamed Daggett after John Daggett, then lieutenant governor of California. The name was changed to avoid confusion with Calico, located just to the north. As the Calico and Death Valley mines developed, so did Daggett. A 10-stamp mill was in operation north of town near Elephant Hill by the early 1880s. Transportation to and from Calico and Death Valley was a major problem until the famous 20-mule teams began hauling supplies to the mines and returning with ore. The steam-driven workhorse Old Dinah was less successful at hauling ore, and it failure brought about the return of the mule team. Calico went on to be the driving force behind Daggett. When railroads were built, transportation costs fell from $2 per ton to less than 20 cents per ton.

By the early 1900s, Daggett had a lumberyard, restaurants, three saloons, and several stores. The Stone Hotel had been constructed in the early 1870s. John Muir, the famous writer, conservationist, and founder of the Sierra Club in 1892, stayed at the Stone Hotel on occasion. His younger daughter, Helen, married Buel Funk, a resident of Daggett who had moved to the Mojave Desert for health reasons. In 1914, Muir developed pneumonia while visiting their ranch at Daggett. His daughter found him almost delirious and summoned a doctor from Los Angeles. Muir was placed on the next westbound train for Los Angeles, but he died within a few hours of his arrival at the hospital.

Born in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, Muir died at the age of 76 on Christmas Eve. His wife had passed away in 1905; their estate, approaching $200,000, was left to their daughters . Helen and Buel went on to build a red-tiled mansion surrounded by a grove of palm trees. Known as Casa Desierto, it was the most lavish construction in the entire area.

Like the Newberry and Rodman Mountains to the northwest, the Ord Mountains were inhabited by people for thousands of years. Some of their petroglyphs still adorn the mountains.

Miners turned to the land to survive when their dreams of gold in the Ord Mountains did not pay off. One such couple, the Willises, took up residence near some petroglyphs on Ord Mountain, with the belief that they may have been located at a spring (as is often the case with petroglyphs). Sure enough, they dug down only 20 feet and struck water. They set up a shack and cleared the land of rocks, slowly creating their own work of art in rock on Ord Mountain. The combination of old and new stonework is now the subject of archaeological studies in the area.

Trail Description:

The Daggett Wash Trail connects I-40 to Ord Mountains Trail. It provides an alternative exit to the north and allows for a more exotic route through the spectacular and remote Ord Mountains.

The trail starts at Daggett on I-40 and travels south, quickly joining Daggett Wash as it leads into the Ord Mountains. The trail passes along the east side of Daggett Ridge, which looms up alongside the trail. This is a good area in which to see endangered desert tortoises. The best chance of seeing one of these elusive animals is in spring, when they come out to feed on new growth. Daggett Ridge offers excellent remote area hiking, and the wildflower viewing is particularly good in spring.

The trail connects with Ord Mountains Trail below the summit of Ord Mountain. A spur leads up the side of teh mountain toward communications towers. However, ou have to hike the final stretch to the top of the ridge. The remains of several privately-owned mines can be seen in the valley below and are best reached by foot.

The trail finishes on wide, graded Camp Rock Road. This road is used at all hours by mining trucks.

Within the Ord Mountains area, vehicle travel is permitted only on routes marked as “open”. Trails not marked specifically as open for vehicle travel should be considered closed. A map of open routes is available from the BLM office in Barstow. Some unmarked trails are mentioned in the directions below; this is purely for navigational purposes – no trail should be considered open unless designated as such.

Route Directions:

0.0 – From I-40 at Daggett, proceed to the south side of the freeway and turn right (west) on Pendleton Road. Proceed west for 0.2 miles; then zero trip meter and turn southwest on graded dirt Ord Mountain Road.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 51.29′ W116° 53.61′

0.4 miles – Track on left and track on right alongside power lines. Trail is now formed dirt.

1.3 miles – Track on left and track on right alongside power lines
GPS Waypoint: N34° 50.34′ W116° 54.39′

1.7 miles – track on left
GPS Waypoint: N34° 50.03′ W116° 54.50′

2.3 miles – enter line of wash

2.4 miles – trail visible running parallel on right. Continue up wash

2.6 miles – track on right
GPS Waypoint: N34° 49.23′ W116° 54.78′

3.0 miles – graded road on right and left along power lines. Zero trip meter and continue straight ahead on OM 4 in line of wash.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 48.85′ W116° 54.84′

0.0 – continue to the south in Daggett Wash

3.4 miles – cattle guard
GPS Waypoint: N34° 46.29′ W116° 53.79′

3.7 miles – unmarked track on right up side wash
GPS Waypoint: N34° 46.02′ W116° 51.91′

5.6 miles – exit line of wash, remaining on marked OM 4
GPS Waypoint: N34° 45.29′ W116° 51.91′

7.2 miles – cross through wash

7.4 miles – cross through wash

7.6 miles – cross through wash

7.9 miles – cross through wash

8.6 miles – T-intersection with marked trail OM7. Turn right onto OM 7 along gas pipeline.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 43.29′ W116° 50.54′

8.7 miles – Cross through wash; then unmarked track on right.

9.5 miles – graded road on left and track on right.

9.6 miles – 4-way intersection. Track straight ahead and track on right are Ord Mountains Trail, marked SV 183 to the right. Zero trip meter and turn left onto SV 183 along gas pipeline.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 42.46′ W116° 50.35′

0.0 – continue to the northeast

0.4 miles – unmarked track on left.

0.8 miles – 4-way intersection. Zero trip meter and turn left onto SV 183 detour, which is also OJ 208. Pipeline road continues ahead. To the righ, open route leads 0.9 miles to locked gate, viewpoint over mines, and then start of hiking trail up Ord Mountain – no mountain bikes permitted.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 42.74′ W116° 49.54′

0.0 – continue to the northwest

0.4 miles – Unmarked track on right to tanks

1.3 miles – unmarked track on right. remain on SV 183 detour

1.9 miles – Trail finishes at T-intersection with Camp Rock Road, 10.1 miles south of I-40. Turn left to exit to I-40; turn right to intersect with Rodman Mountains Trail.
GPS Waypoint: N34° 44.30′ W116° 49.26′

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