Overview

Keane Wonder Mine Road is a graded dirt road normally suitable for 2WD-HC vehicles. The road starts along Beatty Cutoff Road and runs east, across the broad valley, to the base of the Funeral Mountains.

This road provides sightseers spectacular scenery and access via a short trail to Keane Wonder Mill (a mining area), and it provides hikers access to Keane Wonder Tramway and Keane Wonder Mine, Keane Wonder Spring, and myriad other unnamed destinations.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this road is pretty safe, but some parts are too narrow for cars to pass. Always drive slowly and carefully. Road conditions change over time, so always use your own good judgment.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This road goes into remote areas, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Please help protect this historical mining site by leaving what you find for others to discover and enjoy.

Getting to the Road

Keane Wonder Mine Road is located in the east-central part of Death Valley National Park, about 2-1/4 hours northwest of Las Vegas driving directly, or about 25 minutes north of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

From town, drive out to Death Valley. From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, drive north on Highway 190 for 10.9 miles to Beatty Cutoff Road. Turn right onto Beatty Cutoff Road and drive north 5.6 miles to Keane Wonder Mine Road (Table 1, Wpt. 1910). Turn here; this is the roadhead.

Driving directly from Las Vegas, drive north on Highway 95 to Beatty. At the stoplight in Beatty, turn left onto Highway 374. Drive west 15.5 miles to Beatty Cutoff Road, on the left. Turn left onto Beatty Cutoff Road and continue south 4.3 miles to Keane Wonder Road (Wpt. 1910), on the left; this is the roadhead.

The Road

From the pavement (Site 1910), Keane Wonder Mine Road passes through a gate and runs southeast as it gently descends across the sparsely vegetated bajada towards the Funeral Mountains in the distance.

At about 0.9 miles out, the road crosses the wash in the bottom of the valley. This crossing can be washed out, so cross carefully and check for loose sand and washouts.

Continuing, the road climbs towards the base of the Funeral Mountains. Parts of the road are narrow and not suitable for two cars to pass, so watch ahead for oncoming vehicles and find a good pull-off is someone is coming.

At 2.8 miles out, the road ends at a parking area and turn-around loop (Wpt. 1911). This is the trailhead for Keane Wonder Mill and Keane Wonder Tramway and Mine.