Crystal Ridge
Inyo County, CA

Directions

 

From Los Angeles, take the 5 Freeway North to the 14 Freeway North.

Stay on the 14 past Mojave until it becomes the 395 North.

Continue on the 395 North to Independence.  Load up on fuel, water (at least 1-2 gallons per person), food, sunblock, insect repellent, and any other supplies you forgot to bring.

Continue 8.5 miles past Independence to Black Rock Springs Rd.  Turn right and pull over to get your bearings.  Look at the mountains to the east and find the ridge pictured below.

Okay, now you know where you will eventually be going.  Getting there is what gets a little complicated.  A high-clearance vehicle is required.  A GPS is highly recommended.  If you don't have one, please do yourself a favor and at least have a decent compass.  Getting lost in the desert is NO FUN, people!  Use these directions at your own risk.  I assume no responsibility for your intelligence, prudence, or preparedness.

Click here for a self-extracting zip file (588K) that contains detailed instructions, map, and GPS waypoints.  Or, if you prefer to grab them separately:

Click here for detailed instructions in Excel spreadsheet that is ready to print.  It also has the directions reversed, so you can find your way back to the highway.  You're welcome.  :-)

Click here for detailed map in JPG format that is ready to print (change page setup to landscape first).

Click here for GPS waypoints in Excel spreadsheet.  This is formatted for MapSend Topo, so if you are using something else you may have to play with it.

With these, you should be able to get to the parking spot and back, which is located at the following coordinates:  Lat N36°55.636'  Long W118°09.449' Alt 4249 ft.

From the parking spot, head up the ridge to the east of you.  It's pretty heavy climbing, so rest as needed.  Explore the hillside, moving south and looking for veins of white quartz.  Also look for sites where others have been digging.  There are often crystals to be found in the tailings.

Christian C. Burke
Webmaster

Culver City Rock and Mineral Club