Historic Sites
Hardin City
Hardin City was a mining camp established in 1866 when prospectors thought
they had found James Hardin’s lost deposit of silver. Excitement
ran high, and investors, prospectors, and others swarmed to the area
and erected two stamp mills. When no silver materialized, the town
quickly disappeared. All that is left today are a few twisted pieces of
metal and short segments of the stamp mills’ stone foundations. A
4-wheel drive road leads to the site, which is marked with an interpretive
sign placed there by the Oregon-California Trails Association.
Massacre Ranch
This historic site has a rustic cabin, wooden outhouse, corrals, and
a loading chute. Stock drinking water is available at the corrals only
during the cool seasons; by mid-summer visitors should bring water for
their livestock. Road access to this site is generally good and there
is sufficient room to park several horse trailers.
Stevens Camp
The remnants of an old buckaroo camp, Stevens Camp now includes a
primitive three room cinder block cabin with a propane and wood stove
(bring your own wood and propane, regulator, and fittings). Bunk beds,
vault toilet, livestock water (non-potable for humans), corral and
loading chute are present. Road access to this site is generally good
and there is sufficient room to park several horse trailers. Dispersed
camping sites are also in the area.
Soldier Meadows
Soldier Meadows a spring-fed wetland that, for thousands of years,
has been inhabited by fish and snails that live nowhere else on Earth
and a low-growing, yellow-flowered cinquefoil with an extremely limited
range. Prior to the designation of the NCA, the popularity of the
warms pools and streams here caused adverse impacts to these sensitive
species. To protect the unique plant and animal life, camping is
restricted to designated, primitive campsites only.
Soldier Meadows Ranch
Located just a few miles from the warm pools and campsites, Soldier
Meadows Ranch was the site of a cavalry post, known as Camp McGarry
from 1865 to ’68, which gave the place its name. Shortly
after the military left, ranchers moved in to graze livestock on the
meadows; a use that continues today. Visit Soldier Meadows Ranch,
for information about the privately owned cattle ranch which operates
a lodge for visitors.
Black Rock Desert Playa
The land speed record of 763 miles per hour was set on the Black Rock
Desert Playa, by a British team in the northwest part of the playa in
1997. The 20,000 pound car, powered by two jet engines, was driven by
Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green. This was the first time a land based
vehicle broke the sound barrier. Few places on Earth are flat
enough over a long enough distance to safely allow a vehicle to reach
such speeds and come to a stop! Because the Thrust SSC Project Team
practiced Tread Lightly! and Leave No Trace outdoor recreation ethics,
there is no visible evidence on the ground of this historic event.
Gary Cooper made his acting debut in 1926 in a western movie called
The Winning of Barbara Worth that was filmed in the southeast part of the
playa. This area is closed to motorized use to protect the few remaining
traces of this epic of the silent movie era. The film provides evidence
that the scenery visible to today’s visitors to Black Rock-High
Rock Country were not materially changed by human activities during the
tumultuous 20th century.
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