Walking Wild & Free

Upper Monarch Canyon 1

Upper Monarch Canyon

Photo credit The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company, CC BY 2.0. View at https://flic.kr/p/2oTTzZ1

Upper Monarch Canyon 3

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Upper Monarch Canyon 4

Photo credit The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company, CC BY 2.0. View at https://flic.kr/p/2oTVD54

Upper Monarch Canyon 5

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Upper Monarch Canyon 6

Photo credit The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company, CC BY 2.0. View at https://flic.kr/p/2oTQH7p

Upper Monarch Canyon 2

Photo credit The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company, CC BY 2.0. View at https://flic.kr/p/2oTUuUH

Walk an old mining road to a desert spring, an old stamp mill, and other historic ruins.

Total Distance: 1.6 miles out & back	Elevation Gain: 428t. (3,291ft. to 2,933ft.)
Difficulty: Easy	0-5 Mile Difficulty: Moderate
View Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars2.0	Author’s Rating: 2.0 out of 5.0 stars2.0
Visitor Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]	Visitor Difficulty Rating: (Click to rate) [Total: 0 Average: 0]
Pets: No	Horses: Yes
Best Seasons: November-April	Special Permits: None
Water Availability: No potable water	Overnight Options: Dispersed camping is permitted
Trailhead Amenities: None	Crowd Factor: Solitude
Trailhead Access: 1.8
Uses:	Trail Surface:
Features:	Hazards:

Mile-by-Mile: Upper Monarch Canyon to Monarch Spring

0.0 Old mining road/social trail leaves Monarch Canyon Road to the left (south) of the pouroff (3,287ft.). Take the trail south down into the canyon below the pouroff. The portion of the road just above the canyon floor may need to be scrambled, as floods have washed out the road. (36.729457°, -116.916909°)

0.1 Canyon bottom (3187ft.). The area is choked with reeds and rabbitbrush due to a seep nearby. Head downcanyon, where the brush subsides for clearer walking. (36.727962°, -116.917264°)

0.3 Stamp Mill (3,090ft.). A one-stamp mill once operated here; the ruins remain more or less intact. Perhaps more exciting to look at, a long ore chute runs down the cliff face; an ore car rail and a gold hopper are also nearby. As you continue downcanyon, keep your eyes open for relics and ruins of the mines. (36.725182°, -116.918937°)

0.8 Monarch Spring (2,933ft.). Follow the animal trails to the spring. Near the spring is a cabin and other ruins. From here, you can bushwack through the reeds and boggy canyon floor toward the top of Monarch Falls, but it’s hard going and you can’t see much from the top of the falls, so this trail guide ends here. (approx. 36.721749°, -116.922107°)

History & More

The “trail” to Monarch Spring was once a mining road. However, it is in very bad repair, and now only foot and horse traffic are permitted.

During the Bullfrog gold boom, many prospectors tried their luck in the area of Chloride Cliffs. While no big, exceedingly profitable strikes were made, many discoveries were profitable enough to entice investors into the area for development.

Springs were a vital source of life for miners in the desert, and reliable water sources, like this one, were rare and cherished. At the very least, Monarch Spring supplied water to the miners who worked the stamp mill. It also probably supplied water for running the mill and other mining activities.

Remember to leave all of the historic area exactly as you found it.

Download Trail Map

Coming soon!

Driving Directions

Take the Chloride City Road 2.2 miles from the Daylight Pass Road. Turn right (south) onto the Monarch Canyon Road. After 0.7 miles, park at the end of the road. (If you don’t have 4×4, drive 0.6 miles on the Monarch Canyon Road, park without obstructing traffic, and walk the final tenth of a mile of the road to the pouroff.)