Aiken Mine Road

Download

Trail photos

Author

Nick Nickerson

1,089 98 317

See more trails from this author

Trail stats

Distance: 47.69 mi
Elevation gain: 3,960 ft
Technical difficulty: Moderate
Elevation loss: 1,158 ft
Max elevation: 4,347 ft
TrailRank: 59
Min elevation: 906 ft
Trail type: One Way

Coordinates: 382
Uploaded: July 29, 2013

Be the first to clap

1 comment

near Baker, California (United States)

Viewed 3600 times, downloaded 20 times

Trail photos

Itinerary description

This is a wonderful closeup trip of involving many large cinder cones and very fresh lava flows. The first 15 miles from Baker are well paved roads. There is a small side trip prior to reaching Aiken Mine road that shows some of the more interesting and recent lava flows. Once on Aikin Mine Road, the road is not paved. It is recommended that your vehicle have very good tires since much of the road involves sharp and irregular lava rocks. At approximately Mile 28, there is an interesting trail that leads to a lava tube. The tube is not far from where you park your vehicle since the trail is quite rough. The following eight miles (approximately) consists of very rough road.
Be on the lookout for several hell gates. These are vertical lava tube structures that have an opening on one side. (See Pictures).
The lava environment gives way to long, straight granite sand roads that are quite fast for motorcycles or vehicles.
I only recommend 4x4 vehicles with exceptionally good tires or motorcycles for this trail.

Waypoints

Start

1

2

This is one of the most recent lava flows you may ever see. It is jet black and doesn't have a trace of dirt or dust on it.

3

4

5

Intersection

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Those two innocuous rock in the third photo are actually volcanic bombs that are about 24 inches in diameter and weigh a couple of hundred pounds each.