For those familiar with Cerro Gordo ghost town, located in the southern Inyo Range of Inyo, County California (and a short distance outside of Death Valley National Park), you may or may not know of a spectacular 4x4 trail that runs from the valley floor at the ghost town of Swansea, up to the historic site of Burgess Mine, then along the 9,000 foot high spine of the Inyo Range with dramatic views of the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Saline Valley and Death Valley highlands to the east. It crosses the historic salt tramway of the Saline Valley salt works, it's 13 mile long tramway was a wonder in the early 20th century as it climbed straight up the Inyo Range then dropped back down the other side to the transfer works to the old narrow gauge railroad that once ran down here from near Carson City. The trail ends at the ghost town of Cerro Gordo, where you can drop down to either Death Valley National Park or Owens Valley.
The primary trail page, with all history and route description is found at -
http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/4x4/swansea.htmlThis evening, I just uploaded a companion page, a photo essay of all my travels over the trail over the years. Little text, emphesis on the photos. That page is found at -
http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/trips/swans ... essay.html