the Mojave Desert in Kern County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Burro Schmidt Tunnel
Photographed by Alan Price
1. Burro Schmidt Marker
A monument to determination and perserverance, William Henry "Burro" Schmidt took thirty-eight years to hand dig this half-mile long tunnel -- completed in 1936.
Born in Rhode Island, January 30, 1871.
Died in Ridgecrest, Calif., January 27, 1954.
Erected 1970 by E Clampus Vitus Peter Lebeck Chapter 1866.
Series. This historical marker is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list.
Location. 35° 24.62′ N, 117° 52.55′ W. Marker is in the Mojave Desert, California, in Kern County. It can be reached from Burro Schmidt Tunnel Road. Located 30 miles south of Ridgecrest, 40 miles north of Mojave, in a maze of rough dirt roads. Four wheel drive recommended. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ridgecrest CA 93555, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Joaquin Valley, specifically in the Central Valley, in the Mojave Desert, and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 14 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Garlock (approx. 4.8 miles away); Red Rock Canyon State Park (approx. 6.8 miles away); Desert Spring (approx. 8.7 miles away); Josephine Stephens Bishop (approx. 10.4 miles away); Florence "Pancho" Barnes (approx. 10.8 miles away).
Another marker is no longer nearby. Freeman Junction (was approx. 13.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. The marker has the word perseverance misspelled as perserverance.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Gravesites of Burro Schmidt and Tonie Seger.
Also see . . .
1. William "Burro" Schmidt and His Tunnel to Nowhere. A KCET Los Angeles Channel 28 article. Includes photos of the tunnel and his cabin. Excerpt:
Schmidt explained he needed to create a short cut to bring his gold ore to market. When the effort became unnecessary because of a new road, he(Submitted on October 1, 2015.)still continued the tedious, grueling enterprise for many years, day in and day out. There is no record that there ever was a true gold strike, although the legend continues. Soon after he broke through to daylight on Copper Mountain, he walked away, deeding his mine/tunnel to a fellow miner.circa 20152. Burro Schmidt Tunnel and Marker
2. Under California Californias Gold (509). In this half-hour video produced in 1994 for local PBS television stations, Huell Howser visits the tunnel, in the second half of the program, and meets 97-year-old caretaker Tonie Seger. (Submitted on April 17, 2026.)
circa 2015
3. Inside Burro Schmidt Tunnel
circa 2015
4. Burro Schmidt Cabin
circa 2015
5. Burro Schmidt Cabin and Caretakers Home
circa 2015
6. Burro Schmidt Tunnel, at the other end
Credits. This page was last revised on April 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2015, by Alan Price or Jayne Hotchkiss-Price of Caliente, California. This page has been viewed 1,435 times since then and 53 times this year. Last updated on February 28, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1. submitted on October 1, 2015, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 27, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5, 6. submitted on February 28, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
