Death Valley National Park in Inyo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Twenty Mule Teams

Photographed By Craig Baker, April 3, 2022

1. Twenty Mule Teams Marker

Inscription. For more than a century, the 20 Mule Team has been the symbol of the Borax industry — on product labels, in history books, and on television. The status is well-earned; mule teams help solve the most difficult task that faced death Valley Borax operators — getting the product to market.

The mule teams pulled loads weighing up to 36 tons (33,113 kg) including 1200 gallons (4545 l) of drinking water. The rear wagon wheels were 7 feet (2.1m) high, and the entire unit with mules was more than 100 feet (30.5m) long.

The 20 mule teams traveled south through Death Valley, out Wingate Pass, then across the desert to Mojave — 165 miles of forbidding terrain.

Erected by Death Valley National Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.

Location. 36° 28.801′ N, 116° 52.526′ W. Marker is in Death Valley National Park, California, in Inyo County. Marker can be reached from Borax Mill Road west of California Route 190, on the left when traveling west. Located at Harmony Borax Works. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Death Valley CA 92328, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Borax (a few steps from this marker); White Gold

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(within shouting distance of this marker); Old Harmony Borax Works (approx. 0.3 miles away); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. 1.3 miles away); Old Dinah (approx. 1.7 miles away); 20 Mule Team Wagon Train (approx. 1.7 miles away); Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley (approx. 1.7 miles away); Death Valley 49ers Gateway (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Death Valley National Park.

Also see . . . Borax: The Twenty Mule Team. The Borax twenty mule team is one of the most memorable icons of the American West, and of the pioneers who transformed its mineral wealth into a foundation of modern industry throughout the world. (U.S. Borax Inc., SCVHistory.com) (Submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, April 14, 2016

2. Twenty Mule Teams Marker

Twenty Mule Teams Marker and Original Wagons image. Click for full size.

Jasperdo via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), October 12, 2018

3. Twenty Mule Teams Marker and Original Wagons

Photographed By Craig Baker, October 29, 2020

4. Twenty Mule Teams Marker and Original Wagons

Twenty Mule Team image. Click for full size.

Albertype Co. via Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (public domain), circa 1885

5. Twenty Mule Team

Photograph shows a team of eighteen mules and two horses, attached to large wagons in the desert. Two pale horses, positioned closest to the wagon, wear coverings over their faces.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 12, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2, 3. submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 12, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.