Ryan Ranch

Ryan Ranch. . , Hidden from clear view by this forest of Joshua trees are the remains of Ryan Ranch, a homestead established in 1896. Hike the ½-mile dirt road to the site, where you'll find the decaying adobe brick walls of the ranch house and bunkhouse. Scattered about, you'll find a collapsed windmill, a stone-covered well, several graves, and machinery. Time, fire, and vandals reduced the site to its present condition. Please leave all objects you find for others to ponder. , , Jepp and Tom Ryan homesteaded this site to secure the natural spring once located here. The water was essential to the Lost Horse Mine, which they owned with their brother Matt and local prospector Johnny Lang. The ranch supported the mining operation: pumping water 3.5 miles to the mine, processing ore, and serving as a mining office and home. The cattle raised here helped feed the family and workers; some 60 people lived at the ranch and mine during the gold boom. By 1908 full-time operation of the mine ceased and the Ryans turned their attention to cattle ranching, until the establishment of Joshua Tree National Monument halted grazing. , , The technique used in making the adobe walls combined desert clay with sand, water, and Lost Horse Mine tailings. Jepp Ryan, in the 1930s, discovered that the old mine tailings contained gold, which meant so did the bricks - leading to dubbing the Ryan home "the gold brick house." , , Know Before You Go: , Pets are not allowed on park trails. , Drink plenty of water. When the water is half-gone, it’s time to return. , Bikes are not allowed on this trail. , Camping and campfires are restricted to established campgrounds. , Leave wildlife, plants, rocks, and artifacts undisturbed.