Charcoal Kilns

The road here is rough! Definitely need a car with high clearance. The road there is quite long but the kilns were a sight to see! So yes, definitely worth it. Came during winter so we were able to see ice come all the way down to where the kilns were. The road forward was blocked because of winter conditions.

Wildrose Charcoal KilnsThis is one of the more fascinating sites in Death Valley that I have personally visited. The site is located on the West side of the park, South of Stovepipe Wells Village, in an area that is only accessible via a four-mile dirt road. You should have a high clearance vehicle if you are visiting, but between you and me, a few years ago during my first visit I drove my 2005 Ford Thunderbird to the site, but it was a clear day and the roads were in good shape and dry, and I did NOT drive passed the Charcoal Kilns site.Wildrose Charcoal Klins were built to supply charcoal for the Modock Mines 25 miles to the west in the Argus Range. The construction was completed in 1877 and the kilns were probably used until 1879. Their short life may explain the remarkably good condition of these 100 years old kilns.If you are driving there, be very careful and do not speed up! There are many wild burros running around this area and you do not want to have an accident in the middle of no where! There is restroom at the site, so do not worry if you have drank too much coffee! The Klines are across the road from the parking area, which is not paved, and you can walk into them!Oh, one more thing! Watch out for the rattle snakes that hang from the ceiling of the Klins while you are in there!!!!! Just kidding! No snakes in there, at least none that I have seen in two visits.

It's not on our must visit list but on our fifth day at Death Valley I finally commit to drive all the way to see these historic Kilns. The drive itself was beautiful and fun, until the last 1.5 mile of unpaved road. With our Prius, it felt like our tire could pop at any second. There are three close by campsite and apparently it's the coolest spot you can camp during the summer time as it's higher in elevation. We can immediately see the different terrine as snow is totally visible and it's really cool to see the transition from desert to alpine terrine.The Kilns itself are quite an impressive site. Very isolated and right off the road. All the kilns are very well preserved but you can still tell that they were used from the inside ash marks. Gave it 4 stars due to the distance of the drive. If you got extra time and been through all the popular spots, then this would be something you want to do. As for us, it will be been there done that and check off our bucket list:)There's a hiking trail but we decided to pass after the hard core Crater hike we did the day before. We see some RV camper close by.

If your on the area it's interesting to see and think how many people worked out there when they were running. The nice part is it's not a big attraction I was out there by myself which was pretty scary.

The kilns look like giant beehives and are about 30 miles from hwy 190. Take the Emigrant Canyon Rd., then Wildrose canyon. The kilns are well worth the drive. First, for the neat corkscrew road and for the elevation. Drive slow and enjoy the trip. The kilns are surrounded by pines and much cooler than the desert below. There are toilets and picnic tables here. They were built and used for just a few years in the 1890s. Most photos do not show how large they are. A real wonder, provoking you to think about the mining industry here so long ago. They were used to turn the nearby forests into charcoal for smeltering ores. A popular spot, easy enough to drive to.For a nice hike start here for the trail toward Wildrose Peak. About a mile up you come to a spot where you can see down to Death Valley one way and to Mt Whitney the other. (see the guidebook)