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Death Valley Charcoal Kilns

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Death Valley Charcoal Kilns

All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2008 - 2009.

The charcoal kilns were designed by Swiss engineers and built by Chinese laborers in 1879 and operated for only three years. The kilns produced charcoal for the smelter at the Modock Mine 30 miles west. The mine produced silver and lead. The kilns were filled with pinyon pine logs which were once abundant in the area, The kilns were fired up and over the next six to eight days, the logs were changed to charcoal, then cooled for five days. These are considered the best preserved charcoal kilns in the west and were stabilized by Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930 and a Navajo team in 1971.

The ten beehive-shaped kilns are 30 feet in diameter and 30 feet high. They are in a neat row, with a slight curve.

The kilns are off of Emigrant Canyon and Trona-Wildrose Road. The road is uphill at high elevation, this author's car overheated on the way up.



















Front view of two kilns.
View of the back of two kilns.

The interiors were cool, echoed, and still smelled of pine.



Each kiln has a large vent toward the top on the back side.


Kilns at west end with trailhead beyond.








A row of kilns from the back side.

The kilns are ringed with these air holes.
Close-up of the top of a kiln.







Kiln entrance.
Kiln entrance.


Wild Flower.
This trailhead leads to Wildrose Peak (9,064 feet) 4 1/2 miles away. The first 1 1/2 miles are uphill, then if levels out and allows spectacular views.
A small, unidentified, structure lies behind the kilns.
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This page last updated: Tuesday, 09-Dec-2008 21:04:53 CST

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