Standard Mine Road

This is one of those roads, rich with discoveries, that one hopes to discover when wandering the Mojave. Tucked between the aptly named Striped Mountains and Ivanpah Mountains in the Mojave National Preserve is Standard Mine road, providing a wealth of mining history, with fathomless mine shafts now safely grated closed, abandoned heavy equipment, and surviving miners' cabins. The Mojave National Preserve leaves these sites untouched to preserve the rich mining history of the area.  The miners located the cabin sites to provide fantastic views across the lush Joshua Tree forests of the Shadow Valley below. Many of the cabins have been restored by volunteers and offer a glimpse of miners' lives. Probably the most well-known and well-preserved is Riley Camp, the home of J. Riley Bembry, a World War I veteran who had placed 56 claims in the area.

The main road is easy and can be managed with a 2-wheel drive vehicle with some clearance, but the spurs leading to mine sites can be very rocky and rugged, often made from the mine's waste rock and requiring a 4-wheel drive lifted vehicle.

Camping can be found on the flat areas around mine sites, with the best camping around the cabins, where tables and iron fire rings can be found.