Take
this scenic auto tour through Holcomb Valley north of
Big Bear Lake. Named
for an early prospector
and miner, this remote valley makes you feel like you're
in the old west. (Many Westerns were filmed here!). Site
of the biggest gold strike in Southern California in 1859,
you can still find a few historic buildings and cemeteries.
Pick up an auto tour guide at the Discovery Center.
Directions: On Highway 38 between Fawnskin and the Discovery
Center, turn north on Forest Road 2N09. This becomes Polique
Canyon Road and joins Forest Road 3N16, the Gold Fever
Trail. The route continues east and comes out at the north
end of Baldwin Lake.
Distance, time and difficulty: The auto tour is 12.3 miles.
Plan on 2-4 hours to enjoy all the stops. This unpaved
road can be rough, especially at the both ends.
Season: spring, summer, and fall (check for road conditions
during wet seasons).
Google Map: Discovery Center
Polique
Canyon Map
View Larger Map
Welcome
to the historic gold country of the San Bernardino
National Forest. This route takes you
through now tranquil Holcomb Valley that was once thriving
with activity during the gold rush of the 1860's.
At 12 selected markers you are invited to get out of
your vehicle and walk to the sites described below. This
area supports a number of rare and unique species and
their special habitats. Please keep your vehicles
or bicycles on designated roads and use the parking
areas at numbered stops. When walking to historical sites
off
the road, please stay on the trail. Your attention
and care while in Holcomb Valley will help ensure the
survival
of the area's special plants. Set
your trip odometer to "0" as you leave
from the front gate of the Big Bear Discovery Center.
Mileage shown at each stop is the distance from the Discovery
Center.
Turn right onto HWY 38, drive 0.8 mile and turn right
on Polique Canyon Road -2N09. The tour is 10.9 mile over
dirt
roads, and 8.6 miles back to the Discovery Center via
HWY 38. Allow 3 hours for the nearly 20 mile round-trip. William F. Holcomb left Iowa in 1850 and went west to
seek his fortune in the mining camps of Northern California.
Discouraged by poor luck, he drifted southward. Intrigued
by rumors of a small gold discovery in the San Bernardino
Mountains, Holcomb left Los Angeles in November of 1859,
joining up with others, and camped in the aptly named Starvation
Flats (on the south side of Stanfield Cutoff in Big Bear
Valley).
1.)
Holcomb View Trail (3.2 miles) 2.)
Last Chance Placer (4.8 miles) Drive in 200 feet to a
split rail fence around a mining pit. 3.)
Two Gun Bill's Saloon (5.8 miles) Hike in 100
yards to the scattered remnants of this historic log
structure. 4.)
Jonathan Tibbetts' Grasshopper Quartz Mill (6.3
miles) Walk 300 yards past sand mounds to the remains
of a water pump. 5.)
.) Hangman's Tree (6.5 miles) Look for a tree
surrounded by rail fence next to road. 6.)
Original Gold Diggings (6.8 miles) Look in the meadow
(the stream is not usually visible).
7.)
Bellevue (7.1 miles) A lone log cabin sits in the meadow
on your left (this cabin was moved to this site to represent
the kind of structure once common to Holcomb Valley).
8.)
Arrastres (Gold
Ore Grinder) Walk 150 feet west of
the Belleville cabin to see stone remains. Take care
to protect the natural features of this meadow.
9.)
Ross' Grave (7.3 miles) A 500-foot fence leads
to the gravesite.
10.)
Pygmy Cabin Site (7.3 miles) Across the road from stop
#9, a winding 300-yard trail leads to cabin remains.
11.)
Metzger Mine (9.0 miles) Follow an 800-foot trail to
the mine entrance.
12.)
Gold Mountain also know as "Lucky Baldwin" Mine
(10.8 miles) Watch for the crumbling wooden structure
on the right or south side of the road -this
is an ore bin, built in 1945, a more recent attempt
to make
Gold Mountain profitable. |
