El Paso Mountains – 4WD Route

Last Chance Canyon To Iron Canyon

Speeding your way up Hwy 14 to Bishop from Los Angeles, you’ve probably driven past what appeared to be another insignificant mountain range in the middle of that vast distance from here to there. Past The wind swept desert town of Mojave and farther north to the expanse of Koehn Lake. A dry lake framed by the Rand Mountains to the south and El Paso Range on it’s northern side.

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Apart from its Gold Prospecting lore, the El Paso Range sports a significant geological consideration. The second largest fault in California runs the length of the it – the mighty Garlock. Uplift from the Garlock fault and adjacent faults where it begins to bend southward have given us some unusual and picturesque backdrops as any Ranger will be glad to tell you in Red Rock Canyon State Park Visitor Center.

Our Trip takes us past the Garlock Road and further North along Hwy 14 to a turn off that goes South West into Last Chance Canyon – Past the Bonanza Trail and Bonanza Gulch, the old Dutch Cleanser mine, up through Mormon Flat and back out through Iron Canyon to the Garlock Road on the South side of the El Paso Range.