When one envisions a ghost town, they think of abandoned, dilapidated buildings, either made from wood or brick. The cave dwellings of Dublin Gulch is not the typical ghost town.
Situated on the southern edge of the small village of Shoshone, just outside Death Valley, these miners dwellings are dug into solidified volcanic ash deposits – making the whole town underground so to speak. Warm in winter, cool in the summer. Ideal for the miners or whoever lived in these desert dwellings.
During the 1920s, miners carved dwellings in this caliche clay embankment. The name “Dublin Gulch” may have come from an area of the same name in Butte, MT, where one resident, Joe Vollmer once lived. Some caves have split levels, stovepipes and garages.
From the sign
Historical Shoshone Cemetery
We have been to Dublin Gulch several times and always stop off to have a mooch around. This time we ventured into the historical Shoshone Cemetery before proceeding up the dirt road.
The first known burial here, according to the sign, was that of a young 4-year old boy, Ralph Modine, in 1924.
There are dozens of graves, some with headstones, others unmarked and the whole place is well-kempt.
After spending ten minutes or so looking, we were unable to find his gravesite, so we continued walking along the old road. When we came across a posted sign, we returned to explore more of the cave dwellings.
Underground Complex
Both of us were surprised at just how many of these underground dwellings there are. They line both sides of the road, and there was another row behind which have never noticed on previous explorations.
It makes you wonder how many there are further into the hills. Even some that have yet to be discovered.
Some of the dwellings have several rooms. One we found was even a split level.
Another had a garage with shelves carved in the walls.
Most seemed to be a single room, and they all vary in size. Some were huge, while others much smaller resembling a mine entrance.
The more elaborate had fireplaces and wooden floorboards covering the dirt floor.
The only outhouse that we found had room for two!
Rusting tin cans have been left, strewn in piles.
History of the Cave Dwellings at Dublin Gulch
Prospector Shorty Harris is said to have lived here at some point. He discovered gold at Rhyolite and was associated with Harrisburg and Eureka Mine in Death Valley.
Dates of construction are sketchy. It is believed that some of these homes date back to as early as the 1870s when there was a silver boom, others state 1920s.
After the mines ran dry and the miners went elsewhere, others moved in, and Dublin Gulch remained inhabited up until the 1970s. Mostly by hobos and hippies, but rumour has said some of the Manson clan lived here for a time.
China Ranch Road in Tecopa, and near Lower Noonday Camp also have dugouts. More places to explore!
Our Takeaway on Dublin Gulch
In our opinion, the cave dwellings of Dublin Gulch are an excellent piece of the Californian mining history. Once again, it shows how creative these prospectors were, and what a hard life they had to endure.
It is worth a stop, especially if you are heading into Death Valley proper.
in a nutshell
- Address: Off of Highway 178 on the southern edge of the town of Shoshone, California
- Next to the Shoshone Cemetery
- Large parking area
- Walk the 0.25-mile unpaved dirt road
- Most of the homes are locked due to vandalism, but you can see through the screens. A few we were able to access
- No toilets
- Allocated time 20 to 30 minutes. We spent about an hour exploring
- Free to visit
location of the cave dwellings of dublin gulch
- If you’d like to see what else Death Valley has to offer, click the link below
Perhaps these are the caves written about by Ernie Pyle in his book “Home Country”. Kind of a “Travels With Charley” only written in the 1930’s
Haven’t heard of that book. It sounds very interesting. Thank you for your comment.