Dublin Gulch, Shoshone, Ca

Should you happen to find yourself in the middle of the desert, somewhere around the southern end of Death Valley, and come upon a little town by the name of Shoshone, California you'll have an opportunity to see a very unique form of housing that was once used quite a number of years ago.

The miners and prospectors who once worked this area had a difficult time building any type of permanent housing. Taking a look around this burnt desert landscape and it's easy to see why. You'll notice a distinct absence of any type of building materials. No trees and very little water to make adobe bricks with.

Well this lack of building materials didn't deter these hardy souls. Some imaginative individual decided to dig his home into the base of a hard dirt cliff. Not only did this keep him out of the elements, but this natural insulation kept him warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Apparently quite a few other folks thought this was a great idea and today you can see the results of their efforts.

Once they'd dug themselves a simple cave that just wouldn't do. They layed in wooden floors, dug windows and installed shutters. They added chimneys, stairs to second levels and even garages.

No one knows for sure when they began to excavate these homes but it was probably around the 1870s when nearby silver mines were being worked. People continued to occupy these homes as late as the 1970s.

State Route 127 & 178 come to a T just outside of Shoshone. Park at the head of the T then hike west into the desert for about a quarter mile into the gulch you can't miss all the cave homes.