Type of material found |
Black Dendrites
Massive Red Garnet
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Description of material |
Black Dendrites. Beautiful specimens of
black manganese "fern" deposits
on white, gray, green, and pink native rocks. The dendrites will be found
as masses of densely distributed small "ferns" on some specimens, while
others will occcur as one or two large "ferns", sometimes up to 5" long.
These dendrites are caused by the mineral manganese being deposited in
solution and growing in a branching pattern. They are not fossilized ferns
as many believe.
Red Garnet. Massive pieces of rusty red garnet.
This material occurs in same localities as dendrites.
This area is an abandoned tungsten mine and a black light may show some
interesting specimens on the old dumps. (Click photos to enlarge.)
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| A dendrite rock as found | Closer up and dry | Closer up and wet |
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Equipment needed |
Rock pick. |
How to get there |
Take Highway 138 east from Pearblossom. Continue east to
Highway 395, turn left. You will pass a turnoff to George AFB and
Victorville at 4.3 miles and the turnoff to Adelanto business district is
passed when you have gone another .6 mile. From here, continue north on
Highway 395 for 12.4 miles and turn left onto dirt road marked Bonanza Tr.
(This is .7 mile north of Sun Hill Ranch road.) Proceed on Bonanza
TR., a good dirt road heading west, 3.8 miles. Turn left onto Mountain View
Road. Continue south 1.0 mile toward cement foundations of old mine. The
dendrites are found around these concrete abutments and the mine diggings
in the surrounding area. |
Webmaster notes from July 14, 2001 |
I've corrected the map which listed the distance on Bonanza Trail as 6.8 miles. It now says 3.8. There has been some recent work on the road entrance and there was no sign this morning so you have to watch for Sun Hill Ranch Road. Sun Hill is easy to spot because of the large Chalet surrounded by trees on top of a small peak. Mountain view Road was also not marked but the diggings are easy to spot by the very large vertical concrete foundations (not to be confused with small concrete pads). The last 1/4 - 1/2 mile is partially washed out. There are many specimens along the road before the washout. The better specimens that I found were actually close to the concrete foundations where I parked.
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H.D.I. notes: | Manganese dentrites can also be found from Victorville to Afton Canyon, especially in areas where mining has uncovered them. Often, no digging is required. |
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