Rosie's Mining Cabin

Rosie's Mining Cabin is an interesting example of a log cabin build in the 1860s (during the American Civil War) when this area was just being entered by European settlers. The logs surely were cut locally, and the ends were carefully cut to form tongue-and-groove joints (scribe and notch). When the cuts didn't fit properly, wedges were used to fill the gap. The logs were chinked with smaller pieces cut to fit the gaps between logs. The roof was constructed with straight branches laid side-by-side and covered with sticks and dirt. It appears that tin was laid on the roof at a later date.

On the interior, the logs were smoothed, and the interior chinking made for fairly smooth walls. At a later date, some the walls were covered with cardboard boxes for wallpaper, probably to block more wind. There was a stove in the center of the cabin, but it is gone, leaving a hole in the roof and stovepipes on the ground out back. Currently, there is a 55-gallon drum modified for a stove. The door is hinged, and at least one front window has screening.

Tin roofing, old bedsprings, and other historic items litter the ground outside the cabin. My impression is that this cabin was used as a store that supplied travelers on the road.

During the winter of 2020-2021, the roof started collapsing on the east end, and moisture has seeped onto and damaging the cardboard wallpaper. This historical cabin will not last forever.

Getting to Rosie's Mining Cabin

Rosie's Mining Cabin is located in the southern part of Basin and Range National Monument, about 2-1/2 hours (122 miles) northeast of Las Vegas driving directly, or about 1 hour (15.5 miles) northwest of the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 318.

From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate-15 21 miles to Highway 93. Turn left onto Great Basin Highway (Hwy 93) and top off the gas tank if necessary. Drive north past the towns of Alamo (95 miles from Las Vegas) and Ash Springs (102 miles) to the intersection of Highway 93 and Highway 318 (107 miles). Gasoline is available in Alamo, Ash Springs, Rachael, and Lund.

Turn left onto Highway 318 and drive west then north on Highway 318 for 3.1 miles to Logan Canyon Road on the left. The intersection is marked only by a wire fence gate. Open and be sure to close the gate, then drive west on Logan Canyon Road over the pass and down the other side, 12.3 miles, to the cabin, on the left. See Logan Canyon Road for details.