Overview

Monarch Canyon is a nice, 1.1-mile hike down a rugged canyon to a spring in the Death Valley Wilderness Area. The route passes several historical mining structures along the way, including a small cave that was used for a cabin or storeroom. It is possible that the cave was actually the beginnings of a mine that was quickly abandoned.

Monarch Cave is located on the hillside above Monarch Spring. It looks like a shallow rock shelter where someone closed off the front with a wooden wall. The door is missing, but there are vents with screen in the wall above door. There is some broken plate glass, so perhaps there was a window in the door. Inside, tables or benches were built around the edges where a person of small stature could have lived and slept.

Presented here are photos of Monarch Cave. For a detailed description of the route, including directions, maps, GPS coordinates, and photos, see Monarch Canyon.