Ryan House and Lost Horse Well, Historic ranch ruins in Joshua Tree National Park, United States

Ryan House and Lost Horse Well are ranch ruins containing building remains from the early 1900s in Joshua Tree National Park. The structures had multiple rooms with adobe walls and stone foundations, connected to a water source that served mining operations.

J.D. Ryan bought out Johnny Lang's mining interest in 1895 and built the six-room adobe house in 1896, adding wood frame sections later. He moved a disassembled steam-powered mill from near the Colorado River to the mine and fed it water from the ranch well. The house burned on August 12, 1978; the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1975.

The site reveals how miners and their families lived in the desert during the early 1900s. The small cemetery shows the people who made this remote area their home.

The ruins lie off Keys View Road, reached by a rough dirt road to the Ryan Ranch; a high-clearance vehicle is advisable. The site is in the park's northern section, and the exposed desert gives little shade, so carry water and sun protection. Summer heat makes cooler hours the better time to visit.

The Lost Horse Well connected the residence to a mine several miles away through a pipeline that transported water. This infrastructure reveals the engineering solutions early settlers created to survive in the desert.