Harmony Borax Works

Harmony Borax Works is a historic mining operation in the California desert that contains scattered building ruins and machinery from the 1880s. The site preserves the layout and equipment used for extracting and processing borax during the era of intensive mining in the region.

The site operated in the 1880s as a borax extraction facility from the region's soda lakes. Operations declined as mining activity shifted elsewhere, leaving behind structures that mark this as an important chapter in California's desert mining history.

The site sits in a remote desert location accessed by rough roads suitable for walking or high-clearance vehicles. There are no facilities on site, so visitors should bring water and sun protection for exploring the scattered ruins.

A specialized narrow-gauge rail line called the Death Valley Railroad was built to move borax over vast distances to processing centers. This unusual transport solution reveals how miners adapted to the extreme challenges of moving heavy cargo through the isolated desert landscape.