Doran Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Features Birding · Geological Significance · Views

The closest water or restroom are in the pay-to-access Calico Ghost Town about 1 mile down the road.

The trail goes from sand to rock. I would make sure you have a rock plated shoe to protect your feet on the descent.

You park at the entrance to what once was the Doran Scenic Drive. There is a sign with a map of the Calico Mountains. The trail starts uphill, stay left at the first fork (Odessa Canyon). There are some neat rock bridges that you can run though on the way up or back down.

Soon the canyon narrows and things become interesting. At a point only one mile off the pavement there is a wide spot where people have parked and camped for years. In order to ascend the canyon further you must climb a few 3-4 foot boulders; nothing crazy, just can't run up or down them very well.

A second "wall" is about six feet high; again it required no extra gear and I got up it very smooth. An oiled road used to run down through this canyon, but now there are only a few remaining traces of asphalt. There are four "open" mines near the end of the trail, the Argentum, the Occidental, the Humbug, and the Bismark Mine; they were all for mining chlorite ores.

There were several beautiful Turkey Vultures flying the morning I was on the trail. Otherwise, just normal Mojave Desert Lizards. Not many fauna throughout the canyons or rims.