This is an interesting and, compared with many of the
historical sites in the park, a relatively well-preserved site. It is on a side trail/wash from the wash that
leads to the Pushawalla Plateau. Our
hiking book had directions to it, which we had followed on one of our hikes the
previous year. However, using those
directions only lead us to an abandoned mine below the actual site of the
Hensen Well, and we thought this must have been all there was.
This is our trail to the Pushawalla Plateau. The little tail at the bottom is where one
goes to get to the Hensen Well.
But the book referred to other structures, so we tried
again, and found a better way of finding this site.
When taking the Pushawalla Plateau hike, you leave the wash
about two miles from the trail head and head a bit toward the right on an old
mining road. This mining road is hard to
locate, though, and it seems more like you are just in another, smaller
wash.
At the point where you leave the wash to get onto this
difficult-to-locate mining road, go left instead to find the Hensen Well. Go about 100 yards and turn right up another
small wash. Go about another 100 yards
and you will find a mound of tailings from a mine. You can try going farther up the wash, as our
hiking book recommended, but the going is very rough.
Instead, and this wasn’t in the hiking book, instead of
going up the wash at that point, go up the hill on the opposite side of the
tailings and you will soon see an old, but still very serviceable mining
road. It is clear as a bell when you go
up this hill. Follow this road up the
hill. Some parts are totally
obliterated, but you can easily hike it.
Eventually you will come to the site. There are remnants of several buildings, some
old equipment, and the usual discarded tin cans.
We also found one of the grinding wheels. There is another laying around somewhere, but
we figured it was probably covered by a mesquite bush.
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