Goler Wash, Mengel Pass

Total Miles
10.4

Elevation

1317.98 ft

Duration

3 Hours

Technical Rating

6

Difficult

Best Time

Fall, Winter, Spring

Trail Overview

Difficulty

Difficult: There's one rocky section descending the north side of Mengel Pass that will always be difficult for stock vehicles. The balance of the trail ranges between easy to impassable, depending upon recency of maintenance. We drove through while the trail was being graded. The graded portion was very easy, but the ungraded portion was extremely difficult due to major washouts (see photo above).

History

Charles Manson is perhaps the most notorious mass murderer of all time. He and his 'Manson Family' accomplices were caught hiding out at the Barker Ranch in 1969. It was a major news event. A fire in 2009 destroyed the wooden part of the structure, but the stone portion of the house still remains. Don't miss this interesting side trip.

Technical Rating

6

Access Description

Take Highway 178 north from Trona about 22 miles. Turn right on Ballarat Road to Wingate Road. Head south on Wingate Road 15.1 miles to BLM Road P52 on left.