Lanfair Valley
Encyclopedia
Lanfair Valley is located in the Mojave Desert
in southeastern California
near the Nevada
state line. It is bounded on the north by the New York Mountains
and Castle Mountains, on the east by the Piute Range
, and on the south by the Woods Mountains
and Vontrigger Hills
. Joshua Trees can be found in most of the valley. Elevation is 4,045 feet.
The central part of the valley contains the Grotto Hills and Lanfair Buttes. The valley is home to the Lanfair ghost town
at the intersection of Cedar Canyon Road and Lanfair Road. While once thriving, all that is now left of the town of Lanfair is rubble. Both Lanfair Valley, and its ghost town, are named for Ernest L. Lanfair, a settlement owner. Tens of thousand of acres in the valley are privately held, despite being located in the Mojave National Preserve
. Few people live in the valley today, but at one time there were school
s, farm
s, post office
s, and even a railroad.
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
in southeastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
near the Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
state line. It is bounded on the north by the New York Mountains
New York Mountains
The New York Mountains are found in northeastern San Bernardino County in California, USA; the range's northeast lies in southeast Nevada. The range lies just south of the small community of Ivanpah, and north of the Lanfair Valley. The mountains are part of the mountain ranges, cones, mountains,...
and Castle Mountains, on the east by the Piute Range
Piute Range
The Piute Range is located in the Mojave Desert, primarily in northeast San Bernardino County, California, United States, with a north portion in Nevada...
, and on the south by the Woods Mountains
Woods Mountains
The Woods Mountains are found in southeastern California in the Mojave Desert, at the southwestern end of the Lanfair Valley just east of Hole-in-the-Wall. The mountains are located in the Mojave National Preserve north of Interstate 40 and the Clipper Valley in San Bernardino County. The range...
and Vontrigger Hills
Vontrigger Hills
The Vontrigger Hills are a mountain range in the Mojave Desert, in eastern San Bernardino County, California.Vontrigger Hills is located in Mojave National Preserve, approximately ten miles north of the small settlement of Goffs, California on U.S. Route 66....
. Joshua Trees can be found in most of the valley. Elevation is 4,045 feet.
The central part of the valley contains the Grotto Hills and Lanfair Buttes. The valley is home to the Lanfair ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
at the intersection of Cedar Canyon Road and Lanfair Road. While once thriving, all that is now left of the town of Lanfair is rubble. Both Lanfair Valley, and its ghost town, are named for Ernest L. Lanfair, a settlement owner. Tens of thousand of acres in the valley are privately held, despite being located in the Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, USA, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
. Few people live in the valley today, but at one time there were school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s, and even a railroad.