Burro Schmidt's Tunnel

Located 7 miles east of Highway 14 via EP15, the tunnel was featured on the  television series California’s Gold. William Henry “Burro” Schmidt was frail and small of stature, yet he prospected around Kern County and established claims in the El Paso Mountains. In 1900, he began to dig, drill, and blast his way through the interior of the mountain. In 1938, after 38 years of exhaustive mining, daylight was finally visible through the far side of the tunnel. Unfortunately for Burro, it revealed no gold. He died in January of 1954 and is buried in the nearby Johannesburg Cemetery. Those with a sense of adventure can still walk through the tunnel, though a flashlight is required, and it’s important to stay mindful of low spots within.

You can find this discovery point via GPS at N35.4111, W118.8741, or in section H-10 with the Jawbone Canyon OHV Map.

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Special Thanks To:

Bureau of Land Management
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Dedicated to Ed Waldheim

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Founder of the Friends of Jawbone (FOJ)