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These impressive rocks are persistent remains of eroded volcanic sediment. There is no interpretation here or established trail, so it is perfect for those looking for a mini-adventure.
If you follow the Grande Ronde River to its source there are several interesting geologic points of interest along the way. The first spot is about 3 miles up the Grande Ronde River Road after the turn from NF 5160. Driving in it would be on the left and a little hidden unless you have a sharp eye. Look for tuff pillars.
Further on up the Grande Ronde, the evidences of hydraulic gold mining will become evident. Drive until you hit a bridge across the river and then follow this spur road NF 375 then NF 5135. After a few miles you will have to watch closely for an old tin roofed miner's cabin on the left. The rest is walking to the left and up an old road.
It is difficult to give exact directions, so a Google map overview above describes the location of an open hydraulic mine (the square marker) and a hydraulic landslide of quartzite (round marker). Both of these are about 1/2 mile off the road.
Gold!
Gold!
One of the first things you start seeing as you walk east from the road through the meadow and up the hillside on the meandering old road, is old mining equipment. There's an old part of a sluice at the bottom of a creek trough that goes up the hill side.
Hydraulics!
Hydraulics!
As you walk up the narrow "v" shaped creek bed you will see remnants of iron pipes that controlled the water flow for hydraulic mining in the area.
Overgrown
Overgrown
The area was once logged and the ground was more or less naked so miners could strip off the layers of sediment that had placer gold. Now there are trees atop the old diggings so it takes some sleuthing to see how things worked. There are chunks of dark petrified wood in these tailings, so look for a pattern unlike the base rock!
Most remarkable about this area is the acre landslide of quartzite boulders unearthed by the hydraulic mining. These giants are perfectly tumbled and have greens, whites, yellows, purples and orange hues.
Some are the size of your head and some the size of watermelons, and some so large you could never move them! The sight is both amazing and surprising as one would never believe this rock had been washed down from the Missoula floods.
If you look at any of these giants carefully you'll see evidence that thy came dow in a watery flood and bounced off other bowling balls alone the way. Ping marks dot many of these boulders.
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