Old Toll Road - PSR to Darwin

[DeathValleyDazed]

Until recently I was not aware that the road from Darwin Springs Parking Area leading south and passing by The China Garden on the way to Darwin was The Old Toll Road. I drove it four years ago in a Larabee Jeep Rental and was glad I had a jeep, especially because the road right past the parking area was steep and rocky and parts of the remainder were sandy with gravel. I hope to drive the route again but take two days so as to stop and explore the drainage much more thoroughly. I'd also like to hike from China Garden to Upper Darwin Falls. 

I used Google Earth to follow the route and added some of my own images taken over the years of the area. 
https://youtu.be/AGwdSxlnQK4

[David_Bricker]

I posted in the other thread before I saw this, but copied it to here for clarity.

The old Toll road isn't a bad drive. 4WD is certainly helpful. I rescued a kid out of there, at the stairsteps just past the Falls parking lot, who decided he could make it up there in his Chevy Corsica. Short answer; no, he couldn't. And yes, alcohol was involved in the kid's "adventure". Yet, back in 2007, my son Noah went to Darwin almost daily for the mail, driving a 1978 Dodge Polara (the Green monster). I certainly would never recommend someone trying the Toll road in a 2wd passenger car, as the stairsteps can be messy, as well as the deep sand.

To be clear, the Toll road didn't go to China Gardens. It went straight from Darwin down into Panamint Valley, and followed relatively the current Highway 190 route to Stovepipe Wells.

There are a couple of offshoots from the Darwin road. One, before getting into the upper wash, leads up to a mine you can see from the Toll road. You can drive it, but I wouldn't recommend it. We did it once, but I barely made it, locked front and rear, and aired down. At one point, we had light under the front tires while climbing the hill. I try to avoid that whenever possible. There also is a now single track (barely) road leading back into the hill from when the ore bin is on the toll road. It's not longer even suitable for a bike, but could be hiked. I don't know what's back there, and I doubt it's very well traveled.

David Bricker / SYR

[Kauri]

I drove it four years ago in a Larabee Jeep Rental and was glad I had a jeep, especially because the road right past the parking area was steep and rocky and parts of the remainder were sandy with gravel. 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has called them "Larabee Jeep Rental" 

[DeathValleyDazed]

The old Toll road isn't a bad drive. 4WD is certainly helpful.  I rescued a kid out of there, at the stairsteps just past the Falls parking lot, who decided he could make it up there in his Chevy Corsica. 
To be clear, the Toll road didn't go to China Gardens. It went straight from Darwin down into Panamint Valley, and followed relatively the current Highway 190 route to Stovepipe Wells.

I just stumbled across this video that has some good shots of those stair steps you describe and that I remember from my jeep drive over this road. It stars about 40 seconds mark. The vid also covers the China Garden and sadly shows these goofs illegally walking their two dogs up the Darwin Falls trail. I'm sure that you're thrilled to know that those dogs may have shat in the PSR water supply!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBfu12IQjQM

[David_Bricker]

Thanks for the video link. There is another set of stair steps that are significantly larger. They're not something that I'd want to do in a regular passenger car. There also is the fairly deep sand in the upper portion of Darwin wash that would give a car some serious difficulty.

It seems many people think that posted signage doesn't apply to them. Fortunately, PSR's water supply is highly filtered, treated and monitored.

David Bricker / SYR

[DeathValleyDazed]

It seems many people think that posted signage doesn't apply to them.  Fortunately, PSR's water supply is highly filtered, treated and monitored.

Thanks for the tips and I'm so glad the PSR culinary is safe!

[Sparky of SoCal]

All things about the water, the dogs and the fish are all true and should not be taken lightly. The two seem to be very green to this kind adventure no doubt. no excuse. One can find many faults in that short video. MAYBE they are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. The one thing that does stand out that is hard to debate or argue about is her shorts.

[DeathValleyDazed]

The one thing that does stand out that is hard to debate or argue about is her shorts.

In hindsight your observant but cheeky comment has merit.

[Sparky of SoCal]

I think I can get behind that.

[jesportland]

In that video, she is real annoying. Hates people. Having people around ruins it for her. Well she would ruin it for me! A bit of a dweeb.

I get real tired of "informing" people of park rules. I few years ago i complained to the park about the poor small signage at Darwin Falls and had to talk to people who had their dogs there. They had misread the sign.They just though they had to keep their dogs out of the water. The park has since put up much bigger and better signs. Also once have seen motorcyle tracks way up the trail.

This is a big problem in the park in regrards to signage. They really need bigger and better signs for this. Same at the entrance to Golden Canyon where I have seen bike tires all the way up and over. No signs about bikes there. Same at Zabriskie.