It’s sort of a moot point with this cabin. I last visited it about 1.5yrs ago and some locals had set up a fairly long term camp there and had taken it over. Tables, coolers, chairs, and full gun range. Shells everywhere, the whole hillside shot up including junk brought in to shoot at, and signs on the road warning that it was a shooting range.

I reported it to the Rangers but no clue if they looked into it.

That’s what I saw also last time in the area. I wasn’t comfortable at all just driving past.

(2021-07-13, 06:56 AM)Beardilocks Wrote: It’s sort of a moot point with this cabin.  I last visited it about 1.5yrs ago and some locals had set up a fairly long term camp there and had taken it over.  Tables, coolers, chairs, and full gun range.  Shells everywhere, the whole hillside shot up including junk brought in to shoot at, and signs on the road warning that it was a shooting range. 

I reported it to the Rangers but no clue if they looked into it.

Probably not, as the cabin is outside of DVNP.

(2021-07-13, 09:13 AM)TacoLand Wrote:

(2021-07-13, 06:56 AM)Beardilocks Wrote: It’s sort of a moot point with this cabin.  I last visited it about 1.5yrs ago and some locals had set up a fairly long term camp there and had taken it over.  Tables, coolers, chairs, and full gun range.  Shells everywhere, the whole hillside shot up including junk brought in to shoot at, and signs on the road warning that it was a shooting range. 

I reported it to the Rangers but no clue if they looked into it.

Probably not, as the cabin is outside of DVNP.

I think it was in the parcel added to the Park in the last couple of years?

(2021-07-13, 07:30 PM)Beardilocks Wrote:

(2021-07-13, 09:13 AM)TacoLand Wrote: Probably not, as the cabin is outside of DVNP.

I think it was in the parcel added to the Park in the last couple of years?

Nope, still just outside the Park if you compare GPS coordinates (which have been on the internet for 15+ years) versus the updated official map available on DVNP website.

To make sure I double-checked it on Google Earth right now and it's just under 2 miles away from the boundary which is marked by Saratoga Springs Road in that area.

I’m unsure if the maps have updated or not but I’m like 70%sure that the former wilderness area at the southern end of the park was added as part of the “Bowling Alley” addition in 2019, also called the Axe Head wilderness. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s still just wilderness & not actually National Park land. But I seem to remember that I was exploring that area as part of the new addition at the time (which also brought in the Crater Mining district in the northern part of the park).

The cabin is located outside of the NPS Bowling Alley addition to the east...

Bowling Alley

The cabin is just outside a parcel of the state school lands on BLM land...

Avawaltz Mountains Wilderness

BLM Avawatz Mountains WSA

Thanks for the clarification! I couldn’t come up with the map.

(2021-07-13, 10:35 PM)Desert Fog Wrote: The cabin is located outside of the NPS Bowling Alley addition to the east...

Hey DF,

Thanks for those links and maps. I suppose it's called The Bowling Alley due to it's long rectangular shape rather some strange geological feature I've yet to learn about?

(2021-07-16, 03:34 PM)DeathValleyDazed Wrote:

(2021-07-13, 10:35 PM)Desert Fog Wrote: The cabin is located outside of the NPS Bowling Alley addition to the east...

Hey DF,

Thanks for those links and maps. I suppose it's called The Bowling Alley due to it's long rectangular shape rather some strange geological feature I've yet to learn about?

I'm not DF, but I can answer that yes, that strip of land got the name because of its shape.