Donkey Rides & More At Desert Rose Ranch

Big Ben Franklin, a Mammoth donkey, and Amanda at Desert Rose Ranch.

by Glenn Franco Simmons

Settle in at whimsically crafted picnic tables, hop aboard donkey-led carriage rides, try your hand at authentic gold panning, embark on artifact scavenger hunts, and admire masterful woodcarvings.

You can do all this and much more at Gold Hill’s Desert Rose Ranch.

With delights tailored for grown-ups and children alike, this enchanting Comstock oasis truly has it all.

Nestled along the historic Highway 341 on Occidental Grade, the ranch is a charming, old-school roadside gem designed to enchant visitors of all ages.

Goats, rabbits and chickens are a great way for people of any age to meet farm critters.

Even though the picturesque ranch is located a few stones’ throw from Fourth Ward School on the Truck Route (not Highway 342), this is Gold Hill, not Virginia City.

In a joint statement on their website, Paul and Amanda, a devoted husband-and-wife team, said, “We built our small ranch on top of the overburden piles from the Ward Mine which operated in the late 1800s. We are open Thursday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we’re looking forward to sharing all of the fun on the Ranch with you!”

A beautiful vista.

From atop the mine piles, you will enjoy priceless vistas of the serene Carson River Watershed and the majestic, purple-hued Sierra Nevada peaks in the distance.

Amanda and Paul have transformed Desert Rose Ranch into a welcoming haven complete with ample parking, open picnic areas, and endless family-friendly adventures.

A beautiful vista & a place to look for gold. All photos: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Desert Rose Ranch may use any photos for any purpose.

I have covered small communities for years, and something like Desert Rose Ranch is a one-off in my journalism (now retired) career. It really is. Local schools would be wise to tour it, if they don’t already. It really is a Comstock treasure.

Walking a short distance with Amanda, I was pleased to see a first-class donkey riding arena stocked with rescued BLM burros. The donkeys all had names and stories, Amanda said. (I would like to do a full feature or two on Desert Rose Ranch, so I’ll save what I learned for a more thorough and formal interview, so I get the names and stories accurate, if Amanda and Paul are willing.)

Carriages purchased from the Amish.

Nearby is the gentle giant Big Ben Franklin ~ a huge but gentle and Mammoth donkey ~ plus chickens, rabbits and really friendly goats.

“All donkeys but our Mammoth Jack Donkey have been adopted from the Bureau of Land Management, gentled and trained to pull wagons,” they noted on their website. “We have a smooth path that meanders around the ranch that our donkeys pull a wagon on. This is a safe, contained space to experience a wagon ride with your family and learn a little about donkeys, wagons and the Ward Mine that is also on the property.”

And those wagons? Ordered from the Amish in Pennsylvania. No, kidding. Quite amazing, isn’t it? What a special place.

Julia Bulette.

When I was there, I also saw goats, chickens and bunnies.

“All of our farmyard animals were adopted, rescued or donated and provided a safe and loving existence here at the Ranch,” they noted. “All of our small barn animals were born and/or raised around people and are very gentle. There is an intimate small barn corral where the pigs, goats, chickens and bunnies enjoy being petted and fed. The animals like to be petted and fed to each person’s comfort level.”

That corral is the perfect place for anyone of any age to go in and interact with traditional farm and/or ranch animals. Worthy of school trips, for sure.

In terms of gold prospecting, Paul found a piece of ore with some gold and gave it to me. He kindly looked at some rocks I had gathered earlier on Six Mile Canyon Road, and he said they had gold in them. He was able to tell by a small magnifying glass, but I couldn’t see it because of my eyesight. But I am sending the rocks to my twin grandsons.

The V&T, always a welcome site.

He also demonstrated how to break ore down, so be sure to ask him to show you how to do that.

Their commentary on the website also explains why such ore can be found: “We are located on a mountain of old mine tailings and overburden piles that contain quartz crystals, placer gold and a vast assortment of other rocks and minerals,” they noted. “We provide a small kit, rock identifier map of the Ranch and instructions on how to prospect on the Ranch. It is self-guided, and we are bordered on all sides by BLM land, so you have an unlimited area to explore. It is not hard to find assorted minerals including gold, but it does take some intention and patience, but it does pay off. Yes, gold is found and yes you get to keep all that you find.”

“Placer gold is a form of naturally occurring gold that has been eroded from its original hard rock (lode) source through weathering, water flow, or glacial action, and deposited in loose sediments like riverbeds, stream gravels, or alluvial plains,” according to Grok AI. “Unlike lode gold, which remains embedded in quartz veins or ore bodies, placer gold appears as flakes, nuggets, or dust in these unconsolidated deposits, making it easier to extract without heavy machinery.”

Paul is also a talented woodcarver who carved the beautiful wooden sculpture of Julia Bulette at the yummy Virginia City Canvas Café. There is an excellent Press-Democrat article about Paul that is worth reading. You may also view some of his sculptures on his Instagram page.

Roadside Mural Memorializes Judith Ann Baxter

© SSBR. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. A roadside mural. A wonderful legacy. (2024)

by Glenn Franco Simmons

A roadside mural remains colorful against the dust-kissed siding, whispering of a woman’s legacy that unfurled across decades of multiple generations.

Imagine the hands steadied, the imaginations sparked, by Judith Ann Baxter — Judy to the folks who claimed her as kin and/or friend — through her Crafty Needle & Tole, that alchemy of shop, heartbeat and hands-on community hub, pieced from the sparse digital breadcrumbs I have chased down.

I took this photo in 2024, along that lonesome two-lane stretch of US-395, where it clings fierce to the cragged Eastern Sierra Nevada’s flank, right at the sun-scorched lip of Antelope Valley’s vast, untamed sprawl.

“Judy was born in Bridgeport, CA to Roy and Betty West on March 28, 1944,” according to a Sierra Wave obituary. “She resided in the area for most of her young adulthood before briefly moving to Carlsbad, NM. Returning to Walker in 1973, she remained a friend to many of the city’s residents.

“Judy had a great love for animals and especially horses. Judy could be seen horseback riding in the beautiful Antelope Valley and participating in local gymkhanas. As a young adult, she led horseback tours around various locations in the Sierra Nevada mountains. She also worked as a dealer at Topaz Lodge before starting her own business.”

The obituary said Crafty Needle & Tole was “a staple of the community.”

“With an artistic flair, she taught tole painting for many years before branching into a professional embroidery business,” the obituary stated, adding that Judy also attended “quilting retreats with her good friends, and making intricate quilts for her loved ones.”

“The business became a cornerstone of the community, offering supplies and classes focused on tole painting — a decorative technique for hand-painting metal surfaces with floral and folk-art designs,” Grok AI stated.  “With her innate artistic talent, Judy taught tole-painting workshops for many years, fostering a sense of creativity and camaraderie among locals.”

Judy shared her life with her husband of 45 years, Don Baxter, and was a devoted mother and grandmother. At 77, she passed away in the house where she had lived for 65 years with her loving family beside her.

Even though The Crafty Needle & Tole has since closed, her influence undoubtedly left an indelible impression on many people. If you are one, please let me know in the comments.

1937 Ford Model BB Truck In Gold Hill

An old Ford dump truck (shown with a California license plate) in Gold Hill, Nev.

Photo © Glenn Franco Simmons. Please share, if so inclined.

"Based on the truck's distinctive features — like the slanted hood line, separate fender-mounted headlights, horizontal-bar grille, suicide-style doors, and stake-sided dump bed — this is a Ford Model BB series heavy-duty dump truck from 1937," according to Grok. "These were common in mining areas like Gold Hill, Nev., often painted yellow for visibility and safety."

If that analysis is incorrect, please let me know in comments.