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BURRO SCHMIDT TUNNEL

Location: Randsburg, CA
​Accessibility: Moderately Difficult Drive

​Created: 1906-1938 
Located in the vast desert of Randsburg, California, the Burro Schmidt Tunnel could easily be categorized as one of the great Man-Made Wonders of the world. It has been stated that constructing a tunnel is one of the most complex challenges in the field of civil engineering. These horizontal passageways, such as the Tunnel Springs Tunnel, St. Paul Pass Tunnel, and Silver Creek Cliff Tunnel, take several years, manpower, and high-powered tools to create. 

Stretching out at 2,087 feet in the El Paso Mountains, the Burro Schmidt Tunnel was not constructed by a team of engineers, or expensive equipment. Instead, the mysterious entrance into the mountain was dug out by William H. Schmidt’s own two hands. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Schmidt uprooted his life and migrated to California after all six of his brothers and sisters died from consumption. Lured to the deserts of California by the promises of gold, Schmidt lived in a humble cabin next to his tunnel and maintained a lifestyle of solitude and frugality. 

Sans any formal training in mining technology, Schmidt opted to create a shortcut through Copper Mountain to bring gold ore to market. In 1906, Schmidt utilized a pick, a 4lb hammer, a shovel, and his two hands and began chiseling at the side of the mountain. Carrying out bags of rock on his back and with a wheelbarrow, Schmidt’s tedious work into the mountain led to toting a reputation among the locals as “crazy” and “obsessed”. Still, Schmidt trekked on. In 1938, after 32 years of pouring his time, health, and attention into his tunnel, Schmidt punched through to the other side of the mountain overlooking the valley, dropped his tools, and walked away.

In 1954 at the age of 82, William Burro Schmidt passed away. Official records state that Schmidt never struck it rich, however, Burro Schmidt certainly left behind a priceless legacy. William Burro Schmidt - clinically insane, or simply devoted? Check out our adventure at the Burro Schmidt Tunnel to decide for yourself.
  • New Episodes
  • Adventure Archive
    • 2023 Episodes >
      • Zzyzx
    • 2022 Episodes >
      • The Salton Sea Naval Base
      • Desert Christ Park
      • Rubel Castle
      • The Radford Art Walk
      • George Air Force Base
      • The Cal-Earth Institute
      • The Venice Canals
      • Mount Rubidoux
      • Queen Califia's Magical Circle
      • Scary Dairy
      • Fort MacArthur
      • Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
    • 2020 Episodes >
      • The Lummis Castle
      • The Sky Slide
      • The Galleta Meadows Sculptures
      • Burro Schmidt Tunnel
      • The Global Angel Wings Project
      • The Topanga Time Tunnel
      • Solstice Canyon
      • The Kea Mill
      • Tankland
      • Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village
      • Cabot's Pueblo
    • 2019 Episodes >
      • The Shoemaker Tunnels
      • The Canned Heat Suicide House
      • Angels Flight
      • Echo Mountain
      • Amir's Garden
      • The Amboy Crater
      • Hazel's Volcanic Gardens
      • East Jesus
      • Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark
      • The Mojave Lava Tube
      • The Mosaic Tile House
      • The Krampus Run
    • 2018 Episodes >
      • Devil's Gate Dam
      • Salvation Mountain
      • The Cat House
      • The Sutro Bath Ruins
      • Bring Your Own Big Wheel
      • The Wave Organ
      • The Bay Bridge Troll
      • The Peephole Cinema
      • Nike Missile Site LA-88L
      • The High Tower Elevator
    • 2017 Episodes >
      • The Bridge to Nowhere
      • The Musical Road
      • The Old Los Angeles Zoo
      • The St. Francis Dam
      • Phantasma Gloria
      • The Sunken City
      • Nike Missile Site LA-96C
      • The Prohibition Tunnels
      • Vasquez Rocks
      • Big Horn Mine
      • The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
    • 2016 Episodes >
      • The Laguna Beach Pirate Tower
      • The Great Wall of Los Angeles
      • Murphy's Ranch
      • The Chemosphere
      • The Los Feliz Murder Mansion
      • The Music Box Steps
      • Bronson Cave
      • The Shakespeare Bridge
      • The S.S. Dominator Shipwreck
      • The Last Bookstore
      • Picnic Table #29
  • Map
  • Contact Us