Exploring the Abandoned Nuclear Escape Tunnels in Shoemaker Canyon
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Nuclear escape tunnels deep in the San Gabriel Mountains? Yes, back in the 1950s during the Cold War, Los Angeles County constructed not one but TWO tunnels that were to be part of a lengthy, two-lane highway leading northward out of Los Angeles on Shoemaker Canyon Road. This road would've climbed and winded its way from Azusa through the rugged, steep San Gabriel Mountains towards the desert, and it would've served as a so-called escape route in the event of a nuclear attack on Los Angeles.
Prison labor was used to build both tunnels in Shoemaker Canyon. The first tunnel is 800 feet long and the second is 600 feet long. Despite the two tunnels being completed, the highway was never finished. Someone pulled the plug, the project was abandoned, and the tunnels have remained ever since. Today only hardy hikers visit and go through these tunnels high up in the San Gabriel Mountains -- no car or truck ever has.
This video contains my hike up to and through both tunnels. Along the way, I show you some of the other interesting stuff I found including a mysterious pipe snaking along the mountainside and a grotto with two small waterfalls.
I hope you enjoy the video. Let me know what you think!
#AbandonedTunnels
#ShoemakerCanyon
#OldTunnels
#ShoemakerCanyonRoad
#UnusualPlaces
#SanGabrielMountains
#TunnelsToNowhere
#NuclearEscapeTunnels
I spent a lot of time hiking in the San Gaberials. There is also the bridge that goes nowhere right around there, part of the same project, for real. There are some tunnels on the Angeles Crest Highway that have hard rock roofs. Also, I heard that some people pan the San Gaberial river for a little gold. I heard the story that these were for escape to the high desert in case of atomic attack. I lived in LA from 70 to 76. Thank you for showing an area I loved. I was sorry to hear that old Cal 39 Highway that ran up from Azuza to Angeles Crest Hwy is now closed due to a landslide. Great to see that beautiful country again, also great to hear from one of my favorite youtubers Frank. Hope all goes well and thanks...
Yes, the Bridge to Nowhere is down in the canyon and crosses the San Gabriel River. Getting to it is a much longer hike. I guess the reward would be the fact that you can bungee jump off that bridge. How cool is that? Yes, this unfinished Shoemaker Canyon Road was to be an escape route for the people of L.A. in case of a nuclear attack back in the day. Seems to make sense, but I'm not sure of the veracity of that claim. At any rate, it would've been one hell of a highway -- very scenic, steep, and curvy! I did not hear about that landslide blocking Route 39. I'll have to look into it. I wonder if they'll ever clear it? I know as I hiked up to these two tunnels, there were small landslides partially covering some of the old road. Maintenance would've been a nightmare on a road like this, so I can imagine the same problems exist for State Route 39 that you mentioned. Hey, man, thanks for stopping by, watching, and commenting! Glad to hear you're enjoying my channel and getting something out of it. I appreciate your support.
we still pan it but thanks to Obama the park service is making it very hard
We have a few big roads leading to nowhere, useless bridges etc. It's called corruption in local government. Sometimes someone even gets investigated for it.
Friends, there are plenty of reference sources concerning this road construction and the historical hydraulic mining that was done in the past. A party of prisoners were used to make this road, those are not nuclear escape tunnels, just tunnels as designed by some civil engineer. Please do some query's to get more informed. I've hiked this canyon up to the bridge to nowhere many times, beautiful canyon, one of my favorite places.
Oh man, I used to hike up to those tunnels when I was in college. I never went past the point you stopped, but I always heard the 'road' carried on for a little ways. Great video and a real walk (hike?) down memory lane.
Yes, that road does continue around. I checked on Google Earth after I got home. It goes around the next ridge and basically peters out and stops. I noticed near where it stops that there is another water tank or something like that.
I haven’t been to these tunnels since the mid 90’s. The tunnels haven’t changed at all with the exception of the graffiti. The person in the river looked like he was prospecting for gold. Lots of people pan for gold in that river. I’ve been trying to go back to the San Gabriel for a couple of years now to pan for gold. Thanks for sharing Frank.
Thanks for your comment! Yes, somebody else pointed out in their comment that the guy was panning for gold instead of fishing. I can see that now when watching the footage on my desktop computer monitor. It was very difficult to discern what he was doing while watching the footage on my video camera's small screen with the sun shining overhead. I wonder how much gold people actually pull out of the San Gabriel River? I know Jeff Williams had a video or two awhile back showing him panning for gold there. I don't know if I'd have the patience to sit there and do that for several hours, though. I like to keep moving and checking new things out. That's cool that you got to see these tunnels a couple decades ago before the graffiti. That would've been nice.
I gotta give props to this guy for exploring dangerous areas in his channel and risking his life to film this stuff but I love this channel and thanks for filming for ur fans which I'm now one of em
Great comment, Maxwell! Thanks for your support. Glad to hear you are a fan and are enjoying my channel. Love hearing that! Stay tuned because more videos coming soon....
Frank Ren here, yeah we use to go fishing there. The fish liked sitting underneath piles of rocks, just let your hook sit for a bit. Not all that big maybe plate size, throwbacks. The first tunnel remind me of the tunnels going up to Mt. Baldy, once again Frank great video.
You should've brought a mountain bike and rode that trail till its true ending! Great video - enjoyed it a lot :)
Patrick Yes, after I got home I looked on Google Earth and noticed that the trail did continue around the next bend.
That's what I was thinking the whole time having not been there myself. Looks like a good ride.
There’s a few tunnels nearby on the road to Mt Baldy that are nearly identical. They have the same metal arches, rock portals, exposed ceilings. Although I think they were built earlier in the 1950s
I'll have to check those out someday. Thanks for the information!
what an amazing video to wake up to! Love the way you explain everything and immerse the viewers on the experience! Great job!
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching.
It's amazing that you are only 10 miles outside of L.A., but no one else is around. You would never know you are right next to millions of people.
That is so true! Great comment - I loved it.
God man I'm so glad this isn't goodbye yet and ur back getting footage.
Thanks, man! I appreciate you stopping by, watching, and commenting. More vids coming soon!
Thank you for this! I just did this hike this weekend and unfortunately MISSED that Department of Corrections/LA County stamp on the drainage channel but so happy to see it in your video.
Hey, Sandi! Thanks for checking out my video and for commenting! I missed a few things up there, too. Some other explorers were up there and found some cool drainage tunnels off the side of the road that are used for rainwater runoff. They aren’t very big, and I think to get through them you would have to crawl. But they were made of the same stone and had the same craftsmanship. Also, if you look at the satellite imagery along the road, somewhere up on the hill there appears to be something that I think was some kind of fire fighting apparatus or maybe a large tank for holding fire fighting water. I missed that, too.
Great workmanship on the drainage tunnel by DCR - agree with the man whose voice is virile + velvet.
Thanks, Lynnie, for your comment! Yes, the prisoners who built these tunnels and drainage channels certainly did a really nice job. Craftsmanship is really superb, and I wonder if the prisoners had any kind of training before they were sent out there to do that? At any rate, the tunnels and drainage channels are still standing to this day and look just as great as they did when first built.
I’m very grateful that you came back to making videos. 🤜🤛
Thank you, Daniel! I'm very grateful that you're still here watching and following along. Thanks for your comment!
I love hiking and the mountains, whenever I see one of your vids I just want to grab my hiking boot and go explore the countryside. Thank you for the amazing vid!
danydeutschland Thank you for your comment! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, I heartily encourage everybody to get out there and hike!
FINALLY! Something awesome to end my night to!♡♥♡ I could listen to your voice all day. It's so soothing and your video's are so relaxing!
Thanks, Laura! Glad you enjoyed this video. And my voice.
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places No... Thank you... ;)
EatAllYourFish :))))
@@AbandonedMines11the people in california have spent a lot of money on silly stuff. The bridge to nowhere is up there also.
Good to see the news about them having those nice tunnels was very interesting to see glad to see you on here again Frank!
Thanks again, Ronnie!
Hey Frank, i started watching your videos tonight and since everyone till the end. This one's end at the little rivulet i enjoyed most. I was hiking today afternoon too (here in Tyrol, Austia) and your videos are really inspiring to do more explorations by myself. An old dreaming teacher ones told me, that hiking and looking towards sideways and interesting things along the way is a good training for lucid dreaming...
Thanks, Nestor, for your comment. Lucid dreaming certainly is interesting. I've tried some of that myself with moderate success. I don't think it's that easy to do. Glad to hear that you are being motivated to get out and hike and explore after watching my videos. I love that! Thanks for stopping by, checking out the vid, and writing a comment. Be well!
Great video Frank! (As usual)
I grew up there and spent a lot of time hiking/backpacking the San Gabriels. Nice to see it again after all these years. I never even heard of these tunnels though even though I was around at the time. I always was either on the east fork or west fork of the San Gabriel river.
Cool! Glad you enjoyed seeing the area again in my video. Next time you're in the area, you'll have to go check out these two tunnels. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I'm all for preparing for contingencies, but this one has always baffled me. If you watch the flood of refugees in Europe during WW2, you can realize how hopeless it would be to attempt to route a million people--with goods, cars, etc.--through a road through the mountains with tunnels no less. Doubtless, the politicians would be the first ones in line. Thanks for another one, Frank.
I totally agree with you, Stan! Thanks for your great comment. Keep in mind, though, that the population of Los Angeles was a lot less back when these tunnels and road were being constructed. So perhaps the evacuation plan might’ve made some sense back then and would have been workable. But as I mentioned elsewhere, it would never work today due to the sheer number of people involved trying to get the hell out of Los Angeles on a winding, steep, two-lane highway. There’d be a SIG alert for sure!
Love your videos. So interesting and informative
Hey, David! Thank you very much for your comment. If you’re ever in the Los Angeles area, this is one hike that’s really worth doing.
@@AbandonedMines11 I wish I could but I'm in UK. Your videos give me a experience of these amazing places thank you
Nice to see you made it too the second tunnel the hike is pretty intense we went to the second one recently liked your video 🙌🏻
It definitely is a cool hike. I did it in early spring so it wasn’t as hot out there as it gets in the summertime. Really no shade along that trail unless you go early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Glad you got to do the hike, too! It’s a unique one!
Alright!!! A new video! Thanks Frank! Always enjoy your videos. Interesting how the guv’ment thought digging escape tunnels in case of nuclear war was somehow not totally INSANE! Lol
Thank you, Ben! It’s always nice to hear when a viewer is enjoying the videos and getting something out of them. Thanks for commenting!
Awesome video !!! , I use to hike up to the tunnels quite a few years ago when I was alot younger . I've also tried to find a way down onto the North slope of the San Gabriel's to get to Lancaster
You've got be careful up there as there's been many Mtn lion sightings over the years
Yes, that is prime mountain lion habitat. Didn't see any, though. I did see a lot of lizards. Many of them seemed quite small, so I'm not sure if baby lizards hatch at this time of the year or what. There were literally tons of them everywhere! Also saw one snake -- a really long, skinny one. I think it was one of those harmless gopher snakes. Definitely wasn't a rattlesnake. Tried to get some footage of it, but the footage ended up being unusable due to how poor it was.
@@AbandonedMines11 In mountain lion territory, it's a good idea to wear something with eyes on it facing rearward. Eye contact with a mountain lion essentially tells it that you're not easy prey, and won't go down without a fight. Why? They instinctively recognize that anything with two forward-facing eyes is another predator, not typical prey, and presents an enormous risk to attempt to make a meal of it. Having a fake pair of eyes facing rearward covers your six o'clock position by presenting a mountain lion you may not have seen stalking you with the impression that it's being stared at by another predator.
Sounds like pretty good advice! Thanks for sharing it.
I recently watched game camera footage taken in July 2019 of mountain lions and bears in San Dimas Experimental Forest. They tend to hang around streams and springs.
From East Tennessee but your videos make me want to move on out to the desert. I'm living vicariously through your videos. Hahah
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I have been through Tennessee and that part of the country in the past. There is a very beautiful country back there. I actually grew up back east, so I know what you’re talking about. The deserts, however, are a nice change of pace. Glad you’re able to follow along vicariously - a lot of people tell me that they do that, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why they enjoy my videos. Thanks again, man, for watching and commenting!
Fantastic video as usual!!! Very interesting and the scenery is incredible!!!
Thank you, Dan!
There are documents that explain these tunnels weren't for escape from LA. They were just looking for another way to cross the range from LA to the high desert
z50king29 I mention that at one point in my video. I think the whole nuclear escape idea really doesn’t have any basis in reality. Like you said, this was another failed attempt to cross the rugged San Gabriel Mountains with a highway. If Los Angeles was threatened with a nuclear attack, I don’t think a paved, two-lane highway going uphill through some rugged mountains is going to be the most effective way to evacuate the city.
Just stumbled onto this channel somehow.....love it! Subed!
Thanks, man, for subscribing! I appreciate it. Glad to hear you are enjoying the videos.
Thanks. Very Cool Video on the SG Mtn. Tunnels. Take Care.
Thanks for watching, Jerry!
Very nice video, beautiful nature. Thank you for sharing, and greetings from Norway
Hello! Nice to have a fan in Norway! Thank you very much for your comment and for taking the time to watch the video. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
I grew up about 5 miles south of the entrance to Glendora Mountain Road. I lived in that area for 19 years. As teens in the 70s, we raced up and down GMR. The fact we didn't get killed is just dumb luck. But teens will be teens. I had no idea those tunnels were there and I was born there. How embarrassing! We used to shoot guns up there. I don't know if it was legal or not. The park rangers never said anything. They just waved and drove along. It's been 40 years since I lived in SoCal (SF Bay Area now), but next time I go down I'm taking the wife and daughter up GMR and show them those tunnels. Great video and an awesome tip for a family hike. Thanks!
For a time that road was open, well, unlocked, and we used to drive up to the end occasionally when I lived and worked at San Gabriel Dam.
I don't know if it's still there, bu there was a Detention camp on the side of the East for road not far from Shoemaker road. They were the labor that built the tunnels, a lot of concrete work and weed clearing on the road as well as other places in the San Gabriel canyon. They also had crews of prisoner firefighters. They had a good reputation among the Forestry fire fighters, not an easy thing to earn. I recall one inmate that escaped on the Sunday when he was due to be released the next day. He wanted to stay in the fire fighting program. Meaningful work is food for the soul.
Great comment! Thanks for sharing the anecdote. I’m assuming that when you said the road was unlocked and drivable to the end that meant that you were able to drive through the two tunnels, right? That would’ve been cool!
@@AbandonedMines11 yes, I had an old 1964 Rambler American beater that drove all the way to the end. It was my poor man's jeep that traveled many backroads in the San Gabriels, including one trip to the Widman Ranch at in Coldwater Canyon on the slop of Iron Mountain. Coldwater canyon is on the opposite side of a ridge below Iron Mountain. On the other side of the ridge, you could see it from Shoemaker road, is Allison Gulch and the Allison Mine. Mr & Mrs Widman operated a weather station for the LA Flood Control so I asked if I could visit. My future wife came along and we had a very interesting chat with Mrs Widman about the history of the ranch. The drive was a challenge, many stream crossing and a couple of sections that went iup the stream itself. Everything before our trip was four wheel drive. I only got stuck once but managed to dig it out and continue. Some picture of another trip to the Widman ranch to check the weather station. flic.kr/s/aHsjz7D8Gi
Absolutely fascinating! I’ve hiked so many times in the Shoemaker Canyon, and I love every moment, I have seen the tunnels, but I just thought it was a discontinued city extension, didn’t think much of it.
Thanks, Max, for your comment! You said you've hiked in that area many times. Do you know what the trail is that I showed on my topographic map in the video? It is north of the old road I was hiking on. I tried to see if I could see that trail from the road, but I'm not sure if I did or not. That is a long trail! I wonder if it's still passable and if people still hike it? Let me know if you know what I'm talking about.
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places Yea, rings a bell. It’s been a while since I hiked there. I doubt many people hike there anymore.
Great video man, loved it!
Thanks, Martin! If you're in the Los Angeles area, this is one hike you should definitely check out. Cool, old tunnels and a couple other surprises along the trail. Thanks for your comment!
You can imagine being part way through that bore and then the ignition flash of a thermonuclear warhead blazing in from the open tunnel mouth, followed by a distant rumble getting nearer and nearer... Really quite scary.
That pipe was also pretty fascinating! I wonder what it was for? I love finding remains like that and trying to trace them back to their source--sometimes even switching them back on or turning old valves is possible!!!
The weather is about 20 degrees centigrade warmer with you than me, but otherwise that landscape and the partially eroded pathway along a steady gradient line looks eerily similar to the moors on the tops of the Pennines in Yorkshire! Up here there has been a huge amount of tunnelling done as well--canals and railways and reservoirs, there are even some intriguing cold-war ruins hiding in the heather and bracken. Weird to think a landscape so massively separated by distance and climate, literally a quarter of the world away can have so many similarities...
You don't get many Yucca plants on Standedge or Black Stone Edge though!!!
Yes, that is interesting how the areas near you that you mentioned are similar to southern California. I like how you said you enjoy tracing pipes back to their source and then trying to turn them back on. LOL I would probably do the same thing, I guess, if I found a valve or spigot. I would've hiked up to the water tank where the pipe in my video seemed to originate from, but I didn't feel like pushing through that extra little bit of distance. Finding cold war ruins is always interesting, as you mentioned. Thanks, man, for taking the time to watch and comment!
Way to go Frank, thanks for another great exploration!!!!
Glad to hear from you again, George! Thanks for checking out the new video.
Just be careful and stay safe out there!!!
Always.
Yes keep it going wish I could be there with you too,cool video good job man.
Thanks, Tim, for your comment! I’ll have some new videos of abandoned mines coming soon.
Awesome video man!
If you’re ever in the Los Angeles area, this is one hike worth doing. So cool to find those old tunnels up in the mountains out in the middle of nowhere. Thanks for checking out this video, man!
@@AbandonedMines11 never even heard about this place but it's on my list now cause it looks like looks beautiful and is fascinating for sure. I bet that tunnel looks a hell of a lot bigger in person haha. Hope you have a good one man! 🤘
Holy cow! I thought I knew this area and I’ve never heard of these tunnels! Super cool!!
Thanks for your comment, Brian! You should do this hike up to the tunnels. It’s really scenic and not that difficult. I had never heard of this particular hike either until just recently. The fact that there are two abandoned tunnels at the end of the hike makes it even more worthwhile and all that more interesting.
Really cool video!
Thanks!
Great video! Thank you!
Thanks, John!
Frank awesome video !!! .
Glad you enjoyed it, Gene! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
Well Frank I still have 2018 go thought lol
The first tunnel bears a lot in similarity to the wawona tunnel in Yosemite national park. Although the wawona tunnel has a couple of air shafts punched out to the side of the mountain which make for some fun exploring.
Air shafts inside the tunnel? You’ve piqued my curiosity! Might have to head up there one of these days and check it all out. Hey, thanks for stopping by and watching the video and commenting. I really appreciate it!
I watch all your videos, went back through a lot of the older ones too. Great content man!
That's a 7.5 minute quad map put out by either NGS or Dept of the Interior, highly detailed and very accurate too. We use them in land surveying to double check topo contours against County elevations.
Hard to believe that those maps are now available for a viewing on my iPhone. Ain’t technology great?
A couple of notes: the aforementioned Bridge to Nowhere is a fantastic hike. There's so much interesting wildlife -- tarantulas, tarantula hawks (giant metallic blue wasps that hunt the tarantulas), snakes, deer, bobcats, coyotes etc.; in the summer, the water is a delightful cool down. Good place for a picnic.
I'm wondering if the mystery pipe is for oil? There are a few other older derelict oil pipelines out towards Mt. Baldy that look similar. I think there were some oilfields out in the desert and they pumped it up the hill to storage reservoirs and then back down.
If you're REALLY into old abandoned tunnels and/or carefully crossing intact 200' tall railroad trestles, I would recommend the Salmonberry River Canyon in the Tillamook Forest, Oregon. Splendidly beautiful scenery.
Thanks, Joe, for your comments! You aren't the first person who has recommended the Bridge to Nowhere hike to me. I keep hearing it's a great hike plus there a couple abandoned mines in the area. I might have to do that hike one of these days. Will keep an eye for that wildlife that you mentioned, too. Sounds like quite a variety! The only wildlife I ever saw while deep underground in abandoned mines were bats and mice.
I've been bingeing all your videos it's kinda addicting
Hey, Angelina! Thanks for your comment! And thanks for checking out some of my videos. In May 2017, I announced my “semi-retirement“ from exploring abandoned mines. I wanted to start exploring and documenting unusual places and things that weren’t related to abandoned mines. That’s what this particular video is all about - an unusual place. However, I will still be exploring documenting abandoned mines once in a awhile because that is the heart of my UA-cam channel. Hopefully you’ll find an eclectic mixture of videos here on my channel that’ll keep you entertained. I’ll be featuring more unusual places in upcoming months, so stay tuned! Thanks for dropping in, commenting, and sticking around. I appreciate it!
@@AbandonedMines11
oh well you're welcome! As long as you enjoy what you do, we'll stay here supporting. Keep up the good work!
Cool, i am here after seeing your shorts.
@@toycoma98
Thanks for checking out the full length video! I appreciate it. I’ll have some new videos of abandoned mines and unusual places coming soon.
Very calming video
Thanks, Aleksander! I try to keep 'em low-key.
There were 3 attempts to cross the San Gabriel Mountains (all failed).
The first was the East Fork Road, which went up Shoemaker Canyon. Unfortunately, this road was still under construction in 1938 when it was destroyed by a massive flood. The damage was so severe the roadway was rendered unusable and the project was cancelled after that. A famous landmark this project left behind was the "Bridge to Nowhere," a beautiful arch bridge built in 1936.
Later, another attempt to build a road up Shoemaker Canyon came to fruition. The Shoemaker Canyon Road (the road shown here) was designed as not only an easy access to the mountains, but as a nuclear blast escape route. The remains of the previous road from the 1930s were unusable, so a new route had to be constructed. From 1956-1969, less than 10 miles were constructed and the project was ultimately cancelled due to slow progress and cost overruns.
Lastly, CA Route 39, built in 1934 and reconstructed in 1967, has been partially closed since 1978 due to landslides and dangerous weather. Despite being complete all the way to Highway 2, people can't drive there because of the closure.
Thanks for that detailed history about the three roads. I was unaware of some of that. I’m sure the other viewers will appreciate hearing it, too. It might be interesting for me to get up there and check out that landslide that is partially blocking that one highway you mentioned.
nice video frank keep exploring..... ;)
Thanks, man! Same to you, too.
Very interesting Channel!! 👍🌼
Glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for commenting!
TOMB RAIDER START :D great video frank
Thanks, man, for checking out the video!
Beautiful scenery! Lovin this man's voice it's a win-win!
Hey, Diana! Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.
In that little shaded waterfall section, I’ll bet there’s color in that stream especially at the base of the falls.
Good observation, Andy! I didn't think of that. I bet you're right! Thank you for your comment.
Hi Frank, thanks and have a great evening!
You too, Doug! Thanks for checking in at this late hour.
@@AbandonedMines11 Yes it was a little late for me, since I am normally up by 4AM. 😊 Have a great day Frank.
Very cool video really loved it so much,however had a very early 2000s appeal to it man extremely cool!
the fampus bridge to no where is further up the canyon. I wonder if that was gonna be part of the same road..
I don't know. That Bridge to Nowhere is way down in the canyon. The road I was on is several hundred feet higher -- and keeps climbing in elevation. Not sure if they would've connected them up or not. I'll have to research the Bridge to Nowhere and see what that was all about. I'll also have to hike out there to that bridge and bungee jump off of it!
Great video 👍
My best guess is that tank and pipe supplied water for the drills that drilled blasting holes for the tunnel construction. Thoughts?
I agree with you! The first sections of pipe that I show, though, were located downhill before the first tunnel. That's still a little bit of a mystery. Maybe the water was also used elsewhere besides the tunnels? Thanks, Brynn, for your comment and suggestion!
@@AbandonedMines11 The system, based on the lack of leaking water, clearly no longer has a water supply. I suspect that's where the system's input was located. You did first spot the pipes near a river, after all. There's probably a pump and hose missing that were taken away to a different job site.
I believe that the pipe was laid by local miners bringing water to a dry canyon. its pretty old so maybe 1900-1940 or so
I love your vids!
Thanks, man! Glad to hear it! I appreciate your support. Thanks, too, for all of your comments.
Thanks ..... 5 star video !
I really appreciate that, man! Thank you for watching and commenting.
This road was a second attempt at a road going up the East Fork of the San Gabriel river. The first road was washed out in the 30s; See Bridge to Nowhere. These are pretty rugged for anything more than a dirt road!
Thanks for the information, Michael! I haven't yet gotten to the Bridge to Nowhere. It's on the agenda, though. Not sure when I'll make it there -- hopefully this year but probably next year. Maybe I'll bungee jump off that bridge and film it while I'm doing it! LOL
@@AbandonedMines11 Its 10 miles total and WELL worth the hike. (Its not too bad...) You can actually see the old road in places and and bridge foundations that cross the creek. It must have been quite a spectacular project in the 1930's. It was supposed to be a scenic drive that connected to Wrightwood, and as you go up the canyon you quickly figure out why they scrapped the project after a major flood year! The bridge at the end and huge gulch makes it worth every step. Its amazing to think that no car has really driven across it all these years!
Great follow-up information! Thanks! I could see that road from Shoemaker Canyon Road. It looks like it is a pretty level hike, no?
@@AbandonedMines11 Its a pretty light elevation gain, I think only about 900ft by the end! From some of the mines i've seen you hike to, you got it no problem! lol
Beautiful place, interesting history, cool graffiti; it's another home run of a video sir, rock on!
Glad you liked the video! Thanks for your comment. Yes, some of that graffiti is pretty stunning, to say the least. Some definite artistic talent there.
I want to know what that vent on the 2nd tunnel exit was for, must have went somewhere and it doesn't look like it was from the main tunnel. Do you think it's possible there was a bunker beside the tunnel?
I knew somebody was going to ask me about that vent. Now you're making me regret not climbing up there and checking it out. haha I don't know what it was used for or if it goes into the mountain quite a ways. It must've been used for something. Your suggestion of a bunker is intriguing, to say the least. Maybe I'll go back up there and check it out. After I got home, I found out there is another tank beyond the second tunnel if I would've kept following the road around for another half mile or so. I also noticed three structures above the trail about a hundred feet in one section. Probably enough stuff for a "Part 2" video! Thanks for your comment!
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places Cool, looking forward to part 2, "The secret hidden bunker" 😎
Watch you dont fall on that spiny plant though 😲
Do you think a dual sport(street legal dirt bike) could make it up there or can it only be done on foot. I live about an hour away and would love to go see it!
I believe where the road was blocked off had a sign saying NO VEHICLES. Don’t quote me on that, though. I think hiking is the only way to get up there.
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places ok thanks for letting me know.
That was really interesting, it must have taken a long time to build those tunnels, were they both built by convicts and if so it would be nice if anyone watching was one of the builders.
Great video Frank! Thanks for the heads up on the Topo Maps App. I've been looking for a good one and will try it. I found a UA-cam video done by a squirrel eating 3 acorns stuck together in the Shoemaker Canyon, but I can't find the link! ;) Coincidence? Have a great weekend! looking forward for more of your videos (and squirrel's!)
Yeah, that app is really great. Once you buy it, you can download as many topo maps as you want for free and store them on your mobile device. What’s great about the app is that it will work in conjunction with your phone‘s GPS - even when there isn’t any cell phone service or any signal. That way, you can see where you are on the topographic map as you are hiking around in unfamiliar territory. Also, the app uses the older style of topographic maps that have been around for years. I don’t know if you know this but the government decided a couple years ago to update all the topographic maps by removing all of the features that are on the older style of maps. Basically, this renders the new maps as useless because they don’t show anything except the contour lines. Gone are the symbols for buildings, dams, mine entrances, trails, springs, and things like that. The excuse given was that they don’t have the resources to go out and make aerial surveys like they always did in the past. Personally, I think they are wising-up to the fact that more and more people are heading out towards places that the government doesn’t want them to go to because of useful things like Google Earth and the older style topographic maps. By dumbing down the new maps and removing nearly all of the features, they are trying to keep people in the dark as to what is out there that can be hiked to, seen, and explored. That’s just my two cents, though.
@@AbandonedMines11 Good info. I'm sure you're correct. In an age where information should be far easier to obtain; it strikes me when less of it is available.
On hwy 39 after the dam, you can see a long concrete ramp looks like a boat launch. Was used for testing torpedoes.
I think I saw that concrete ramp and had no idea what it was used for. Thanks for letting me know! There seemed to be a lot of interesting structures and things like that up in that general area. Will have to get back up there and explore some more, I guess.
I've been through a few small/short tunnels here in central WA that were bare stone inside.
Cool stuff, especially that grotto! I see dual-caps often, but not threes, especially so evenly placed!
Thanks for your comment! I think you are the third person who has basically confirmed that finding three caps together like that is kind of rare. I had a feeling that it was when I saw it on the ground. I was going to bring it home with me but decided not to. Now I wish I would have. Other viewers have also commented that they have been inside tunnels where bare rock is exposed. I just can’t remember ever seeing that in all of the highway tunnels I have driven through in my life. I don’t know - maybe I’m just not remembering things correctly.
You're welcome! Thanks for showcasing these cool old tunnels!
In my experience it's only been short hard-rock tunnels that don't have much mass above them, most of them decades old too! All new tunnels I've seen have been fully enclosed.
Re acorn caps: I've seen two hooked together, but never three. I live in New England.
Great! I’m so glad another person has chimed in with information about the acorn caps. So I guess finding three hooked together like I did IS kind of rare then. Thanks for the information!
Well I live in Germany and the German Oaks often have 2-3 paired together. Oak ist out national tree, we even put it on our coins
I hope friends and family know were U R?? Be safe out there brother..!! Xx
Thank you, Hobby family, for your comment!
Are there any future cave video? I would love to see some!
Do you mean caves or abandoned mines?
Actual caves :D
I don’t know. I really haven’t been in too many caves. There are a couple that I know of, though, near San Diego and out in the desert. I just haven’t gotten to them yet. Maybe one of these days when I feel like changing things up a bit, I’ll get out there.
are there something like abadoned bunker/shelter that you can show us? would love to see something like this.
I'll have to look into that. Not sure where there are any bunkers. Thanks for the suggestion!
Great video, thanks for sharing. This place is local to me and I've hiked the area many times and even panned for gold there. Beautiful country. The San Gabriel river is one of very few gold bearing rivers in the southern regions of Ca. Best regards.
Thanks for your comment! At the beginning of this video, I wasn’t able to discern what the guy was doing down in the river when I zoomed in on him from 600 feet above. I thought he was fishing. Once I got home and saw the footage on my monitor, I realized he was panning for gold. I think somebody also pointed that out in one of their comments. That is so cool that people still pan for gold in that river! That was my first foray into the San Gabriel Mountains, and I really enjoyed it. Lots to see and do there, and I’ll have many more videos coming that’ll feature unusual places in those mountains as well as abandoned mines both there and elsewhere. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment!
A very niche Video
Thank you for showing us that great Landscape
Thankfully the road was never finished and the nature get this waste of money back
All the best
Yours Frank Galetzka
Thanks, Frank! This tunnel is located in the San Gabriel Mountains, and there are some wildfires burning up in those mountains as I type this. I don’t know if this area is affected or not. I don’t think it is.
Love the dramatic opening music
Thanks, Jessika! I’m just trying to spruce up the videos a little bit after 12 long years of basically using the same format. I’m stuck using Windows Movie Maker, though, to make my videos because the other more modern and newer editing programs I’ve tried are just too complicated for me to figure out. LOL
@@AbandonedMines11 i could understand that lol my husband uses Photoshop to make art and I can't even grasp how that works. Started watching your videos probably about 5+ months ago and its gotten my husband and I to go out exploring/hiking more but I feel like there's nothing really fun here is Spokane, Wa like there is in the places you go
Hey, Jessika! If you're into exploring abandoned mines (or just hiking to them through some beautiful countryside), check out the UA-cam channel called "Mines of the West." Graham runs that channel, and he explores and documents the abandoned mines in the Pacific northwest.
@@AbandonedMines11 subscribed! 👍
Ive hiked Shoemaker and it's a good hike, Down below is a nice trail that goes to The Bridge to Nowhere. ALso there is a Alison Mine there you should check out. Also there was someone panning in that river you showed.
After I reviewed the footage and zoomed in a little closer, yes, it does look like that person was panning for gold and not fishing like I initially thought. Great observation, Stephen! Thanks for clarifying.
That water tank makes no sense at all.
666DARKFLAMES somebody suggested that it might have been used to power the drills when they were drilling and blasting the tunnels. I know they used water in the drills down in abandoned mines.
Another awesome video do you know of any abandoned tunnels in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Not really. Sorry. I did a quick search on Google by typing in “abandoned tunnels Virginia.” I got some interesting returns that you might want to look at.
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places ok thanks
Wow this is pretty cool! Thanks for exploring these forgotten places for us. Do you ever encounter rogue people or animals lurking within these type of places?
This is actually a pretty popular hike - especially on the weekends. I went during the week when there was nobody on the trail, so I had it all to myself. So I don’t think there would be a really great chance of encountering a rogue animal or crazy person on this trail. I’ve been in much more remote locales such as in Death Valley and the deserts of Arizona and Nevada where there was probably a greater chance of encountering something like that. Yet, even with all of that, I really have never encountered anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I’m just lucky?
@@AbandonedMines11
Lol that's nuts. Thanks for reply!
I was hoping you'd keep going up that trail since it seems more abandoned than the rest of the trail and tunnels you showed us. Good vid though.
The Nerdy Professor After I got home, I found out that, yes, there are some other interesting things further up the trail. Had I kept on going around the next bend and a little further on, I would’ve come across another water tank right off of the trail. It looked like the trail ended pretty much after the water tank. Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate it.
And in LA, we used to explore them off the LA river that cuts thru the city......it was in the 50's and 60's
Ah, back in the good old days when things weren’t quite so restrictive like they are now. Must’ve been a blast!
That’s a long way to run all that pipe. Towards the end wouldn’t the water pressure be quite low? I wonder what the pipes original purpose was
I am wondering the same thing. I still haven’t been able to determine what they were used for. Hopefully somebody out there in Comment Land will provide an answer.
Well at least it's not Chernobyl.
Lol
The arches are called "tunnel lining" for shoring soft or unstable areas just as in mines. Both tunnels were not "finished" because they would have had a 8 or 12 inch thick concrete lining and the pavement to finish them for use. It looks like there would have been a bridge straight out from the 2nd tunnel if the road had been completed.
Thanks, Roy, for the tunnel information! Now I know that the two tunnels, indeed, were not finished. Interesting idea about a bridge being built from the exit of the first tunnel to the second tunnel. Hadn't considered that before. Not sure which option would've been easier and the least expensive -- build a bridge or continue the road up around the bend.
@@AbandonedMines11 A bridge might have been planned between the tunnels also to keep from having such a sharp curve from between them.
@@AbandonedMines11 The packing in the walls below the arches in the 2nd tunnel were made from rock and concrete similar to the construction of the drain that was dated 1965 so probably this was done at the same time. the packing is a fill operation to take up space and save concrete by using the rocks.
If you kept following the trail after the second tunnel, you would have found another water tank up that little ravine
Hey, Larry! Yes, I noticed that water tank in the Google Earth satellite imagery when I got home and was looking over the area. I wish I would’ve known that tank was there before I did the hike because I might’ve hiked all the way to it just to check it out. I also noticed three or four small structures in a row above the trail on a ridge. Not sure what those were. They would have required climbing and bushwhacking up the steep hillside a couple hundred feet or so to reach them.
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places I saw those too, maybe a follow up hike later on to see lol
Tunnels leading up Mt. Baldy road have exposed rocks like that
Some others have said that as well. I did not know that. Thanks for the info, Ryan!
Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places And if you liked the tunnels, you might enjoy the bridge to nowhere in the Azusa canyon area.
Mt. Baldy the next canyon east has tunnels just like those, in use.
The Cold War Era! Lots of taxpayer money and lots of places to spend it. Love the video! That hike would have been the death of me!
Thanks, William, for your comment!
I think I would commander those tunnels would make great housing.
The gray pipe might be irrigation for somebody's plants.
Marijuana plants perhaps! Canyons like this one are ideal places for illegal pot farms to take root.
Road looks drivable
It is. However, the gate at the beginning keeps out most large motorized vehicles. I can't recall what the sign said that's on the gate. I do know you can take a bike up there. There were vehicle tire tracks on the road, but those were probably from a county service vehicle or something like that. Someone would have to have the keys to unlock the metal gate. Thanks, Bob, for watching and commenting! I appreciate your support and interest.
This is so cool. Thanks for taking us. I had heard about these. I'll put this one on the list.
Thanks, man! I don't know if motorcycles (or any vehicle, for that matter) are allowed past the locked gate. There were dozer-type tracks on the road, but I think those might belong to Forest Service workers or rangers who have access to the keys to unlock the gate. It's only a 1.7 mile hike to the first tunnel, so it's not too bad. Definitely worth seeing if you're in the area. Thanks for checking out the vid!
Oh also, the steel sections of the tunnel are probably the modern day equivalent of the timbers in a mine -- where the rock become friable etc.
I would also guess the pipes brought water to the workers building the tunnels, you have seen pipes like that for water drills like they probably used to making those tunnels. I learned that from watching your channel 😃
Great comment, Nick! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad to hear that you learned something from my videos. I love that! Thanks for all of your support here.
You make great content man keep it coming, I tell people about the big commercial mine you were in when it just came alive with the sounds and voices of 100 years ago, you said there was a cold breeze I woulda 💩 myself..(was that Horton?)
That pipe and water tank are some Looney Tunes-esque plumbing.
As a side not though, I wonder how the workers felt out in the heat of the desert blasting and clearing two large tunnels and clearing a path through the mountains just to be told "Hey boys pack it up jobs canceled"
I like your adjective of “Looney Tunes-esque” for describing the plumbing! Very descriptive. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
@@AbandonedMines11 Thank you for taking the time to travel to all these amazing areas all over the US and bringing nearly forgotten slices of history to light. Your dedication and diligence really shines though in your videos.
I hope this explorer is doing okay he haven't made new update videos let for over month now.
Hey, John! Thanks for your recent comments on a couple of my videos. I am still around - I’ve just been very busy with a lot of projects going on. I plan on uploading some new videos soon. I’ve been out and about here in the Pacific Southwest as well as up in the Pacific Northwest. Just have to find the time to edit my footage together. I also have some old footage going back a few years. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for your support here on my channel. I really do appreciate it. And thanks for your comments, too!
Can you give the coordinate of the two tunnels?
Sure can! Tunnel 1 (the longest one) is at 34 15 11.9 N, 117 45 50.4 W. Tunnel 2 is about a half-mile hike past Tunnel 1 on the old road. Can't miss it.
@@AbandonedMines11 It looks like just off the end of Shoemaker Canyon Rd. Can you access from there?
That's right. There is a locked gate, so that's where you have to park your car. The hike to the first tunnel is 1.7 miles, I believe. The hike to the second tunnel is about half a mile past the first tunnel.
Nice place 👍 👌 🏆 👀
Thanks for checking out the video! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment.
cool video I haven't been up there in yrs.
Thanks for checking out the video, Angelo! I’m sure not much has changed at these tunnels since you were last there. Definitely was a pretty cool hike.