Camp Iron Mountain - A WWII Site in the California Desert

Located about 50 miles east of Twentynine Palms, Camp iron Mountain is in a remote part of California's Mojave Desert. In 1942, with America having entered WWII, General Patton's Desert Training Center was created in the deserts of California and Arizona. The Desert Training Center was located over 11 camps, and Camp Iron Mountain is the best preserved of all of the sites.

Getting to the camp requires a drive down a dirt run into the middle of the desert. Walking around Camp iron Mountain, the roads the soldiers built are still apparent 80 years later. Despite only existing for two years, the desert was transformed on a massive scale. Throughout the camp site, a large number of pathways that were lined with rocks are still around.

[kellyharper]

Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: My Parents planned our 6 week vacations around gems, minerals, and historical sites. I'm mostly bed bound now. Thank you for continuing to nourish my wandering spirit by making these videos!

[gardenparty]

Thanks for taking us along. My Pop trained at one of those camps. Had to laugh when you said imagine being from Iowa, he was. Pop was with the 7th Division and after all that desert training they were sent to battle in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Go Army! lol Did you know the troops buried cases and cases of sardines in that desert? RIP Dad 1918/2009

[larryaldrich]

Steve has a profound understanding and appreciation of the desert that I greatly admire.

[richardrichard]

My Uncle was born and raised in Porterville, Ca. He was a tank commander in Pattons third armored division. He trained out there. Then landed in southern France and ended up slugging it out at the Battle of the Bulge.
Then Served and was injured in Korea

[nworbydnar]

Again, you are a living historian documenting things that will disappear in a few years.. Thank you.

[craigpeterman]

I worked for Caltrans on a land survey crew after the Army and before full time college. I found a M1 Garand rifle clip with 8 rounds of blank ammo on this site 1966 time frame. Having trained with the M1 Garand in Army Basic I knew what it was. The blank ammo was dated 42. LIkely still have it. I also recall almost driving the survey truck into what looked like a swimming pool hole.

[janblake]

Beginning in 1981, I explored and researched the DTC for 30 years. My entire collection of maps, photos, books, artifacts, documents, and memorabilia are at the Mojave Desert history musum in Goffs. The Protestant altar is at the northern end of the camp. The camp's huge trash dump exists in a gully NW of the camp. Near the dump is a hand grenade throwing range. Two Iron Mountain M3 medium tank crew members were killed when a Santa Fe train collided with the tank in December 1942. This occurred at night in dusty conditions NE of the camp. The tank was fipped upside down and the turret knocked off. The train was derailed but stayed upright. Camp Granite had a beautiful 104th Infantry unit insignia made of colored rocks until a dirt biker rode over and destroyed it.

[musicman]

I took my son to the Patton museum a few years ago. We didn’t have time to see the camp site. It is just incredible that thousands of troops were stationed and training there, especially in the middle of summer. Thanks for doing a video on this!

[swankles]

Lots of cool stuff in the San Bernardino County desert. You might be interested in seeing the WWII practice bombing sites in Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley. They used dummy bombs loaded with a 20ga shotgun shell to mark their hit. A good set of reference books is Bill Mann's guides to the desert. He has listed hundreds of cool stuff in the desert. Thanks for your hard work documenting 😊

[jefflunt]

I truly enjoy your videos...and I appreciate that you post them in 4k. I am old and do a lot of my adventures now in my chair watching you and your family. Good job young man.

[TimR]

I visited Camp Iron Mountain back in 1989-1990. Thanks for bringing back the memories! Glad to see there’s a fence around it and the sand table now.

[semiproactive]

The chapel and its masonry work leaves the longest lasting impression, and the rock lined paths. I had no idea any of these camps ever existed. You work in the subtle music while walking and do a splendid job on production, excellent. Thanks Steve. Happy Labor Day.

[BradKnowsAll]

Great as always - knew a desert training camp existed, but did not know it still existed and is, to some extent, protected. History I would never see without channels like yours. Thank you!

[j.b.a.]

Thank you for taking us along & thank you for your service. Greetings from Florida..!

[jimcherry]

Desert training to Aleutians might be SOP for the Army. My brother got sent to diesel mechanic school, finished second in his class, and his next and only assignment in the Army was as a mess hall cook.

[garybonz]

Thanks for showing us this Training Camp.

[amandajohnson]

I just found your channel today and I can’t stop watching your videos.

[paulc]

I appreciate the quality of your videos. The background music is perfect, in that it is subdued in volume.

[paveltolz]

Never underestimate the U.S. Army's penchant for lining roads, sidewalks, planters, etc. with ROCKS. What is with the ROCKS. 28 years in the Army and I just didn't get the CSM fascination with lining things with rocks!

[CactusAtlas]

Sometimes I am amazed that remants like even THIS still remain and are found. Obviously with satellite images nothing is ever really truly lost but that is some serious remoteness. Great info and history. Sidenote - I forever associate the song you used w/ Joshua Tree. 😅 Also we need a drone. Those wide shots of the desert w/ the mountains in the back... man! So gorgeous. 😮