Leadfield

Overview

A brief mining promotion in Titus Canyon

Lead and copper had been found in Titus Canyon by 1905, but transport costs discouraged development. A new promotion in 1925–1926 brought a short-lived town to the upper canyon. The mining settlement lasted little more than a year.

Leadfield opened a post office in August 1926 and lost it in February 1927. A few buildings and mining features survived the rapid departure. The town is now inside Death Valley National Park, reached by the Titus Canyon backcountry route when that road is open.

Video

Leadfield in 30 seconds

Leadfield was a brief mining promotion in Death Valley. Historic photographs and maps are dated on screen; current access is summarized in the guide.

History

How Leadfield grew and changed

1. 1905Early lead and copper exploration encounters difficult transport economics.
2. 1925–1926A mining promotion creates the Leadfield boom.
3. August 1926The post office opens.
4. February 1927The post office closes as the town empties.
5. 1975Leadfield enters the National Register.
6. October 2026Titus Canyon Road closes for further flood repairs.

On the ground

What remains at Leadfield

The Park Service describes surviving shacks and mine workings in the canyon. Old shafts, loose rock and decayed timber make mine entry hazardous. Photographs on this page record earlier visits and do not imply that the currently closed road can be used.

Before you go

Access and current conditions

The NPS road report updated October 23, 2026 lists Titus Canyon Road closed for flood repairs, with reopening anticipated in May 2027. It explicitly excludes cyclists and hikers. The earlier May 8 announcement scheduled closure from October 1 through at least April 30, 2027. Do not follow a mapping app into the closure or plan a walking bypass.

Reading the maps

The town in its landscape

The 1957 sheet labels Leadfield as ruins beside the Titus Canyon road. Earlier sheets predate the short-lived town.

Historic maps

Leadfield on USGS maps, 1908–1957

Crops from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, centered on the townsite. Each sheet shows what surveyors mapped that year; compare them with today's topo and aerial on this page.

19081:250,00019131:250,00019481:250,00019571:62,500

Maps & access

Location and access

The NPS road report updated October 23, 2026 lists Titus Canyon Road closed for flood repairs, with reopening anticipated in May 2027. It explicitly excludes cyclists and hikers. The earlier May 8 announcement scheduled closure from October 1 through at least April 30, 2027. Do not follow a mapping app into the closure or plan a walking bypass.

Photos

Leadfield in photos

Leadfield Building No. 1, April 2002Surviving structures at Leadfield; photograph date not establishedTimber supports inside a Leadfield mine, April 2003; historic view, not an invitation to enter

Visitor reports

Been to Leadfield?

Been there lately? Tell the next visitor what you found: whether you could get in, the state of the road and what's still standing. Photos are welcome. We read every report before it appears here.

Thanks. Your report reached us, and we'll read it before it goes on the page.

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Nearby

Other sites near Leadfield

Straight-line distance from the townsite to other mapped sites in our California index.

• Chloride City13.8 mi SE · Inyo
• Lee26.6 mi SE · Inyo
• Harmony Borax Works27.3 mi S · Inyo
• Skidoo28.8 mi S · Inyo
• Ryan42.1 mi SE · Inyo
• Cerro Gordo46.0 mi SW · Inyo
• Beveridge48.4 mi W · Inyo
• Darwin49.6 mi SW · Inyo

Sources

Sources and credits

1. Leadfield, California - Wikipedia: historical chronology, identity and location; read October 25, 2026.
2. Leadfield - California Ghost Town: historical fact sheet and town history; read October 25, 2026.
3. Titus Canyon Road Open for Limited Time - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service): history, surviving features and visitor information; read October 25, 2026.
4. Titus Canyon - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service): history, surviving features and visitor information; read October 25, 2026.
5. Alerts & Conditions - Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service): road report updated October 23, 2026: Titus Canyon Road closed, no cyclists or hikers, anticipated reopening May 2027.
6. Elevation at the mapped point: USGS 3D Elevation Program query, October 25, 2026. Historical topographic sheets: USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).
7. Wikimedia Commons, Leadfield Building 1.jpg: Leadfield Building No. 1, April 2002; Public domain. File description and image checked October 25, 2026.
8. Wikimedia Commons, Leadfield, California.JPG: Surviving structures at Leadfield; photograph date not established; CC BY-SA 3.0. File description and image checked October 25, 2026.
9. Wikimedia Commons, Mine at Leadfield.JPG: Timber supports inside a Leadfield mine, April 2003; historic view, not an invitation to enter; CC BY-SA 3.0. File description and image checked October 25, 2026.

Photo and map credits

• Leadfield Building No. 1, April 2002: National Park Service inventory, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
• Surviving structures at Leadfield; photograph date not established: Mav, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Timber supports inside a Leadfield mine, April 2003; historic view, not an invitation to enter: Daniel Mayer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
• Area base map, topo and aerial imagery: USGS The National Map (public domain).
• Historic maps: USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain): Ballarat 1908, 1:250,000; Ballarat 1913, 1:250,000; Death Valley 1948, 1:250,000; Grapevine Peak 1957, 1:62,500.