Keys Ranch

Keys Ranch

NPS / Lian Law

Quick Facts

Location:

Joshua Tree National Park

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

Keys Ranch was built in 1910 and lived in by William and Frances Keys along with their children for over 60 years. Having first moved to the desert in search of gold, William Keys started this ranch as he built up a life for himself with mining and ranching. In 1917, Frances married and joined William at the ranch where they started a family and continued to build up the ranch. By not letting anything go to waste and figuring out how to reuse old parts they were able to build a prosperous ranch and mining operation in a seemingly hostile environment.

Keys Ranch is only open to guided ranger led tours that require advance registration. Check the park website for additional information on visiting Keys Ranch..

Duration:

7 minutes, 17 seconds

Find out what drew people to the high desert and how Bill Keys' skill and ingenuity led to his success.