Wonderland Ranch Ruins

Wonderland Ranch is a small, roofless homestead ruin of pink and white masonry on a side path off the Wall Street Mill route. Keep it as a short detour if you like poking around old remains; the walls are striking, but this is a partly collapsed house, not a preserved ranch.

The ruins sit on a short spur before the mill. The combined out-and-back to the ranch and mill is about 3 miles from the Barker Dam trailhead, and the spur and paths around the house can be faint. Toilets are near the Barker Dam Loop trailhead. Leave the walls and scattered debris where they are.

The remaining walls, fireplace, cistern and room foundations give you plenty to look at. The place is also called Ohlson House; climbers have used the nickname “Uncle Willie's Health Food Store,” which refers to the ruin, not a shop. One local account says a 1975 photograph showed the roof still intact, but the builder, dates of occupation and reason it became a ruin remain unsettled.

The empty window openings frame Joshua trees and granite boulders, while a wider view catches the pink walls against the rocky setting. Both compositions require the short walk from the main route. Stay on the established path rather than climbing the masonry or moving stones for a better angle.