In the mid-'60s, artist Roy Purcell created huge murals on the rocks. Travelers journey well out of their way to view them. The original jailhouse and other buildings from Chloride's mining days still stand, and near main street is a faux Wild West town. There at high noon on the first and third Saturday of each month, gunfighters face off. From September to June, their showdown is followed by a vaudeville troupe's performance.
Chloride is about four miles down the road.
Ancient petroglyphs are especially abundant in Grapevine Canyon, where park rangers point out rock art during guided hikes. A dirt road leads through Christmas Tree Pass at the base of Spirit Mountain, the area's dominant peak. A dubious local holiday tradition involves adorning the brush here with objects like beer cans, plastic jugs, and unmentionables. Those who try to hang undies from the highest bough should know that the park rangers frown upon this practice. Over time, repeated handling by humans damages the trees.