Overview
Mitchell Point is a secondary summit of the California Desert's Providence Mountains, and it's virtue is that it is a listed peak of the Desert Peaks Section, Angeles Chapter, Sierra Club. Basically, only this group, and a few others, climb it.
There are no trails or use trails to the summit, or even close by. Rugged desert class 2 and class 3 climbing are encountered in heading for the top.
This area is surrounded by the new Mojave National Preserve. Mitchell was the landowner who allowed tourists a look at his cave, now Mitchell Caverns. He encouraged visitors to take the rock formations as souvenirs. All features are now protected by law. When the State Park System took over, they developed the cave trail, put in lights, and thusly made the caverns more accessible to tourists. This feature is alone worth a visit. It's about a half mile trail each way to the caves. The tour takes about an hour. The fee was $4 last I saw (2002).
Getting There
Access is first by the paved road north from the signed Providence Mountains SRA Exit on Interstate 40, very roughly halfway between Barstow and Needles, CA.
The usual start is about the Bonanza King Mine (elevation 4,200 feet), which requires a 4WD and high clearance vehicle. Excellent directions for the two or three routes to the top are to be found in the Desert Peaks Section Road and Peaks Guide, for $30, sold by the Desert Peaks Section. They have a website, although you'll have to mail a check or perhaps attend a DPS meeting in Los Angeles to get one. This Guide, in its Fourth Edition, gives precise directions for climbing 99 desert peaks in the Pacific Southwestern Desert.
Andy Zdon's fine guidebook, Desert Summits, also gives more general directions.
Otherwise, you might find the rough roads to the Bonanza King Mine, park, and ascend cross-country to the top by at least two routes. One heads west up the large wash starting at the south end of the mine area, and gains the East Ridge of the peak. Or one can head several hundred yards further to the south of the mine to ascend a steep slope which also gains the East Ridge. The East Ridge is very rocky with slight brush, and entails a short class 3 downclimb, enroute.
Red Tape
No permits are necessary, and there are no fees to climb Mitchell Point. The peak is close to the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, which has a small day use fee for touring the Mitchell Caverns (2-4 times daily). The Bureau of Land Management generally manages the land other than within the State Park, and it is mostly designated wilderness. There is private land, and we heard the mine owners don't like visitors.
When To Climb
Early November through March are good times to climb these peaks. It can get warm to very hot during the summer season, as all desert about here. Snow can fall here in winter, and there are no other water sources, except those provided by the State Park at the visitor center and campground.
Camping
Overnight backpacking on the mountain would require all water to be packed in. It would be difficult to find any flat areas to camp or sleep, on any route up this peak. A fine fee campground, with 10 or so paved spots, is run at the nearby visitor center for the State Park. There are no huts. Primitive but free camping might be found in many lower areas, outside the park under BLM jurisdiction.
Mountain Conditions
Barstow, CA, or Needles, CA, have the nearest major weather reporting stations. The State Park visitor center rangers may have cell phone or radio service.
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