Indian Gulch Road (Mariposa County)

Indian Gulch Road is an approximately nine-mile rural highway corridor located in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Mariposa County.  This corridor begins at California State Route 140 near Catheys Valley and extends north to Hornitos Road via Bear Creek.  Indian Gulch Road is named after the former Gold Rush era community of Indian Gulch which was settled near Santa Cruz Mountain in 1849.  

Much of Indian Gulch Road is comprised of a single lane of heavily eroded asphalt.  The roadway was mostly known for the wooden deck Bear Creek Bridge which was destroyed by flooding during March 2018.  Mariposa County opted to replace the wooden structure with an interim Bailey Bridge design which was opened to traffic in April 2021.  

Part 1; the history of Indian Gulch Road

Indian Gulch Road is named after the former Gold Rush community of Indian Gulch.  The town site of Indian Gulch was located along the hills north of Bear Creek a couple miles east of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road.  Said community was founded in 1849 near Santa Cruz Mountain and was initially named after said peak. The community was renamed to Indian Gulch in 1855 when it received Post Office Service.

Indian Gulch is thought to have had a population of several hundred during the height of the Gold Rush era. The Post Office maintained service in the community until 1912. The Catholic Church in Indian Gulch was moved to Mariposa in 1973 and later burned in the 1980s. Not much remains of the Indian Gulch today aside from Santa Cruz Cemetery.

Indian Gulch can be seen south of Hornitos on the 1882 Bancroft's map of California.  The community is shown east of the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (shown as Forty Mile Road).

The first documented record of Indian Gulch Road south of Indian Gulch community appears in Mariposa County records as a public highway on May 3, 1887 (courtesy the Mariposa Pictures & History Facebook page).  The record references to petition to change the alignment towards Catheys Valley which insinuates it to be an older road corridor.  It is likely the road originated before 1856 when Mariposa County didn't keep as detailed of records. 

The modern scale of Indian Gulch Road between California State Route 140 and Hornitos Road is displayed on the 1935 California Division of Highways map of Mariposa County.  The community of Indian Gulch is shown to be no longer present.

The Bear Creek Bridge appears on Google Street View imagery from September 2007.  It isn't clear if this was the original structure which crossed Bear Creek, but the wooden deck design suggests 1910s or 1920s era construction.   The bridge had a 11-ton weight limit for standard length trucks.  

In March 2018 the Bear Creek Bridge was destroyed by flood waters.  The February 14, 2019, Mariposa Gazette reported that Mariposa County was hopeful to have a permanent replacement span in place by 2024.  The loss of the span was described as being an issue for local ranchers living on Indian Gulch Road in addition to the administration of emergency services.  

In June 2020 Mariposa County released bids for an interim replacement for the missing bridge along Indian Gulch Road at Bear Creek.  Dokken Engineering was ultimately awarded the contract to construct a 180-foot-long prefabricated steel truss span which functionally is a modern Bailey Bridge design.  

The Mariposa County Update reported on March 30, 2021, that the interim Bear Creek Bridge was scheduled to open to traffic on April 2, 2021.  It is unclear when Mariposa County intends to replace this prefabricated span with a permanent structure.  

Part 2; a drive on Indian Gulch Road

Northbound Indian Gulch Road begins at California State Route 140 near Cathey's Valley.  The southern end of the roadway is closely aligned with Old Legislative Route Number 18 (signed as Old Highway). 

Northbound Indian Gulch Road begins as a two-lane road but narrows to a single lane after approximately a mile.  

Indian Gulch Road begins a descent to Bear Creek and crosses the single-lane 2021 era bridge.  

Indian Gulch Road north of Bear Creek makes a rapid and steep ascent to Slate Gulch Road.  Much of the asphalt surface is in an extremely poor state of repair and has numerous rough surfacing patches.  

Indian Gulch Road approaches the town site of Indian Gulch.  Santa Cruz Cemetery can be access by following Indian Gulch Extension which acts as a spur of the mainline road.  

Indian Gulch Road continues north and terminates at Hornitos Road near the namesake community.  

Hornitos is one of the best-preserved Gold Rush era communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Much of the historic heart of the community can be found along Bear Valley Road (Mariposa County Route J16).

Hornitos was founded in 1848 by Mexican miners and received Post Office Service during 1856. Hornitos is described as being first incorporated as a City on April 8, 1861. The original incorporation of Hornitos was dissolved by the State of California on March 19, 1868, but the community would incorporate for a second time on March 29, 1870. By the late 1870s Hornitos is thought to have had a population exceeding 10,000 before it began to decline. By 1932 Hornitos had a reported population of 60 despite being the only incorporated City in Mariposa County. The second incorporation of Hornitos was abolished by State Statute during 1973.