Valley wells used to be the place to be during the hot summer days in Trona until it was shut down by Kerr McGee. It seems that it didn’t meet with new heath and safety regulations. Now there is a new pool that opened in 2012 neat the school.
Valley Wells provided a great way to stay cool in the summer. Swimming lessons were available every summer and they provided a way to get to the pool. You signed up and then every day you showed up at the school for the five mile bus ride to Valley Wells.
There are a few more picture of Valley Wells on High Desert Memories.
Valley Wells in the 30’s
I think it was 1956, I came to Trona with a geology class from a community college in Reedley, Calif. Our teacher’s name was Paul Mitchell. We camped at Valley Wells, and what a great time we had camping and swimming in the pond there, a magical time. We went on to Death Valley and eventually Grand Canyon.