Mojave Desert Travel Guide
Desert located primarily in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada, is the site of Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve
Places to See in Mojave National Preserve
Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark
Example of symmetrical volcanic cinder cone, 250 feet high and 1,500 feet in diameter. The site offers picnic tables, restroom facilities, hiking trail to the rim
Calico Ghost Town Regional Park
Ghost town and former mining town in the Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert region founded in 1881
Death Valley National Park
National park straddling the California-Nevada border, protecting the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and its diverse environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and mountains
Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Mojave National Preserve
Expansive desert landscape featuring sand dunes, volcanic formations, Joshua tree forests, and rugged mountains shaped by millennia of natural forces.
Andrew.olvera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Pisgah Crater
Young volcanic cinder cone rising above a lava plain in the Mojave Desert, between Barstow and Needles, California
Rainbow Basin Natural Area
Outstanding views and geological and paleontological features including exciting multi-colored rock formations and walks through the scenic canyons with a variety of desert adapted wildlife
Overview
The Mojave Desert is a vast high desert of southeastern California and southwestern Nevada, famous for Joshua trees, sand dunes, ghost towns, Route 66, and the lowest point in North America at Death Valley. Visitors come for dramatic desert landscapes, wide-open skies, and some of the darkest night skies in the country.
The desert is a popular destination for road trips, hiking, stargazing, off-road driving, and photography. Highlights include the salt flats and canyons of Death Valley, the Kelso Dunes of the Mojave National Preserve, the Route 66 town of Barstow, and the neon of nearby Las Vegas.
Geography
The Mojave is the smallest and driest of North America’s four major deserts, with typical basin-and-range scenery of isolated mountain ranges separating dry basins. Most of it lies between 2,000 and 4,000 feet, which earns it the nickname “high desert.” Badwater Basin in Death Valley sits at 282 feet below sea level, while nearby Telescope Peak rises above 11,000 feet. Rainfall averages only 2 to 6 inches a year, and the Joshua tree is the desert’s signature plant.
History
The desert is named for the Mojave people, who lived along the Colorado River, and many other tribes, including the Timbisha Shoshone and Chemehuevi, lived and traded across it. Spanish priest Francisco Garcés crossed the region in 1776, and the Old Spanish Trail later connected New Mexico with Los Angeles. Silver and borax mining booms in the 1880s gave rise to towns such as Calico, and the railroads and, later, Route 66 brought travelers across the desert. In 1994 the California Desert Protection Act created Death Valley and Joshua Tree national parks and Mojave National Preserve.
Cities and Towns
Barstow is the region’s crossroads, with Route 66 landmarks such as the Route 66 “Mother Road” Museum and the restored Casa del Desierto railroad station, and it is the gateway to Calico Ghost Town. Other desert communities include Needles on the Colorado River, Baker, Ridgecrest, and the Antelope Valley cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Las Vegas, Nevada, lies at the desert’s northeastern edge and is a common starting point for Death Valley trips.
National Protected Areas
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the lower 48 states, with Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Mojave National Preserve protects the Kelso Dunes, Cima Dome and its Joshua tree forest, volcanic cinder cones, and the Providence Mountains. Joshua Tree National Park straddles the Mojave and Colorado deserts, and the Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow, and Castle Mountains national monuments protect additional wilderness and Route 66 stretches.
State Parks and Historic Sites
Red Rock Canyon State Park has colorful cliffs seen in many films, and Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve is a spring wildflower destination. Providence Mountains State Recreation Area offers views over Mojave National Preserve and cave tours at Mitchell Caverns when open. Calico Ghost Town, a restored 1880s silver-mining camp near Barstow, and the Route 66 stop at Amboy Crater are popular historic stops.
Seasons and Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall are the best times to visit, when daytime temperatures are comfortable for hiking and camping, and wildflowers can bloom in March and April after wet winters. Summer is extremely hot, with Death Valley temperatures often above 115°F, so travelers should plan early-morning outings, carry plenty of water, and be careful with car trips. Winter is mild during the day but can be freezing at night, with snow on higher peaks, and it is the peak season for Death Valley.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mojave Desert", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Additional information is from the National Park Service pages for Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, and Joshua Tree National Park, and California State Parks.