The Mojave Desert may have a reputation as being a hot, rattlesnake-infested sandy wasteland, but it contains numerous particular places of interest, and the vast open spaces have a special, stark beauty of their own, which has to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated. Despite the apparent emptiness, quite a lot of the land is put to use; there are four huge military bases, up to 50 miles in extent, and scattered but extensive habitation in the area west of Barstow. What remains is not just sand dunes and inhospitable mountains, but also ghost towns, volcanic craters and lava, historic sites and buildings, various other unusual geological features and even a diverse range of wildlife.
The Mojave often seems timeless, unending and indestructible, but some parts are threatened by a variety of developments including expansion of the army reservations, mining, land-fill rubbish dumps and new housing construction. The most unspoilt and unpopulated region is the East Mojave, and a large expanse between I-40 and I-15 containing much scenic and unusual terrain has been protected for many years as a National Scenic Area. This was redesignated a National Preserve following the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, a move which in theory affords the land greater protection, but has met with mixed responses owing to the possible detrimental effects of the likely increase in visitation and publicity.
Roads: Various types of roads cross the 1.6 million acres of the Mojave National Preserve; most are unpaved and lead to old settlements, water wells and dozens of mines, some still in use but most long disused. Main (paved) routes into the area leave from three I-15 exits; the Kelbaker, Cima and Morning Star Mine roads, which converge at Cima, from which a good quality road runs south through Kelso and eventually over I-40 to Amboy. This passes close to many of the points of interest, and the journey from I-15 makes a great drive of 2 hours or so. It also forms part of the shortest route from Las Vegas to Palm Springs. For hiking, there are few maintained trails though opportunities for cross-country exploration are almost limitless.
Hotels: The Mojave Preserve is a remote place, with the nearest major towns almost two hour's drive away - the closest places with hotels are (distances to Kelso): Needles (87 miles), Twentynine Palms (93 miles), Las Vegas (93 miles) and Barstow (98 miles).
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| Main attractions: |
The most scenic and varied part of the Mojave Desert, containing sand dunes, Joshua trees, cacti, volcanic features, isolated mountains and old mines. Popular for hiking, 4WD exploration and (free) primitive camping |
| Nearest city with hotels: |
Needles, 87 miles (from Kelso) |
| Management: |
NPS |
| Location: |
35.011953, -115.654035 (Kelso) |
| Seasons: |
All year, but less busy during the long hot months of summer |
| Nearby places |
Similar places |
Calico Ghost Town (90 miles from Kelso) - partially restored silver mining town near Barstow
Route 66 (33 miles from Kelso) - long section of the old highway through the desert
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