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A natural stop between LA and Vegas

January 12, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 12 Comments

PRACTICAL GUIDE

California's Mojave National Preserve is enormous and looks confusing at first. Here's my guide to what to do in a day.

  • Jump to: What is it?
  • Jump to: Driving LA to Vegas
  • Jump to: Things to do
  • Jump to: Plan your trip

Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

I don’t know if you’ve ever done the drive between Las Vegas and Los Angeles before?

Over the years, I’ve done it a few times for different reasons and, you know what, it’s really easy. But easy doesn’t make for interesting.

It’s a boring drive, sitting on an interstate highway most of the time, changing lanes and overtaking trucks for hours, staring out at the desert and the occasional collection of service stations and fast food joints.

So this latest time, I thought I would try something slightly different. I wanted to stop for a bit, see some nature, and make the trip a bit more fun.

I think I found the perfect solution.

The answer lies within a vast tract of protected land called Mojave National Preserve.

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

What is Mojave National Preserve?

Mountains rise up from the shrub land of the desert; Joshua Trees reach up to the sky on the horizon; and great sand dunes shine in the sun as their form slowly but constantly changes shape.

Mojave National Preserve feels wild – with few visitors and dramatic terrain.

It also offers a wonderful variety of natural adventures across its 650,000 hectare site (the third-largest location in the contiguous states of the US National Park System).

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

It was established in 1994 and you get the feeling that not too much has been done to the land since then, bar some main roads connecting the different entrances.

Even the other roads that take you off to different features in the preserve are unsealed, adding to the sense of adventure (or, in my case, an almost stranding… which I’ll explain shortly!)

After the flashy neon glitz of Las Vegas or the concrete labyrinth of Los Angeles, this is the perfect organic antidote.

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

Driving between Las Vegas and Los Angeles

The fastest route between central Las Vegas and central Los Angeles takes about four hours and skirts around the edge of Mojave National Preserve.

To cut through the middle of it only adds an extra thirty minutes to the drive. So, even if you spent a few good hours exploring what’s available, you can easily do the drive within a day.

It certainly makes the whole experience of getting between the two cities a lot more enjoyable and adds another destination to your trip.

I think that, especially if you are spending most of your time in cities, it’s nice to stretch the legs and get amongst nature for a while.

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

Things to do in Mojave National Preserve

There are quite a few things you can do in Mojave National Preserve but many of them will require longer than a few hours and will need a bit of preparation (or, at least, a car with 4WD capability).

I’ve marked my suggestions on the following map and I’ll give you my thoughts below.

If you’re planning to just drive through the preserve on the way between LA and Vegas in a day, then I would recommend the following three activities.

They are a couple of the highlights, give you a good sense of the range of nature, and are easily accessible.

Teutonia Peak Trail

If you’re coming from the north, the first stop I suggest is the Teutonia Peak Trail (if you’re coming from the south, this would be your final stop). This is a great hike that is only about 5 kilometres return and can be done within about an hour or so.

The trail takes you through the largest and densest Joshua tree forest in the world, past some old mine shafts, and up an easy mountain.

Walking up the final stretch to Teutonia Peak, there are beautiful rock formations and amazing views across the preserve.

Teutonia Peak Trail, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

One of the great things about this walk is that you are surrounding by Joshua trees (which I think are so cool) without having to do the extra long detour down to Joshua Tree National Park.

Teutonia Peak Trail, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

Kelso Dunes

At the southern end of the park is what I think is the most interesting part of the preserve – the Kelso Dunes.

The whole dune field is actually massive and stretches out over about 120 square kilometres. But the most obvious patch of them is where the road will take you.

There is a 5 kilometre return trail that will take you to the base of the sand dunes and then up to the top. Although, in reality, you’ll find that the trail splits into multiple paths and you can use whichever ones you want to climb up to different points along the dunes.

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

It is much harder walking up sand than a normal track so it may take a couple of hours to get all the way to the top and then back down again. But it is such a fun experience and a really beautiful spot.

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

Kelso Ghost Town

In between the two hikes I have recommended above, you’ll pass through the small ghost town of Kelso.

There is a visitor centre here with information and a small shop. It has limited opening hours, though, so don’t rely on it for anything.

Kelso was founded in 1905 and reached its peak in the 1940s when it had about 2000 residents because of the nearby mines. You can still see a couple of the old buildings here and the railway still passes through.

Kelso Ghost Town, Mojave National Preserve, California, USA

If you have a bit more time, there are two other things I would recommend. You will also need a 4WD vehicle (or similar) to access these locations, though.

I can tell you that from firsthand experience because I tried to drive along the unpaved road in my rented sedan and got stuck in the sand (although managed to get myself out – phew!).

Mojave Desert Lava Tube

In the western part of the preserve is a lava tube, the cool tunnel that is left in the rock from when molten lava has passed through.

You can climb down into it and head along the tube, which is about 150 metres along. It’s a great spot for photos because of the holes in the ceiling that let the sunlight shine through.

As I’ve mentioned, there is a very rough road that is about 8 kilometres long, so you’ll probably only want to do it in a good car (and make sure you have plenty of water with you, in case something goes wrong).

Hole-in-the-Wall trails

In the eastern part of the preserve is another information centre and campground called Hole-in-the-wall. This is the jumping off point for a few different hikes.

There’s a short one that just gives you some details about the desert plants you’ll find here.

The slightly longer Rings Loop Trail is 2.5 kilometres return and is quite fun because you’ll go through a narrow canyon, using rings to help you climb up.

And then there’s a long Barber Peak Loop Trail, which is about 10 kilometres and takes you past cliffs and interesting rock formations.

If you’re coming from the main part of the preserve, you can only get there on a rough road (which I got stuck in for a bit) so I wouldn’t recommend doing that in a normal car.

But you can access the area on a paved road by using a different southern entrance into the park. You’ll find it hard to have the time to do all of this in just one day, though.

Plan your trip to Mojave National Preserve

I’ll put some of the specific information you may need in the info box below. But I also want to give you a few of my other thoughts to help you with your planning.

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

You may find that you spend a bit longer in the preserve than you expected. Don’t worry – there is affordable accommodation quite close, if you then don’t want to finish the whole drive.

If you’re heading towards Las Vegas, then I would suggest staying overnight at one of the casino hotels in Primm – the rooms are very cheap on weekdays.

If you’re heading towards Los Angeles, then Barstow is probably the first convenient stop you’ll come to.

Mojave National Preserve guide, California, USA

It’s worth noting that the Mojave National Preserve is not the only thing you could do on a drive between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Palm Springs also makes a nice stop (especially overnight) and it has nice hotels and restaurants.

I also really love Joshua Tree National Park and there’s lots of great things to see and do there. If you’re interested, check out my guide to Joshua Tree National Park. However, visiting this park will take up a lot more driving time so you couldn’t do that in just one day.

There’s also a fantastic park right near Las Vegas called Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I actually think the selection of hikes here is better than Mojave and you can do more in a shorter time.

So, if you’re interested in nature, another option would be to spend half a day (or a full day, if you can) at Red Rock Canyon and then just do the drive without stopping.

Hopefully you’ve found this guide helpful. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any tips from your own experiences.

Every time I head to California, I see a bit more of the nature and I’m always blown away. This was no exception.

Mojave National Preserve is about three hours drive northeast of Downtown Los Angeles and about one hours drive south of Las Vegas.
You can see it on a map here.
Mojave National Preserve is always open.
However, the Kelso Depot Visitor Centre is only open from Thursday to Monday from 1000 - 1700.
And the Hole-in-the-Wall Information Centre is only open from Friday to Sunday from 0900 - 1500.
Entry to the preserve is free. There are no booths anywhere that will ask you to buy a ticket or check for a pass.
The only way to get to (and around) the preserve is by car.
On the Las Vegas side of the preserve, the easiest place to stay is Primm. There are some casinos that offer basic but very cheap rooms, that are perfect just to crash for the night.
Have a look at Primm Valley Resort, Buffalo Bills Resort, or Whiskey Pete's Hotel.

On the Los Angeles side, the most convenient place to stay is Barstow. There are lots of motels here for travellers.
Probably the best affordable option is the retro-styled Route 66 Motel.
For a more comfortable experience, I would recommend the Ramada Inn.
And I think you'll probably find the nicest option is the Holiday Inn Express.

There is an information centre at Kelso with a shop but it’s not open every day. So you should definitely take enough food and water into the park with you. It can get particularly hot if you’re hiking, so I would suggest about four litres of water per person.
There are also no petrol stations so you should have at least half a tank before going in (more, if possible). The distances in the park can be a bit longer than you might expect.
You can find out more information at the official website for Mojave National Preserve.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Agra |

    November 6, 2017 at 4:21 pm

    Reply

    This is very helpful for anyone traveling between LA and Los Vegas. Stunning pictures you shared. love your suggestions fun things to see along the way. Thanks for all the details.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 14, 2017 at 12:59 pm

      Reply

      I’m glad you liked the guide, thanks. I hope it proves to be helpful – I would love to hear from anyone who uses this to visit the preserve themselves!

  2. Sandee Yessick |

    February 20, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    Reply

    Wonderful information, I will be referring back to your guide! We are going from Vegas to Joshua Tree for an event then back to fly home. Booked the trip this way , hoping for an adventure! Thanks for the info!

    • Michael Turtle |

      June 27, 2018 at 4:54 pm

      Reply

      My pleasure! I hope it’s a great trip. I would love to hear what you think about the reserve once you have been!

  3. travelouts |

    April 2, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Reply

    Excellent post – so many great tips and very helpful. This is a great post and place you visited. Lovely pictures.

    • Michael Turtle |

      June 27, 2018 at 4:53 pm

      Reply

      Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the story and got something useful out of it!

  4. Michael |

    January 25, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    Reply

    I have been to California many times but never heard of Mojave National Preserve. Thanks for sharing this amazing guide! Really helpful!

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 5, 2019 at 3:21 am

      Reply

      My pleasure. It’s a great place but for some reason is not particularly well known. I hope you get a chance to visit on your next trip to California!

  5. American Airlines Booking |

    May 8, 2019 at 2:43 pm

    Reply

    This is a great post and place you visited. Lovely pictures.

  6. American Airlines Booking |

    May 14, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    Reply

    Excellent post – so many great tips and very helpful

  7. Anna Smerf |

    May 27, 2019 at 6:22 pm

    Reply

    I can’t wait for the weekend because I am going to hit the road to USA! Unexpected road trips are more fun!

  8. Anna |

    September 26, 2019 at 6:40 pm

    Reply

    I view it as kind of an extension of USA as well. Some great ideas here for a future visit.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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