I donโt know if youโve ever done the drive between Las Vegas and Los Angeles before?
Over the years, Iโve done it a few times for different reasons and, you know what, itโs really easy. But easy doesnโt make for interesting.
Itโs 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.
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).
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 strandingโฆ which Iโll explain shortly!)
After the flashy neon glitz of Las Vegas or the concrete labyrinth of Los Angeles, this is the perfect organic antidote.
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 whatโs 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, itโs nice to stretch the legs and get amongst nature for a while.
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).
Iโve marked my suggestions on the following map and Iโll give you my thoughts below.
If youโre 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 youโre coming from the north, the first stop I suggest is the Teutonia Peak Trail (if youโre 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.
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.
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, youโll 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.
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 Ghost Town
In between the two hikes I have recommended above, youโll 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 donโt 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.
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. Itโs a great spot for photos because of the holes in the ceiling that let the sunlight shine through.
As Iโve mentioned, there is a very rough road that is about 8 kilometres long, so youโll 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.
Thereโs a short one that just gives you some details about the desert plants youโll find here.
The slightly longer Rings Loop Trail is 2.5 kilometres return and is quite fun because youโll go through a narrow canyon, using rings to help you climb up.
And then thereโs a long Barber Peak Loop Trail, which is about 10 kilometres and takes you past cliffs and interesting rock formations.
If youโre 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 wouldnโt 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. Youโll find it hard to have the time to do all of this in just one day, though.
Plan your trip to Mojave National Preserve
Iโll 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.
You may find that you spend a bit longer in the preserve than you expected. Donโt worry – there is affordable accommodation quite close, if you then donโt want to finish the whole drive.
If youโre 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 youโre heading towards Los Angeles, then Barstow is probably the first convenient stop youโll come to.
Itโs 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 thereโs lots of great things to see and do there. If youโre interested, check out my guide to Joshua Tree National Park. However, visiting this park will take up a lot more driving time so you couldnโt do that in just one day.
Thereโs 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 youโre 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 youโve 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 Iโm always blown away. This was no exception.
Where is Mojave National Preserve?
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.
When is Mojave National Preserve open?
Mojave National Preserve is always open.
However, the Kelso Depot Visitor Centre is currently temporarily closed for repairs. It is usually open from Thursday to Monday from 10:00 – 17:00.
And the Hole-in-the-Wall Information Centre is only open from Friday to Monday from 10:00 – 16:00.
How much does it cost to visit Mojave National Preserve?
Entry to the preserve is free. There are no booths anywhere that will ask you to buy a ticket or check for a pass.
How do you get to Mojave National Preserve?
The only way to get to (and around) the preserve is by car.
You can find more information at the official website of Mojave National Preserve.
There is an information centre at Kelso with a shop but itโs not open every day. So you should definitely take enough food and water into the park with you.
It can get particularly hot if youโre 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.
Where should you stay near Mojave National Preserve?
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.
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.
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!
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!
My pleasure! I hope it’s a great trip. I would love to hear what you think about the reserve once you have been!
Excellent post โ so many great tips and very helpful. This is a great post and place you visited. Lovely pictures.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you enjoyed the story and got something useful out of it!
I have been to California many times but never heard of Mojave National Preserve. Thanks for sharing this amazing guide! Really helpful!
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!
This is a great post and place you visited. Lovely pictures.
Excellent post โ so many great tips and very helpful
I canโt wait for the weekend because I am going to hit the road to USA! Unexpected road trips are more fun!
I view it as kind of an extension of USA as well. Some great ideas here for a future visit.
Excellent blog post, and thank your for sharing some very helpful thoughts!!! Best of luck with your travels
I have been through Mojave National Preserve several times on my way to Death Valley. I love the desert. Since I do a lot of car camping, my favorite place to stay is Midhills Campground. Thank you for your article. I’m itching to get back there, it’s been a long three years.
Thanks for the information. We will be travelling from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas and intend to drive via mojave National preserve so was interested to read this is possible and worth doing.
Hi, thank you for the informative post! Just want to check if we were just planning to drive from Las Vegas to Joshua Tree through the Mojave national preserve, are the roads paved and would a sedan suffice?
Thank you!