The Mojave Desert is a large semi-arid desert area that covers large areas of southeastern California and parts of Nevada and Arizona. Cities and regions include Lancaster and Palmdale in the Antelope Valley, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley, Needles, Adelanto, Newberry Springs, Rosamond, Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, Landers, Yermo, Blythe, California City, Barstow, Joshua Tree, Morongo Valley, and Baker. Las Vegas, Nevada and st. George, Utah are also, both located in the Mojave Desert.

The Mojave Desert is commonly referred to as the High Desert because most of it lies between 2,000 and 4,000 feet above sea level. The spelling Mojave Desert originates from the Spanish language, whereas the spelling Mohave Desert is sometimes used.

Underground water can be found in many areas of the Mojave Desert and many water wells exist and produce water throughout the region.

Natural springs are uncommon in the Mojave Desert. Two exceptions are Ash Meadows and Oasis Valley. Ash Meadows is formed from several other natural springs which draw their water from deep underground, Oasis Valley draws most of its water from the Amargosa River.

There are two major rivers in the Mojave Desert. The Mojave River begins in the San Bernardino Mountains as a surface river and then disappears at some point becoming an underground river depending on the amount of rain. The Amargosa River also flows partly underground. Both are sources of well water.

The Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act which also established Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park. The preserve offers an excellent visitor center, water sculpted canyons, ancient lava flows, limestone caverns, massive sand dunes, and immense Joshua Tree forests.

The Mojave Air and Space Port, located in Mojave, California is licensed for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft and serves as a local airport for both civilian and military use. The general-use public airport has three runways. .

Mojave, California, established in 1876, is an unincorporated community Iocated about 50 miles east of Bakersfield in the western region of the Mojave Desert. It is home to Edwards Air Force Base, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and is near the Palmdale Regional Airport. .

The California portion of the Mojave Desert is home to Edwards Air Force Base, the Mojave National Preserve, and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

The Morongo Basin is a valley located within the Mojave Desert. The High Desert area is east of San Bernardino and the San Bernardino Mountains, and north of the Coachella Valley. Communities within the Morongo Basin include Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, and Landers. The Marines Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms is also located in the Morongo Basin.

Twentynine Palms is a small city in San Bernardino County and the Mojave Desert, and serves as one of the main entry points to Joshua Tree National Park which lies immediately to the south near The Oasis of Mara. The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), the largest United States Marine Corps base in the United States, is adjacent to the city.

Joshua Tree National Park is located north of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, near Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert. The popular park includes nine campgrounds, rock climbing, and extensive hiking trails. Lookout point at Keys View offers views of Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, and the Salton Sea.

The Mojave Memorial Cross, officially the White Cross World War I Memorial, was erected by a group of Christian war veterans in the Mojave Desert on publicly owned desert land in 1934 to honor those killed in the war. It was maintained by a group of veterans at no expense to the taxpayers. The Christian cross was boarded up in 2002 as a result of litigation brought by a group that opposed the Christian symbol. In 2010, the cross and its cover were cut down and stolen. The cross was found over 500 miles away in 2012 and has been erected and rededicated on private land.

Tecopa is a small town located in the Mojave Desert that is famous for its three natural hot springs resorts. Historically, the economy was based primarily on silver mining, but tourism is now the primary attraction.