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 located 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.

Many investors are acquiring rural land, including desert land in California for commercial campsites, solar farms, and wind farms, all of which can generate monthly income. Others, including land bankers, acquire such land for recreational purposes or long-term investment.

 

 

Mojave Trails National Monument

The Mojave Trails National Monument is a 1,600,000 acre United States National Monument in the Mojave Desert of California. It partially surrounds the Mojave National Preserve. The monument is the largest national monument in the contiguous 50 states and is nearly 100% undeveloped. The most visited area is the Amboy Crater which is a dormant cinder cone volcano. The monument includes 105 miles of the historic US Route 66 and the World War II era Desert Training Center that operated from 1942 to late 1944. The Bonanza Spring, the largest fresh water spring in the Mojave Desert, is also located within the monument.

 

Mormon Trail Monument

The Mormon Trail Monument, built in 1937, is located in Phelan which is a community in the Victor Valley region of the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. The monument was constructed to commemorate the 500 plus Mormon pioneers that came to the San Bernardino Valley in 1851. The monument is in California Historical Landmark.

 

Piute Mountains - Wilderness

The Piute Mountains are a mountain range located in the eastern Mojave Desert within the Mojave Trails National Monument in San Bernardino County. The highest point rises to 964 feet. The Piute Mountains Wilderness is located within the Piute Mountains. It consists of 48,080 acres of wilderness managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The area is home to the desert tortoise which is approaching extinction.

 

Mojave National Preserve

The Mojave National Preserve is a 1,542,776 acre preserve located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino, California. The nearest city is Baker, which is a small city east and not far Barstow. It is the largest National Preserve in the United States and is mostly undeveloped. The Mojave National Preserve is governed by the National Park Service. Joshua tree forests are found in parts of the preserve.

 

Bighorn Mountains Wilderness

The Bighorn Mountains Wilderness is a 26,543-acre protected area in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County. Granite Peak, which rises to 1,744 feet, is the highest point in the Bighorn Mountains Wilderness. The Bighorn Mountains are located within Morongo Valley, northwest of Yucca Valley, directly south of the Johnson Valley, and southeast of Lucerne Valley.

 

Kiavah Wilderness

The Kiavah Wilderness, established in 1994 is a federally designated and protected wilderness area located in the Mojave Desert and southern Kern County. The 88,290 acre wilderness area is northeast of Bakersfield and primarily within Sequoia National Forest.

 

Sheep Hole Mountains - Wilderness Area

The Sheep Hole Mountains are a mountain range in the Mojave Desert located north of Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino County. The mountain range lies between the Bullion Mountains to the west and the Coxcomb Mountains to the east. The mountains reach an elevation of 4,613 feet and lie within the Sheephole Valley Wilderness which is a 194,861 acre protected wilderness area.

 

Kelso Mountains - Kelso Depot

The Kelso Mountains are located in the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert, just north of the Kelso Dunes and the historic town of Kelso. The town of Baker is located approximately 35 miles to the southwest of the mountain range. Kelso Peak which rises to 4,767 feet is the highest point in the range. Kelso, is the location of the historic Kelso Depot which was constructed in 1923 and later abandoned. The depot now serves as the main visitor center in the Mojave National Preserve. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Bullion Mountains

The Bullion Mountains are located in the Mojave Desert, also known as the High Desert, southeast of Barstow, California. The mountain range stretches over 50 miles in a northwest - southeasterly direction north of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. Since most of the range is within the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, it is off-limits to the public. The highest point in the range rises to 4,669 feet.

 

Joshua Trees

Joshua Trees are not actually trees. They are large succulent plants that are native to the California Mojave Desert, which includes the Barstow Region , Antelope Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California City, Newbury Springs, and the Morongo Basin. Joshua Trees are commonly referred to as yucca palms. Joshua Trees were named for Joshua of the Bible by 19th century Mormon settlers who thought the outstretched limbs guided them along their journey. Joshua trees have a single trunk and grow three to five feet tall height branching. They commonly reach height of 20 to 60 feet.

 

 

Castle Mountains National Monument

Castle Mountains National Monument, established in 2016 and consisting of 20,920 acres, is located in the eastern Mojave Desert and northeastern San Bernardino County. Castle Mountains National Monument is bordered on three sides by the Mojave National Preserve. The land is mostly undeveloped and includes most of the Castle Mountains.

 

Chimney Rock, California

Chimney Rock, located in the Lucerne Valley, was the site of the last battle between white immigrant settlers and the local Native Americans in 1867. While the Native Americans defended themselves and their land, they were forced to retreat into the Mojave Desert beyond Lucerne Valley. Chimney Rock has been designated a California Historical Landmark.

 

The Wildlands Conservancy

The Wildlands Conservancy, established in 1995, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve land for public recreation. It manages twenty-five preserves covering over 200,000 acres. The organization buys and restores land, constructs public visitor facilities and provides outdoor education programs aimed at children. Its goal is to convert as much privately owned land to public use to the extent possible. Some of the preserves managed by the Wildlands Conservancy include Mission Creek Preserve, Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, and Whitewater Preserve.

 

Mojave Memorial Cross

The Mojave Memorial Cross, officially known as the White Cross World War I Memorial, is a Christian cross constructed in 1934 on land that was once public land. The cross stands on Sunrise Rock, a large granite outcropping in the Mojave National Preserve. Congress transferred the site of the cross to a veteran's group to settle litigation brought by a group of atheists.

 

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base, established in 1933 as Maurice Bombing and Gunnery Range, is a major United States Air Force installation in the Mojave Desert region of California that covers 470 square miles. Most of the base is in Kern County, but the eastern portion is in San Bernardino County, and the southern section in partly in Los Angeles County. California City is a short distance to the north, Lancaster is to the southwest, Barstow is to the east and Victor Valley is to the southeast. The base is a major employer in the High Desert, averaging over 10,000 military and civilian employees.

 

California Route 66 Museum

The California Route 66 Museum is located in the High Desert on Historic U.S. Route 66 in Old Town Victorville, in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County. The Victor Valley Museum offers rotating exhibitions and extensive historical photos and memorabilia. The non-profit museum was founded by the Old Town Victorville Heritage Preservation organization. It is supported by donors and patrons.

 

Boron Aerospace Museum

The Boron Aerospace Museum, also known as the Saxon Aerospace Museum, was established in 2010 in Boron which is a small community in the Mojave Desert within Kern County The museum features military aircraft, a flight simulator, and much more. Donations, sponsors, and volunteers are needed and greatly appreciated. The museum is located just north of Edwards Air Force Base and a short distance southeast of California City.

 

High-Desert Nature Museum

The High-Desert Nature Museum was founded in 1964 as a non-profit organization in Yucca Valley which is located within the Morongo Valley in San Bernardino County. The area is referred to as the High Desert. There are more than 4,000 exhibits in the museum including Native American artifacts, native gems and minerals, ranching and mining implements, an excellent kids corner, and much more. New exhibits are constantly being added.

 

Old Woman Meteorite

The Old Woman Meteorite is on display at the Desert Discovery Center in Barstow, California. It is the second largest meteorite ever found in the United States. The meteorite was discovered in 1975 in the Old Woman Mountains in San Bernardino County which is in the Mojave Desert Region. It is 38 inches long, 34 inches high, and 30 inches wide. Made mostly of iron, nickel, chromium, and cobalt, it weighs 942 pounds. The Old Woman Mountain range is about 25 miles long and 15 miles wide. The highest point rises to 5,325 feet.

 

 

Twenty Mule Team Museum

The Twenty Mule Team Museum was established in 1984 in Boron which is a small community in the Mojave Desert within Kern County. The mission of the museum is to acquire and document artifacts, including photos, pertaining to local history and to the history of borax mining in Boron and the surrounding areas. The museum is open to the public and is supported by donations which are always appreciated. It is located just north of Edwards Air Force Base and a short distance southeast of California City.

 

 

Desert Tortoise Natural Area

The Desert Tortoise Natural Area (DTNA) is a 39.5 square mile area in the western Mojave Desert, located in eastern Kern County northeast of California City. It was created to protect the native desert tortoise which is the California state reptile.

 

Rand Desert Museum

The Rand Desert Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and sharing the historic cultural resources and architectural history of the Rand Mining District as well as adjacent historic and per-historic sites in the northern Mojave Desert Region of California, also known as the High Desert. The museum is located in Ransburg which is in Kern County and is open on weekends and by appointment.

 

 

Fishponds - Mojave

Fishponds is one of the locations where the Mojave River rises to run on the surface of its course through the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County. The site of the ponds is in the eastern section of Barstow. Fishponds was named after the Mohave tui chub fish that are found only in the Mojave River. Note that the fish term is spelled Mohave, while the river term and region is spelled Mojave.

 

Aiken's Wash

Aiken's Wash is an archaeologically and geologically significant wash in the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County. The area which includes 1,450 acres was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Aiken's Wash National Register District. The area includes several pre-Columbian habitation sites, three rock shelters, and several extinct cinder cones and volcanic flow areas that have not been active for nearly one thousand years.

 

Mojave Road - Mojave Trail

The Mojave Road, also known as the Old Government Road, is a 147-mile unmaintained rough dirt road, previously called the Mojave Trail. The road stretches from Beagle's Crossing on the Colorado River north of Needles, to Fork of the Road along the north bank of the Mojave River which is just east of Barstow. The road was first traveled in 1776 by Spanish Franciscan missionaries. The Mojave Road has been designated a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

 

Ivanpah Solar Power Facility

The Ivanpah Solar Power Facility is a concentrated solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert near the border with Nevada. The facility covers 3,500 acres and was commissioned in 2014. It has 173,500 collectors and produces a gross capacity of 392 megawatts. In 2014, it was the world's largest solar thermal power station.

 

Mojave Solar Project

The Mojave Solar Project (MSP) is a concentrated solar power facility in the Mojave Desert located approximately 20 miles northwest of Barstow. The facility covers 1,765 acres and was commissioned in 2014. It has 2,256 collectors and produces 250 megawatts.

 

Solar Energy Generating Systems

Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is a concentrated solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert approximately 14 miles northwest of Barstow. The facility covers 1,600 acres and was commissioned in 1984. It has 936,384 collectors and produces 354 megawatts.

 

Genesis Solar Energy Project

The Genesis Solar Energy Project is a concentrated solar power station located in the    Mojave Desert on 1,920 acres approximately 25 miles west of Blythe in the  Lower Colorado River Valley in eastern Riverside County. The facil ity was commissioned in 2014 and has 500,000 collectors. It produces 250 megawatts average. One Megan can power 750 homes.

 

McCoy Solar Energy Project

The McCoy Solar Energy Project is a photovoltaic power plant in the Mojave Desert near the city of Blythe in the far eastern part of Riverside County. The 2,300 acre facility was commissioned in 2014 and produces 250 megawatts. It is adjacent to the Blythe Mesa solar project. On average, one megawatt can power 750 homes.

 

Blythe Mesa Solar Project

The Blythe Mesa Solar Project is a photovoltaic power plant in the Mojave Desert adjacent to the McCoy Solar Energy Project in Blythe. The facility occupies 2,000 acres and produces 485 megawatts. It was commissioned in 2016. On average, one megawatt can power 750 homes.

 

Pioneertown Mountain Preserve - Pioneertown

Pioneertown Mountain Preserve is a 2500 acre preserve located in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County within the eastern San Bernardino Mountains. The nearest town is Pioneertown which is a small unincorporated community in the Morongo Basin. The town is a unique 1880s themed town developed as a shooting location for western films. The four mile drive from Pioneertown to Yucca Valley has been designated a California Scenic Drive and the town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As a tourist attraction, it offers regular re enacted western-style gun shows, live music, and a film museum. The preserve is known for its unique rock formations and a perennial stream making it ideal for western movies. The preserve offers many hiking trails, restrooms, and a picnic area.

 

Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve

The Mitchell Caverns are three limestone caves located in the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve which is in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area in the Mojave Desert. Two of the three caves are open to the public. Guided tours are available on a reservation basis. Located in San Bernardino County, the caverns have been designated as a US. National Natural Landmark.

 

 

Little Rock Creek

Little Rock Creek is a 16.7 mile long stream in the San Gabriel Mountains and Mojave Desert. The headwaters are in the Angeles National Forest, just west of the 8,199 foot high Mount Williamson peak. From there the stream flows to Little Rock Reservoir which is impounded by the Little Rock Dam. From the dam, any excess overflow water, which is small, drains into the Antelope Valley in the western Mojave Desert where there is no outlet.

 

Fort Irwin National Training Center

Fort Irwin National Training Center, also referred to as Fort Irwin NTC, and Fort Irwin, is a major military training center for the United States Army, consisting of 7.1 square miles of desert, in the Mojave Desert. The High Desert military center is approximately 37 miles northeast of Barstow in the Calico Mountains of San Bernardino County.

 

Rainbow Basin

Rainbow Basin is a 1,961 acre National Natural Landmark notable for its beautiful and unique rock formations and fossil beds. The Rainbow Basin is located about eight miles north of Barstow in the Mojave Desert within San Bernardino County. Camping is not permitted but the area is otherwise open to the public. Camping is permitted in the nearby Owl Canyon campground.

 

Calico Early Man Site

The Calico Early Man Site, also known as the Calico Mountains Archeological District consists of approximately 900 acres in the central Mojave Desert about 16 miles east of Barstow near the town of Yermo. Many ancient artifacts have been found at the site including various types of stone tools, fossils of mammoths, sabertooth cats and other rare animals. Approximately 18,000 years ago, the site included a 91 square mile large freshwater lake with sandy beaches. The site is not open to the public.

 

 

Yermo, California

Yermo, founded in 1902, is an unincorporated town in the Mojave Desert and San Bernardino County located about 13 miles east of Barstow and just south of the Calico Mountains, midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Nevada. Yermo is the location of the 1,859 acre industrial annex and storage site of the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. Yermo is a census designated place and was originally named Otis.
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Newberry Springs

Newberry Springs, founded in 1911 , is an unincorporated community and desert oasis in the western Mojave Desert or High Desert of Southern California. This small community is located about twenty miles east of Barstow and about forty miles west of the Mojave National Preserve. The area is irrigated by the Mojave Aquifer, the largest aquifer in the western United States. The aquifer supports a diverse agricultural industry including pistachios, apricots and alfalfa along with several man-made lakes that permit water ski and jet ski racing.

 

Rodman Mountains Wilderness

The Rodman Mountains Wilderness, consisting of 34,264 acres, is located in a remote uninhabited area the Mojave Desert midway between Lucerne Valley and Barstow which is the closest city. The wilderness is home to bighorn sheep, golden eagles, ravens, and falcons. Wildflowers cover the area every spring.

 

 

Newberry Cave

The Newberry Cave, first discovered in 1933 south of Newberry Springs in the Newberry Mountains, has been the source of unique artifacts used by Native Americans going back in time approximately 3500 years. The massive cave was not discovered until 1933 because its opening is hidden by a huge rock. The Mojave Desert cave has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Mojave Desert News

The Mojave Desert News, founded in 1938, is a newspaper that is now headquartered in California City. It claims to be the longest running newspaper in east Kern County and reports on news in Kern County, including California City. In addition to news, it covers opinion, local sports, and schools.