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ACCESS AND INFORMATION
You won't want to be without a car or recreation vehicle here: no buses
or passenger trains serve this remote region. Towns are scarce, but the
communities of JOSHUA TREE and TWENTYNINE PALMS are somewhat bustling
because of tourist traffic from the neighboring national park. They also
serve families and servicemen at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
in Twentynine Palms. Interstate 10 provides access for most travelers
heading for MO-JAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE as well as JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL
PARK from the Los Angeles area. Travelers going north to Mojave branch
off on Interstate 15 at Fontana. Those
continuing east to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree follow Interstate 15 to
Highway 62, which leads to the northern entrances to the park at the communities
of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. Or continue on Interstate 15 past
Indio and enter the park via Cottonwood Springs
Road. From areas south of Los Angeles, access is much the same; make your
way via any number of interstates to 15, or from San Diego, follow 15
all the way. Travelers heading for the high desert from the SanJoaquin
Valley and Bakersfield can simply head east over Tehachapi on Highway
58 to bypass the Los Angeles metropolis altogether.
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE lies between Interstate 15 on the north (the
route to Las Vegas) and Interstate 40 on the south. Look at a map and
you'll see why its nickname, "the Lonely Triangle," is catching
on (the triangle's eastern boundary is north-south Highway 95). Within
the preserve, however, only one primary north-south route, Kelbaker Road,
splits the region between the interstates. Many roads in the preserve
are unpaved, but most routes between major attractions such as CIMA DOME,
KELSO, and HOLE-IN-THE-WALL are well graded and passable by passenger
cars. Inquire locally regarding road conditions if you're
visiting immediately after a major winter storm. You can also call ahead
to MOJAVE DESERT INFORMATION CENTER in Baker (72157 Baker Boulevard, under
the 134-foot-tall thermometer; 760/733-4040). For trip-planning information,
write them (PO Box 241, Baker, CA 92309). All AUTOMOBILE TRAVEL in desert
regions can be potentially challenging and sometimes dangerous. Cars should
be newly serviced (pay special attention to radiator hoses and fan belts)
and in reliable condition. You won't find any gas stations inside the
preserve, so fill your tank in Barstow or Baker before you leave the interstates,
and keep an eye on the gauge and road map so you have enough fuel to make
it to your next fill-up. Carry several gallons of drinking water per person.
In the event of a breakdown, stay with the car and wait for help (cars
are easier to find than people). Don't venture off main routes unless
you are an experienced desert wanderer, and even then don't travel alone—a
companion car can be essential for minor emergencies such as pulling you
free from soft sand or going for help if your car conks out. A buddy system
isn't necessary in the more popular areas covered below, however. Best
times
to travel are in the shoulder seasons—late fall and spring, when
temperatures are generally below SOT. Winter weather means cool, usually
clear days and freezing nights, and when a storm blows through there can
even be snow flurries. Be prepared with a warm jacket, pants, and hat,
but dress in layers so you can peel down on sunny days. This is also true
for spring, when the likelihood of 75-degrees-plus days is good, but nights
are still cold and odd storms can surprise you. Spring means great weather
and wildflowers, making it the most popular time to visit the preserve.
From April to October (or later), temperatures vault into the nineties
and above. Your clothing strategy shifts to heat protection: wide-brimmed
hats, lightweight shirts and pants, and sunblock. Drinking water at 15-
minute intervals or less becomes critically important: drink as much as
two gallons a day if you're out and about in the heat. If all this sounds
alarming, here's one more note of concern: the hospital nearest to the
Mojave National Preserve is in Needles.
HIGH DESERT THREE-DAY TOUR
DAY ONE; (Note; This itinerary and its activities are geared for
fate fall or spring, which is when we recommend you visit the
region.) After picking up picnic supplies: in Joshua Tree, head
south on Park Boulevard, which becomes the 35-miteloop road through
Joshua Thee National Park. Stop at Hidden Valley Campground to
watch rock-dimbing activity. Don't miss the ranger-led tours of
Desert Queen Ranch. Two miles northeast of Hidden Valley, be sure
to stretch your legs on the Barker Dam Trail—the rods inthis
region are especially spectacular. Stop for the night at Roghley
Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn just outside the park in Twerrtynine
Palms and sleep in—but not until after you've ventured outfor
a big dinner at "Twentynine Palms Inn.
DAY TWO: Rise early, fill the ice chest with cold dnnks'and lunch
kems at a grocery store or deli in Twentynine Palms, then drive
north" on Anftboy Road over Sheep Hole Pass and down into
Amboy, a remnant ofthe days when Route 66 passed right through
here. Pull on your hiking boots and climb to the top ofAmboy Crater
before 10am for a view of its long-inactive lava fiows. Continue
north on Kelbaker Road, leaving pavement to continue on a well-graded
road just after you enter Mojave National Preserve near Interstate
40. Stop at the Kelso Dunes for a picnic lunch (there are no restaurants
or stores anywhere in the preserve) and a brief hike before driving
to Baker for: dinner at The Mad Greek and a night's lodging at
Bun Boy Motel.
DAY THREE: From Baker drive:east on. Interstate 15 to Cima Road/then
south to reenter Mojave National Preserve. Turn east on Cedar
Canyon Road (unpaved), then south on Black Canyon Road for a visit
to famed Hole-in-the-Wall's lava flows, as well as a stop at Provi-dence
Mountains State Recreation Area and Mitchell Caverns, where you
descend into a limestone cave. Leave the preserve via Essex Poact
and hit Interstate 40 for the long drive back to Barstow... and
civilization.
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