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Mojave Road
From Dirtopia, The Off-Road Encyclopedia
 Photo: The long, beautiful Mojave Road | |
| Off-Road Information | |
| Other Names: | |
|---|---|
| Terrain: | Trail |
| Off-Road Use: | Restricted |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Camping: | Use existing campsites |
| Geography | |
| County: | San Berarndino County, CA |
| Nearest Cities: | Needles, CA, Goffs, CA |
| Map Links: | Google Map Yahoo Map |
| Satellite Map: | Google Satellite |
| Special Map: | |
| GPS Coords: | 35.112045,-115.425797 |
| Google Earth: | Mojave Road.kmz |
| Climate: | |
| Area Size: | |
| Elevation: | |
| Last Visited: | {{{lastvisited}}} |
| Open/Closed/Date: | {{{openclose}}} |
| Season(s): | {{{seasons}}} |
The Mojave Road is a 138-mile stretch of dirt road through the center of the Mojave National Preserve. The road leads from waterhole to waterhole, and is mostly a 4-wheel-drive trail.
Traveling the Mojave Road is a 2- or 3-day excursion, best made with a group of well-equipped off-roaders. The trip begins at the Colorado River and ends in Afton Canyon near Barstow. The Mojave National Preserve is huge and empty. Except the store at Cima (which may or may not be open) there are no services of any kind available. Take plenty of emergency rations and extra water, and fill up your gas tank. Bring plenty of film for your camera; you'll use a lot.
The indisputable authority on this trip is the book Mojave Road Guide, written by Dennis Casebier. Casebier spent decades traveling the trail and has an insatiable appetite for history and geology. Mile by mile, the book guides travelers over the passes and through the valleys, 138.8 miles.
Contents |
Landmarks on the Mojave Road
East to West
- The Colorado River - Where the trail begins -mile 0
Coordinates: 35.046280° -114.627890° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Piute Creek - Natural spring with trees and plants growing all year round. -mile 23
Coordinates: 35.115020° -114.985260° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Fort Piute - Next to the spring, this fort was built in 1867 by the US infantry -mile 23
Coordinates: 35.115020° -114.985260° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Lanfair Valley - Cattle ranches have been here since 1880. -mile 34
Coordinates: 35.094780° -115.019520° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Indian Hill, Indian Well - North of the Mojave Road at mile 40, there is an old well of debatable origin. -mile 40
Coordinates: 35.143530° -115.154260° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Joshua Tree Forest - The road gets very narrow in this thick forest in Lanfair Valley. -mile 47
Coordinates: 35.143340° -115.291460° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Rock Spring - The biggest watering hole along the Mojave Road. The stream flows down large boulders. There is an old cabin here. -mile 49
Coordinates: 35.152830° -115.327300° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Goverment Holes - Another water supply near Rock Spring, with an old concrete trough -mile 52
Coordinates: 35.147490° -115.359200° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Cedar Canyon - The high point of the trip, you will reach 5,000 ft elevation -mile 56
Coordinates: 35.152900° -115.362000° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Kelso-Cima Road - In the middle of the trip, this is the last road you will see for a long time -mile 62
Coordinates: 35.176210° -115.509010° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Marl Springs - Another spring with a primitive concrete trough. -mile 70
Coordinates: 35.170700° -115.647590° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Mojave Phone Booth - Famous phone booth in the middle of nowhere, also the subject of a movie by the same name - (not actually on the Mojave Road)
Coordinates: 35.285500° -115.684288° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Mojave Road Mail Box - Sign your name at this solitary flagpole and continue on. -mile 74
Coordinates: 35.185400° -115.692840° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Willow Wash - Heavy sand alongside the Cinder Cones lava flow -mile 77
Coordinates: 35.162850° -115.442090° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Soda Lake - A large dry lake, proceed with caution. You may have to drive around in the winter - mile 97
Coordinates: 35.152410° -116.052710° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Soda Springs (Zzyzx) - Small private building on the edge of Soda Lake
Coordinates: 35.142790° -116.104740° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Travelers Monument - Aka Government Monument, travelers carry a rock accross the dry lake and add it to the pile -mile 100
Coordinates: 35.130840° -116.095270° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Rasor OHV Area - Open use area -mile 103
Coordinates: 35.108780° -116.143630° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Sand Dunes - There are a few soft sand dunes along here that you can play on -mile 106
Coordinates: 35.080507° -116.193786° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Afton Canyon - Deep canyon with steep walls and plenty of scenery -mile 116
Coordinates: 35.042720° -116.309500° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Mojave River crossing - The only water crossing on this trail -mile 121
Coordinates: 35.037740° -116.381120° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
- Manix Wash - The exit point of the Mojave Road -mile 133
Coordinates: 34.974380° -116.540800° Satellite Google Yahoo Topo Geocache GEarth Other
Maps and GPS Coordinates
A comprehensive list of GPS waypoints and tracks in Google Earth format can be found here: Mojave Road.kmz
Mojave Road Coordinates: 35.112045° -115.425797°
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Find nearby Geocaching locations
- Find this location with Google Earth
Mojave Road Photo Gallery
 At the edge of the Colorado River |
 Piute Valley |
 Piute Springs |
 Historic Fort Piute |
Lanfair Valley |
 The Indian Well |
 The Joshua forest in Lanfair Valley |
 Rock Spring |
 Marl Springs |
 The traveler's mailbox |
 Mojave Road Mailbox |
 Seventeen Mile Point |
 The vast Soda Lake |
 Travelers Monument |
 Sand dunes |
 Off-roaders in Afton Canyon |
