Welcome to the audio-described version of Mojave National Preserve's official print brochure. Through text and audio descriptions of photos, illustrations, and maps, this version interprets the two-sided color brochure that Mojave National Preserve visitors receive. The brochure explores the history of the park, some of its highlights, and information for planning your visit. This audio version lasts about 38 minutes, which we have divided into 45 sections, as a way to improve the listening experience. Sections 1-34 include the front of the brochure, and sections 35-45 include the back of the brochure.
The front of the brochure includes information about the plants,
domes, and habitats you can find at Mojave.
This side also includes a map of the landmass of the United States and
Central America.
Mojave National Preserve, located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, is a part of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. At 1,542,776 acres, it is the third largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States. Impressive Joshua tree forests are found in parts of the preserve. The forest covering Cima Dome and the adjacent Shadow Valley is the largest and densest in the world. Each year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy the unique experiences that only Mojave can offer. We invite you to explore the park’s natural beauty and majestic views. To find out more about what resources might be available or to contact the park directly, listen to the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.
DESCRIPTION: A vertical image of Mojave National Preserves shows the varied ecosystems of the desert, described later in this brochure. The mountains, for example, are described more in the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland section. The forests are described in the Joshua Tree Woodland, and the desert terrain is covered more in-depth in the Cactus-Yucca Scrub and Desert Dunes sections. The primrose in bloom has large white petals, with a yellow center.
CAPTION: A view across Kelso dunes shows an evening primrose in bloom – and at least four of the many habitats found in Mojave National Preserve.
CREDIT: Jim Steinberg.
Rippled sand dunes sing an eerie chorus. Cactus flowers bloom after a spring rain, jewels against buff-colored earth. Saltbush borders a dry lakebed, and countless Joshua tree limbs reach toward the sky as if in prayer. Mojave is all these scenes and more — a bounty for the senses.
Mojave National Preserve was established by the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. The 1.6-million-acre park encompasses much of the Mojave Desert, as well as transitional elements of the Great Basin and Sonoran deserts. About half of the park is congressionally designated wilderness. Wilderness areas, marked by signs, are open to hikers and horseback riders but are off-limits to motor vehicles and bicycles.
DESCRIPTION:
An outline of the landmass of the United States and Central America. Along the western half of the landmass, several regions are outlined in various colors. In the Northwest, the Great Basin Desert is outlined in purple. Immediately to the south, the Mojave Desert is outlined in orange. South of the Mojave, covering the majority of southern California, Baja Mexico, and the Northwestern coast of Mexico, the Sonoran Desert is outlined in blue. To the East of the Sonoran Desert, the Chihuahuan Desert is outlined in green, beginning in New Mexico and Texas and extending down the center of Mexico.
CAPTION: Great Basin Desert. Sonoran Desert. Chihuahuan Desert.
RELATED TEXT: Three of North America’s four desert systems—the Great Basin, Sonoran, and Mojave—meet in this national preserve. You may also encounter traces of the Chihuahuan Desert.
CREDIT:
National Park Service.
Summer temperatures often exceed 100º Farenheit; yearly rainfall ranges four to 14 inches. Elevations range from 800 feet near Baker to 7,929 feet atop Clark Mountain. A spine of mountains bisects the park north to south. Cinder cones, lava beds, sand dunes, the Soda Dry Lake, and Cima Dome attest to the geological forces at work through the ages.
Many variables—elevation, moisture, soil composition, exposure to sunlight, shelter from the wind, and the effects of human habitation—create at least 30 identifiable habitats for plants and animals. Habitats, of course, do not have hard boundaries and often overlap; they are grouped below into general categories, and their locations are noted on the map on the other side of this brochure. You will encounter different habitats within a short distance of each other.
Mojave lacks many of the visitor facilities you might expect in a national park. This creates both inconveniences and opportunities. Nearby communities offer lodging and other services, so plan ahead. Be prepared to observe, explore, discover, and reflect.
Summer temperatures often exceed 100ºF; yearly rainfall ranges four to 14 inches. Elevations range from 800 feet near Baker to 7,929 feet atop Clark Mountain. A spine of mountains bisects the park north to south. Cinder cones, lava beds, sand dunes, the Soda Dry Lake, and Cima Dome attest to the geological forces at work through the ages.
Many variables—elevation, moisture, soil composition, exposure to sunlight, shelter from the wind, and the effects of human habitation—create at least 30 identifiable habitats for plants and animals. Habitats, of course, do not have hard boundaries and often overlap; they are grouped below into general categories, and their locations are noted on the map on the other side of this brochure. You will encounter different habitats within a short distance of each other.
Mojave lacks many of the visitor facilities you might expect in a national park. This creates both inconveniences and opportunities. Nearby communities offer lodging and other services, so plan ahead. Be prepared to observe, explore, discover, and reflect.
Rippled sand dunes sing an eerie chorus. Cactus flowers bloom after a spring rain, jewels against buff-colored earth. Saltbush borders a dry lakebed, and countless Joshua tree limbs reach toward the sky as if in prayer. Mojave is all these scenes and more—a bounty for the senses.
Mojave National Preserve was established by the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. The 1.6 million acre park encompasses much of the Mojave Desert, as well as transitional elements of the Great Basin and Sonoran deserts. About half of the park is congressionally designated wilderness. Wilderness areas, marked by signs, are open to hikers and horseback riders but off limits to motor vehicles and bicycles.
Summer temperatures often exceed 100ºF; yearly rainfall ranges four to 14 inches. Elevations range from 800 feet near Baker to 7,929 feet atop Clark Mountain. A spine of mountains bisects the park north to south. Cinder cones, lava beds, sand dunes, the Soda Dry Lake, and Cima Dome attest to the geological forces at work through the ages.
Many variables—elevation, moisture, soil composition, exposure to sunlight, shelter from the wind, and the effects of human habitation—create at least 30 identifiable habitats for plants and animals. Habitats, of course, do not have hard boundaries and often overlap; they are grouped below into general categories, and their locations are noted on the map on the other side of this brochure. You will encounter different habitats within a short distance of each other.
Mojave lacks many of the visitor facilities you might expect in a national park. This creates both inconveniences and opportunities. Nearby communities offer lodging and other services, so plan ahead. Be prepared to observe, explore, discover, and reflect.
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph of a rock formation. In the immediate foreground is a large cactus, surrounded by shrubbery. Behind the shrubbery extends a rocky outcropping, atop which a peaked boulder extends to the top of the photograph. A mountain range extends into the distance, fading into a blue haze.
RELATED TEXT: At higher elevations, particularly on north-facing slopes, pinyon and juniper trees cling to shallow, rocky soil. Look for this habitat in the Clark, Granite, New York, and Providence mountains. You can camp among these trees at Mid Hills Campground.
Pinyon nuts and juniper berries have long provided food for humans and wild animals. Ranchers built fences from junipers; you can still see remnants at abandoned homesteads.
IMAGE 1 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A densely packed collection of vibrant yellow flowers with green stems. Cracked, brown earth is barely visible beneath them.
CAPTION:
Goldenbush
CREDIT:
© JON MARK STEWART
RELATED TEXT: This habitat includes sagebrush, goldenbush, wildflowers like Indian paintbrush, and the Mojave prickly pear—one of several species of prickly pear found in the park. Also look for scrub jays, blue but not crested, and antelope ground squirrels.
CAPTION:
Great Basin sagebrush
CREDIT:
© ROBIN MITCHELL
DESCRIPTION:
Two bright red flowers side by side. Their petals are long and thin like the bristles of a brush.
CAPTION:
Indian paintbrush
CREDIT:
© ROBIN MITCHELL
IMAGE 4 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
Three bright orange flowers sit atop a dense cluster of white needles. The flowers are circular with delicate petals, that form a shape like nested bowls. The needles beneath them are packed together closely, and point in every direction.
CAPTION:
Prickly pear
CREDIT:
© STEPHEN INGRAM
CAPTION:
Bighorn sheep
CREDIT:
© EDA ROGERS
RELATED TEXT: Another clue to the high elevation is the bighorn, a wild sheep that feeds on grasses and other plants. They are best spotted near water sources. Hooves adapted to steep, rocky terrain allow them to escape predators like mountain lions.
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph of a large cluster of Joshua trees, growing amongst rocky outcroppings and small shrubs. The trees are thick and stubby, with branches that reach toward the sky, ending in green tufts of bristly foliage. The grove of Joshua trees extends far into the distance.
CAPTION:
Joshua Tree Woodland
CREDIT:
© JEFF GNASS
IMAGE 1 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A closeup photograph of thin, blade-like leaves, turned a golden color as they catch the afternoon light.
CAPTION:
Banana yucca
CREDIT:
© JEFF GNASS
DESCRIPTION:
Yellow, star-shaped flowers blooming on a scraggly bush. While some of the branches are exposed, the flowers are surrounded by a deep-green foliage.
CAPTION:
Threadleaf groundsel
CREDIT:
© JEFF GNASS
IMAGE 3 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A closeup photograph of the straight green shafts of a plant. Growing from the shafts are yellow-green flowers.
CAPTION:
Mormon tea
CREDIT:
© R.J. ERWIN
IMAGE 4 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
Dark red, bowl-shaped flowers grow amongst the long white needles of a cactus. The flower petals form a nested bowl shape. At the center of each flower is a green button-shaped structure.
CAPTION:
Mojave mound cactus
CREDIT:
© JON MARK STEWART
DESCRIPTION:
An extreme closeup of a small lizard perched on the tip of a human finger. The lizard is so small, that each line of the human fingerprint is as wide as the lizard's finger. Proportionally, the lizard is long and thin. It is a dark blue-green color, with black speckles. Its relatively large visible eye is almost half the size of its head.
CAPTION:
Desert night lizard
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
DESCRIPTION:
A portrait photograph of a bird of prey. Its body is facing the camera, but its head is turned to the left, displaying its short, hooked beak and large black eye. The bird is very colorful, with dark gray and creamy orange feathers on its head and face, blending into a dark orange body with black speckles. The feathers of its wings are dark gray on the outside, while the feathers of its inner wings and legs are a light cream color. Its tail is not in the frame.
CAPTION:
American kestrel
Credit:
© JOHN S. REID
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph of desert scrub. A wide variety of cacti and shrubbery are growing in the rocky soil. There are several thin, wiry cacti, small shrubs, brush-like bushes, and bulbous red cacti dotting the landscape. Between them all are tufts of dry yellow grass.
CAPTION:
Cactus Yucca
Credit:
© TOM BEAN
IMAGE 1 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
The ridged, green surface of a cactus is dotted with pink, bowl-shaped flowers, with yellow centers. The pink coloring of the flowers is especially deep toward the center, growing lighter towards the edge of each petal.
CAPTION:
Beavertail cactus
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
RELATED TEXT: Cactus, or mixed-desert, scrub includes the spiny succulents that fulfill the popular notion of “desert.” Barrel cacti are prominent on south-facing slopes, like southwest of Hole-in-the-Wall. They germinate only in years with favorable rainfall, so barrel cacti growing near one another are usually of the same age. If you visit Mojave in spring you may see the desert plants in brilliant bloom.IMAGE
IMAGE 2 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
Two round, dark, olive green cactuses grow between large rocks and shrubs. Their needles are so dense, it is difficult to see anything that might be underneath them.
CAPTION:
Barrel cactus
CREDIT:
© TOM BEAN
IMAGE 3 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A column-shaped flower with many small petals rises out of the blade-like leaves of the Yucca. The flower is a creamy yellow color in golden afternoon sunlight.
CAPTION:
Mojave yucca
CREDIT:
© TOM BEAN
IMAGE 4 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A bouquet of creamy coffee-brown flowers erupts from the top of a spiny green cactus. The spines of the cactus are sparse but long and sharp. In the background and out of focus, many other such cacti appear to be flowering.
CAPTION:
Buckhorn cholla
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
DESCRIPTION:
A gray snake is loosely coiled with its head facing the viewer. Its dark, forked tongue extends far out of its mouth. From behind a larger section of its body peaks the ribbed rattle that gives the snake its name. The diamond pattern on its skin makes it difficult to tell where one part of the snake ends and another begins.
CAPTION:
Mojave rattlesnake
CREDIT:
© RICHARD FERRIES
RELATED TEXT:
The greenish-gray Mojave rattlesnake blends in easily with this habitat. It is the most aggressive and highly venomous of the three kinds of rattlesnakes found in the park. This snake is most active at night and in early morning, so always be careful where you place your hands and feet.
DESCRIPTION:
A round and predominantly gray bird is perched on a thin piece of gnarled wood. The quail's characteristic forehead feather cowlicks up and away from its head. This feather, along with the feathers on its face, are black, while the feathers directly on top of its head are dark red. The feathers of its body are light gray, giving way to a horizontal stripe of white, with black feathers at the base of its stomach. The way the bird is angled in the photograph, it is just possible to see that its wing has brown feathers with white speckles. It has a short, black beak.
CAPTION:
Gambel’s quail
CREDIT:
© ROY DAVID FARRIS
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph of the rippling slope of a large sand dune. The face of the dune slopes downward from the right side of the photograph to the left. A mountain range stretches into the distance behind it. The face of the dune has rippling waves in it, like the surface of the ocean. Interrupting this pattern is a line of footprints, clustered in groups of four.
CAPTION:
No Caption
CREDIT:
© DAN SUZIO
DESCRIPTION:
A green shrub, blossoming with white flowers, is surrounded by sand. Animal footprints in the sand curve around the shrub's left side. The sand extends into the background of the photograph, where it meets an outcropping of tall desert grass, white rocks, and short trees with sparse foliage. Behind the trees, a mountain looms in the distance, fading into the blue haze in the air. Its peaks are obscured by low-hanging clouds.
CAPTION:
A view across Kelso dunes shows an evening primrose in bloom—and at least four of the many habitats found in Mojave National Preserve.
CREDIT:
© JIM STEINBERG
IMAGE 1 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A lone tuft of tall green grass growing out of the smooth sand. It appears to be blowing in the wind.
CAPTION:
Indian ricegrass
CREDIT:
© JIM STEINBERG
IMAGE 2 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A bright yellow flower with a striated pattern of orange towards the center. The five petals are wide and round at the base, but come to a sharp point at the tips.
CAPTION:
Blazing star
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
IMAGE 3 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
Three white, delicate flowers with a hint of yellow at their centers. They have two layers of rectangular petals and a dark cross-shape at the center.
CAPTION:
Desert chicory
CREDIT:
© JIM STEINBERG
IMAGE 4 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:
A dense cluster of vibrant pink flowers. Each flower is itself a cluster of small pink buttons, with black dots in their centers surrounded by lighter pink rings.
CAPTION:
Hairy sand verbena
CREDIT:
© JIM STEINBERG
IMAGE 1 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A short snake with a wide midsection, forming an M shape as it moves. It's a dark gray with a black pattern of spots. Its black tongue is extended.
CAPTION:
Colorado Desert sidewinder
CREDIT:
© MICHAEL CARDWELL
IMAGE 2 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A portrait photograph of a seated white fox. It looks toward the viewer with intense orange eyes, its long pointed ears sticking straight up. Thin black whiskers extend to either side of its narrow snout. The fur on its face and head are very light, but the fur of its body is a light gold.
CAPTION:
Kit fox
CREDIT:
© FRANK BALTHIS.
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph of a desert scene. A flat expanse of dry flat earth stretches out toward a mountain range on the horizon. The expanse is peppered with small green shrubs. Dark clouds roll across the sky, casting a deep shadow over the mountains in the distance.
CAPTION:
No Caption
CREDIT:
© TOM BEAN
IMAGE 1 of 3:
DESCRIPTION:
A collection of thin round cacti, each densely packed with white needles. The cacti each have one or two small, pink flowers. The flowers form deep, narrow pockets, with black centers.
CAPTION:
Hedgehog cactus
CREDIT:
© JON MARK STEWART
IMAGE 2 of 3:
CAPTION:
Creosote bush
CREDIT:
© GERALD AND BUFF CORSI
IMAGE 3 of 4:
DESCRIPTION:CAPTION:
White bursage
CREDIT:
© GERALD AND BUFF CORSI
DESCRIPTION:
A portrait photograph of a small brown bird. The bird faces away from the camera, but its head is twisted to the left in profile, displaying a long black blunt beak, and a small brown eye with a gray streak extending from it. The bird's feathers are a rich brown color, with light tan striations all over its body. The bird has long tail feathers, slightly lighter brown at the base and black at the tip, which extends outside of the frame of the photograph. The fringes of the tail feathers and the wing tips are an ashy gray.
CAPTION:
Roadrunner
CREDIT:
© FRANK BALTHIS
DESCRIPTION:
A side profile photograph of a tortoise. The gray-blue shell of the tortoise is rounded, yet covered in large lumps, each centered on a rounded square in a tiling pattern that covers the entire shell. The front of the shell opens with a top and bottom lip, and out of the gap pokes a proportionally small reptilian head, with a blunt, peaked nose, and two eyes mounted on top of the head to either side. From either side of the front opening of the shell sprout two front legs, bowed at the elbows, ending in stubby claws. The tortoise's skin is blue-green, and deeply cracked, like bone-dry land. The tortoise's rear claws and tail can be seen poking out from a solid overhang on the back of the shell.
CAPTION:
Desert tortoise
CREDIT:
© FRANK BALTHIS
DESCRIPTION:
A circular cropped photograph. At the center of the photograph a cluster of yellow flowers with green stems grows out of a patch of sand. Around the edges of the patch of sand, forming a border for the photograph, is a semi-circle of rocky outcroppings, their bases covered in sparse, dark shrubbery.
CAPTION:
No Caption
CREDIT:
© STEPHEN INGRAM
DESCRIPTION:
A round flower, white at the edges, fading into a milky green, with a yellow fringed green center. Creases extend from the center of the flower to the edge, which is pointed where the creases terminate. Behind the flower is green foliage. The shape of one leaf can be made out. It is long and thin, with a wavy edge. The leaf is wide at the base of the stem and narrows towards the tip.
CAPTION:
Sacred datura
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
IMAGE 1 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A photograph of some foliage. The leaves are small and rounded, lined up densely on either side of a stem to form a horizontal plane. Amongst the leaves are yellow-green flowers, their shapes indistinguishable.
CAPTION:
Catclaw acacia
CREDIT:
© KEN LUCAS
IMAGE 2 of 2
CAPTION:
Desert willow
CREDIT:
© WALT ANDERSON
IMAGE 1 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
Three yellow column-shaped flowers hang from a thin brown branch. Their exact structure is obscured by the size of the photograph. In the background of the photograph, there are many long green leaves.
CAPTION:
Honey mesquite
CREDIT:
© ERNEST H. ROGERS
IMAGE 2 of 2
DESCRIPTION:
A photograph of a thin blackbird perched on the end of a twig. The bird faces the camera, but its head is turned to the left, displaying a short black beak and a red eye, medium in size relative to its head. On top of its head, a tuft of feathers forms a crest. The bird has long black tail feathers that fan out at the tip.
CAPTION:
Female phainopepla
CREDIT:
© A. MORRIS
IMAGE 1 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A portrait photograph of a seated brown rabbit. Its long thin face is pointed slightly off-axis from the camera. Massive leaf-shaped ears stick out to either side of the top of its head. Its front legs are thin and straight, with small paws. In its sitting position, its rear legs disappear into its round, fluffy body, leaving only the rear paws sticking out from underneath it. The fur on its chest and belly is a lighter shade of brown than that of its face and back.
CAPTION:
Blacktail jackrabbit
CREDIT:
© TOM BEAN
IMAGE 2 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A portrait photograph of a coyote. Thin and doglike, the coyote stands facing the camera, its coat a creamy mixture of light browns and grays. Its long, pointed ears are perked upwards, as it stands at attention.
CAPTION:
Coyote
CREDIT:
© JOHN S. REID
The back of the brochure primarily consists of a large map and a small, detailed map. But it does also include some photographs and texts. The first map describes the nearby desert national parks, and the second map details the Mojave National Preserve. This side of the brochure also offers helpful tips in making your visit to Mojave a success.
Skirting mountains and other natural barriers, the Mojave Road follows the most natural travel corridor through the desert. It runs east-west from the Colorado River to Camp Cady, near Barstow, roughly bisecting the park. The trail is still visible, especially where it intersects modern roads, and is popular with hikers and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts.
American Indians, like the Paiute, Mojave, and Chemehuevi, used the corridor for travel and trade. Indians guided Spanish explorers along the trail in the 1770s. With increasing westward exploration and settlement in the 1800s, the U.S. Army improved the road and established outposts for the safety of supply wagons, mail, and travelers. Fort Piute, built to protect Piute Spring, dates from the 1860s. Not everyone passed through; some found ways to make a living from the desert’s natural resources. The coming of the railroad in the 1890s made mining and ranching profitable for a time—and immediately replaced the Mojave Road as the preferred method of travel through the desert.
IMAGE 1 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A black-and-white photograph of seven men on horseback. Their features are obscured by shadow and the weathering of the photograph. They wear wide-brimmed hats that cast shade on their faces. Their horses stand side by side in front of a wooden picket fence.
CAPTION:
Cowboys from Rock Spring Land and Cattle Company, a historic East Mojave ranching operation.
CREDIT:
MOJAVE DESERT ARCHIVES
IMAGE 2 of 2:
DESCRIPTION:
A black-and-white photograph of a long single-story building constructed into the side of the hill. Along the right flank of the building are three small structures, with triangular roofs. The foot of a mountain occupies the upper right corner of the photograph, while the desert expands into the distance to the left of the frame. A winding dirt road snakes its way into the desert, disappearing toward the horizon.
CAPTION:
The Vulcan Mine supplied iron ore to the Kaiser Steel Mill, producer of World War II “Liberty Ships.”
CREDIT:
MOJAVE DESERT ARCHIVES
DESCRIPTION:
In this inset map, showing a more detailed view of the Mojave National Preserve area, the preserve is roughly centered in the image. Las Vegas is shown to the north, Death Valley National Park to the northwest, Joshua Tree National Park to the south and Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the northeast. The parks are all colored green, with blue rivers and ocean and red interstates and highways.
CAPTION:
Nearby Desert National Parks Areas
CREDIT:
National Park Service
DESCRIPTION:
This map dominates the back of the brochure, showing the Mojave National Preserve in much detail. The roughly circular-shaped area of the preserve, marked in a light green, has the ZZyzx Desert Studies Center on its westernmost edge and the Fort Piute Ruins on the far east. The city of Cima leads to the north, and the Granite Mountains Natural Reserve is to the south. But most of the detail in this map is around the middle of the map, where the Kelso Depot Visitor Center is identified, in roughly the middle of the preserve's section of Kelbaker Road, where the route branches off, to the northeast, on Kelso Cima Road toward the many trails and campgrounds identified nearby, mostly clustered around Mojave Road and Black Canyon Road. The largest text for the campgrounds say Mid Hills Campground and Hole-in-the Wall Campground, with Black Canyon Group and Equestrian Campground shown in smaller text, all around a series of trails that include: Rock Spring Loop Trail, Mid Hills to Hole-in-the Wall Trail, Barber Peak Loop Trail and Rings Loop Trail. The various habitats of the park also are color-coded here to show where clusters of the habitats could be found.
CAPTION:
Mojave National Preserve Habitats
CREDIT:
National Park Service
DESCRIPTION:
A color photograph of a long, rectangular building, with a front overhang supported by many arched columns. The building is an off-white color with teal window trim on the first story, and short red overhangs over the windows on the second story. The floor under the overhang is red tile, and the building is roofed in curved, red Spanish tiles. In front of the building stands a single large palm tree.
CAPTION:
Built in 1924, Kelso Depot was a railroad stop and quarters for crew.
CREDIT:
Courtesy of Mark Andrews
RELATED TEXT: Mojave National Preserve is in southeastern California between I-15 and I-40. The nearest large cities are Las Vegas, NV, and Barstow, CA. To make the most of your visit, stop first at the Kelso Depot Visitor Center or the Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center. More details on the park website.
Two small campgrounds are open year-round and are first-come, first-served (fee). Both have pit toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, trash cans, and drinking water. The road to Mid Hills Campground is not recommended for trailers or large RVs. Black Canyon is only for group or equestrian camping, and requires reservations; call 760-928-2572. Backcountry and roadside camping are allowed in previously used areas with an existing metal or stone fire ring.
Nearly half of the park is designated wilderness. Please respect all wilderness boundary markers. Motorized and mechanized vehicles are prohibited in these areas, but we encourage you to explore on foot and horseback. The park has trails of all varieties. Before you set out, read and heed “For a Safe Visit.”
• Be sure to read and heed the safety warnings in the free park newspaper, available at information centers or on the park website.
• Ask about unpaved road conditions before traveling.
• Carry an up-to-date map, especially if you plan to go off the main roads.
• Carry and drink plenty of water.
• Wear protective clothing, head coverings, and footwear.
• Many unpaved roads require high-clearance or 4x4 vehicles.
• Off-road driving or bicycling is prohibited.
• Motorized vehicles must be street-legal.
• Federal law protects all plants, animals, rocks, and cultural features.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times.
• Check the park website for firearms regulations.
• Licensed hunting per California Fish and Wildlife regulations is permitted, but target shooting and plinking are not allowed.
We strive to make our facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For more information about our services, please ask a ranger, call, or check on our website.
Mojave National Preserve is one of over 400 parks in the National Park System. To learn more about national parks and National Park Service programs in America’s communities, visit www.nps.gov.
Address:
Mojave National Preserve
2701 Barstow Road
Barstow, CA 92311
Phone number:
760-252-6100
Website:
www.nps.gov/moja
Additional links:
National Park Foundation
Join the park community.
www.nationalparks.org