Mojave National Preserve - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

This is an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America. Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of Joshua trees, which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an indicator species. This place is now a tourist spot and a lot of people come here to spend some good times here.

It is located in the Mojave Desert within the National Park Service Mojave National Preserve, on Kelso Cima Road at the junction of Kelbaker Road in Kelso, California, between Baker and Interstate 15 to the north and Interstate 40 to the south. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and along with the adjacent ghost town of Kelso, was declared a United States Historic District in 2000.

The Providence Mountains State Recreation Area is located in the Providence Mountains, within the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. It is also home to the Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve. The Recreation Area is located on the east side of the Providence Mountains range and has dramatic views of the surrounding Mojave Desert. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also attracts many tourists.

Mitchell Caverns is three solution limestone caves, only two of which are open to the public. It was created primarily by the dissolution of sedimentary limestone and metamorphised limestone by ground water high in carbonic acid content. The "Tecopa" and "El Pakiva" caves are connected by a man-made tunnel and are open to guided tours led by California State Park rangers. These caves are the only limestone caves in the California State Park system.

This is a great way to examine the aftermath of the Dome Fire up close. The hike is three miles round-trip and takes between 2 and 3 hours for most people.Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 h 31 min to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.

This is the largest field of aeolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert. The region is protected by the Mojave National Preserve. The dune field covers 45 square miles and includes migrating dunes, vegetation-stabilized dunes, sand sheets, and sand ramps.