Kelso Dunes - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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 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.

Mojave preserves a diverse mosaic of ecological habitats and a 10,000 year history of human connection with the desert. Natural features include the Kelso Dunes, the Marl Mountains and the Cima Dome, as well as volcanic formations such as Hole-in-the-Wall and the Cinder Cone Lava Beds. The preserve surrounds Providence Mountains State Recreation Area and Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, which are both managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Amboy Crater is a dormant cinder cone volcano that rises above a 70-square-kilometer lava field in the eastern Mojave Desert of southern California, within Mojave Trails National Monument. The Federal Bureau of Land Management recommends using the Western Cone Trail to reach the volcano peak's rim, a steep and rocky hiking trail.