The carful of kids get antsy in the SUV when I drive across the country for miles on end. I try to find interesting stops along the way so the kids get out and run around. National park sites are great options and I'm always ready for a diversion.
Headed back to Texas from Lake Tahoe I find a great side trip, the Mojave National Preserve. It's in-between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, that's 250 miles from Los Angeles.
Three New National Monuments
President Obama just designated three national monuments in the Southern California desert. According to the National Park Service, he protected an additional 1.8 million acres, making this area the largest desert conservation area in the world.
The Castle Mountains National Monument is an area that is surrounded by the Mojave preserve on three sides and Nevada on the other. The Mojave Trails National Monument connects the land between the Mojave preserve and Joshua Tree National Park to the south. The Sand to Snow National Monument stretches from the highest peak in Southern California to the valley floor and includes 1,700 petroglyphs.
The History of the Mojave National Preserve
The California Desert Protection Act of 1994 created this preserve to protect 1.6 million acres of fragile desert landscape. It also expanded and upgraded Death Valley and Joshua Tree national monuments and made them into national parks.
The Mojave National Preserve is home to the Mojave desert, one of the four deserts of North America. The Great Basin desert, the high desert, is north of the Mojave. It has the harshest living environment. The Sonoran desert, that runs into Mexico, lays to the south of the Mojave. The Chihuahua desert is in far West Texas and Mexico.
Mojave National Preserve is the third largest National Park Service unit in the lower 48, after Death Valley and Yellowstone national parks. The most dominant feature of the Mojave desert is the Joshua tree, not actually a tree but a species of yucca.
Kelso Depot
I love old buildings and I love trains so the carful of kids had to stop by the Kelso Depot.
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| The Kelso Depot is a Spanish Missions Revival building from 1924 that's now the Mojave National Preserve's Visitors Center. |
Kelso provided both and saw rapid growth with the train operations and then mining in the early 1900s. In 1924 a Spanish Missions Revival Depot was built that rivaled the buildings by the Fred Harvey Company.
The Kelso Depot provided housing for railroad employees and boarding for others visiting the area. It also had a telegraph office and restaurant along with a library and billiards room.
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| The Carful of Kids finish up their Junior Ranger badge work. |
As the railroad replaced steam engines with diesel engines and the mining moved on, the Kelso depot was closed in 1985. A group of concerned citizens with the help of local officials would save the Kelso depot from demolition.
The Kelso Depot houses the Mojave National Preserve Visitors Center (free, open Thursday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) where I grab Junior Ranger booklets for the kids and refill the water bottles.
Keeping the Kids Happy
The carful of kids love spotting animals from the car and the desert is a great place to spot animals. I know I was surprised but it's true, there are less places for the animals to hide.
Coyotes and jack rabbits are some of the carful of kids' favorites to find. The best time to catch them darting among the cactus is in the morning and late afternoon.
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| The Carful of Kids take a moment to lock themselves up. |
Getting to Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave National
Preserve is located between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 in southern
California. Baker, California, is the nearest town with services like gas and
lodging. The closest airport is in Las Vegas, Nevada, 90 miles away.
Getting Around Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave National Preserve is free and open 365-days a year
and 24-hours a day. There are a handful of paved roads, the Kelbaker and the
Kelso Cima Road are the major routes. Though they are sun-baked roads that are
rough in areas.
Know before you go:
- The Kelbaker Road from Baker, California, to the Kelso Depot Visitors Center is rough, drive with caution.
- Don't rely on technology for directions in the Mojave National Preserve, pick up a map at the Kelso Visitors Center or park headquarters in Barstow.
- Cell service in the preserve is undependable.
- Carry extra water year-round.
- Flat tires are common on unpaved roads, be prepared.
- Many of the roads within the Mojave National Preserve are four-wheel drive roads, unsuitable for passenger cars.
- Lodging isn't available inside of Mojave but is available in nearby towns.
- There are two campgrounds within the preserve.
- There are three varieties of rattlesnakes in Mojave, all are poisonous.
