4 Must-Do Adventures in the Mojave Desert
This is the driest desert in the US and occupies 47.9 thousand square miles! It is home to Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley, the Kelso Sand Dunes, and Lava Tubes. This is definitely a great adventure for the off road hiking enthusiast.
1. Joshua Tree National Park – The closest airport to Joshua Tree is Palm Springs International and is about an hour away and 2.5 hours away from LAX. The busiest time of year to visit is in October. Parking for well known trails is hard to find and the campgrounds fill up pretty quick on the weekends.
However, there are plenty of hikes for all experience levels, ranging from quick 1 mile trails to 16 mile roundtrip on the Boy Scout Trail. There is also cycling, climbing, horseback riding and more.
2. Death Valley - Located in Eastern California, it’s one of the hottest places in the world. Obviously, summer is the hottest time of the year to visit but also the least touristy. If you want to stay in the park, there are a bunch of different options. Furnace Creek Ranch which is more budget friendly and Furnace Cree Inn is a bit more expensive. There’s also plenty of camping inside the park too.
3. Kelso Sand Dune - If you can, try to get to the dunes around sunset. It’s amazing to see the desert around that time! The best part about the dunes? It’s free! If you enter from the north side of the park, you will be able to see the Kelso Dunes about 25 miles away, they are just that big! The best way to get to the dunes is by renting a car. The roads are dirt roads but there are plenty of signs to direct you around the park.
4. Lava Tubes - The lava tubes are just one of those things that you have to experience for yourself. It is definitely worth the drive to see it. It’s about 5 miles down an unmarked road to get to the trailhead, it can be tough to get to so it’s important that you have a car to get you out there. The cave is about 3 feet tall in the smallest parts but wide enough to walk through. The best time to see the light is around 11am to 1pm. There is no entrance fee to check out the Lava Tube trail!