Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994 through the California Desert Protection Act and is managed by the National Park Service.

I was lucky enough to visit the area last weekend. I thought I’d been to every park in California, but then, I’d never heard of the Mojave National Preserve, even though it is the third largest preserve in the United States. What a surprise I was in for.

Immediately I was awestruck. We were traveling along Cima Road as we entered the park, and suddenly we were surrounded by the world’s largest Joshua tree forest. It was an outstanding display of the most beautiful, tall, old, new and lush Joshua trees I’d ever seen.

Making the view even more spectacular was Cima Dome, which rises 1,500 feet above the desert in almost perfect symmetry. There is a trailhead along the way called Teutonia Peak. Via this trail, you can access Cima Dome.

The early volcanic activity in the area sets the stage for the dramatic black and red vistas, volcanic domes and lava tubes. There are 13 trails and routes to hike, a few of which are open to off-road vehicles. You can hike the Singing Sand Dunes called Kelso Sand Dunes, which are absolutely breathtaking.

Sand dunes

The preserve is a photographer’s delight. There are numerous animals to photograph, tons of spring wildflowers, outstanding vistas, volcanic cinder cones, canyons, mountains, mesas, abandoned mines, homesteads, old military outposts, clumps of interesting boulders, Joshua trees, caverns and the beautiful Kelso Depot.

There are 1.6 million acres to explore, each acre different than the last. Some of the animals you might see include coyotes, the desert tortoise, the white-tailed antelope ground squirrel, the round-tailed ground squirrel, rattlesnakes, gopher snakes, hawks, ravens, crows, falcons and badgers.

One of the places you might like to visit is Fort Piute. This fort was built in 1867 by the U.S. Army, Company D, 9th U.S. Infantry. Fort Piute was built with local stone. The walls have needed to be reinforced multiple times over the years and are maintained by a dedicated group of volunteers. The volunteers were trained by a stone mason and an archaeologist to maintain historical accuracy. This earthen mortar structure needs repair approximately every 10 years. The earthen mortar is mined on site, as it was for the original fort. Although only the walls remain, it is a great subject to photograph and visit.

You can also see petroglyphs in this area left behind by the Mojave and Chemehuevi tribes that lived here. Piute Spring supported Native Americans, and later the U.S. Army, as well as early travelers through the region.

There are no hotels in the preserve, but there are some outstanding campsites at Hole-in-the-Wall, Mid-Hills and Black Canyon. Black Canyon is an equestrian and group campground. Fees are $12 per night. The group campground is $25 per night. Reservations are taken only for the group site. Outside the preserve, you will be able to find additional campgrounds, hotels and motels.

Kelso Depot

There are no restaurants in the preserve, so you will need to bring enough food and water to keep you happy during your stay. Limited snacks are available at the Kelso Depot.

While in the preserve, we set up camp at the Mid-Hills campground. The first half of the campground was burned in 2005, which is still evident now. However, the back half of the campground was not touched by the fire and is loaded with huge, impressive junipers and pinyon pines. It is gorgeous.

We had some rain and some wind while we were there, but it was still a delightful experience. It rained only at night, and our tent kept us safe and dry.

If you are camping, be sure to carry extra cordage to help support your tent in windy conditions. Waterproofing the seams on your tent is another precaution you can take to make any camping trip more comfortable.

Fall, spring and winter are the best times to visit the preserve. The summer temperatures are often over 100 degrees. It is cooler in the higher altitudes if you visit in the summer.

Regardless of when you visit, follow safety guides set out by the Park Service, such as: Carry plenty of water and electrolytes, have a good paper map (not an AP or GPS, which do not work well there), and plan each trip ahead of time. You can find a full list of precautions on the Park Service web site.

Inside the Kelso Depot, which is an old railroad stop in the ghost town of Kelso, you will find the Desert Light Gallery. The gallery offers continually changing displays of art reflecting the beauty of the desert landscape. Kelso Depot was built in 1924 by the Union Pacific Railroad, but it is currently the National Park Service’s information center. It also houses a museum, theatre and bookstore.

The famous Mitchell Caverns, which are located in the preserve, are currently closed for renovations. However, they are slated to reopen soon. The Mitchell Caverns have been in operation since the 1930s and were taken over by the California park system in 1956.

Watch your gas tank level when you are in the preserve. No gas is available inside the preserve. You can find gas at Baker on Interstate 15, the Cima Road exit, and on the I-40 at Ludlow and Fenner.

To find out more about the Mojave Preserve visit http://www.nps.gov/moja.

If you like the desert and you’re up for an adventure or you just want to get away, take a peek at the Mojave National Preserve. You will love it.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel is executive director of the Community Hiking Club and president of the Santa Clara River Watershed Conservancy. If you’d like to be part of the solution, join the Community Hiking Club’s Stewardship Committee. Contact Dianne through communityhikingclub.org or at zuliebear@aol.com.