The Mojave Desert dominates portions of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona. Mojave 4×4 trails offer access to everything this huge desert offers in amazing biodiversity, climates and history which is truly unique. Throughout the area, ghost towns and mines dot this harsh landscape. Typically, the area receives less than 15 inches of rain per year, and temperatures regularly exceed 110 degrees in the summer months.
The single biggest trail in this area is the Old Mojave Road which bisects the area between the I-15 and I-40 highways. The Old Mojave or Old Government road offers any back road traveler the opportunity to travel back in time and explore many of the unique sites within the Mojave. Old mine sites, army camps, and native american petroglyphs dot the landscapes with small hidden treasures.
In addition to the sites, keep an eye out for animals. Big horn sheep, wild donkeys, horses, desert tortoise are just a few of the animals that you might find if you keep an eye out.
Additionally, the Mojave desert offers a unique place in history. It is the home of many air place crash sites due to the existence of Edwards Air force base and the X plane testing programs which started in the 1940s and continue to this day. There are over 600 crash sites in the Mojave, some of which are documented here. Should you choose to visit these sites, please remember that someone may have lost their life in this location and show the appropriate respect.
Mojave Trail Map
Mojave 4×4 Trails
 Achy-BreakyAchy-Breaky is a very difficult, trail which circumnavigates Watkins Peak in San Bernardino County, California. This trail is one of many on the Stoddard Wells… |
 Empire WashEmpire wash is a short cut from Cal Nev Ari to the Lake Mead Davis Powerline road through a narrow canyon. This offers great access… |
 Kokoweef MineThe Kokoweef Mine and in fact all of the trails and mines located in the Ivanpah / Mountain Pass area represent exactly why I started… |
 Morning Star MineLocated in the Ivanpah Mountains, the Morning Star Mine is a gold / silver mine located near to California / Nevada border near Mountain Pass.… |
 Nellis CoveNellis Cove Road short east trail from Lake Mead Powerline Road to Nellis Cove on the shore of Lake Mohave, Nevada. The route is fairly… |
 Old Mojave RoadThe Old Mojave Road (Government Road) is an east-west route that enters the Mojave National Preserve off the highway 95 in Nevada, and Afton Canyon… |
 Sandy WashSandy Wash is a short trail which leads from the Mead Davis Power Line road down to the shore of Lake Mojave, Nevada. We opted… |
 Silver Star MineThe Silver Star Mine is a small mine site located off of the Zinc Mountain Road in San Bernardino County, California. |
Mojave Campgrounds
 Afton Canyon CampgroundThe Afton Canyon Campground offer amazing access and camping for the Old Mojave Road, surroundings areas of the Mojave. The dry, desert campground is found… |
 Belle CampgroundBelle Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Belle Campground is a small campground with 18 campsites located in Joshua Tree National Park in California. Joshua… |
Black Rock Canyon CampgroundBlack Rock Canyon Campground Black Rock Canyon Campground is a large campground with 99 campsites located in the northwest corner of the Joshua Tree National… |
 Camp Phallus – New York MountainsLocated in Caruther's Canyons of the New York Mountains, Camp Phallus is named for a "unique" rock formation visible from the campsite. The campsite offers… |
Cottonwood CampgroundThe Cottonwood Campground is campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino, California. Reservations are required only during the busy season from September… |
Hidden Valley CampgroundHidden Valley Campground is location on Joshua Tree National Park The Hidden Valley Campground is an established year round campground location in Joshua Tree National… |
 Hole in the Wall CampgroundHole in the Wall campground is found deep in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. The Campground is a popular location for… |
Indian Cove CampgroundIndian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Indian Cove Campground is a campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino county, California.… |
Jumbo Rocks CampgroundJumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Perhaps one of the more popular campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park, Jumbo Rocks Campgronds is located… |
 Mid Hills Campground, Mojave National PreserveLocated in deep in the heart of the Mojave National Preserve there is an abundance of campsites to suit everyone. The Mid Hills campground was… |
Nellis CoveNellis Cove Road short east trail from Lake Mead Powerline Road to Nellis Cove on the shore of Lake Mohave, Nevada. The route is fairly… |
Ryan CampgroundRyan Campground in Joshua Tree National Park Ryan Campground is a campground located in Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino, California and hosts 31… |
Sandy WashSandy Wash is a short trail which leads from the Mead Davis Power Line road down to the shore of Lake Mojave, Nevada. We opted… |
Sheep Pass CampgroundSheep Pass Group Campground is a group campground located in towards the center Joshua Tree National Park in California. The campground features six group campsites… |
White Tank CampgroundWhite Tank Campground is a campground in Joshua Tree National Park and located off Pinto Basin Road in the northern section of the park. White… |
Mojave Points of Interest
 Antelope Valley California Poppy ReserveAntelope Valley California Poppy Reserve Photo by James L Rathbun. Established in 1976, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is located just west of Mojave… |
 Atolia California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownAtolia is a ghost town and tungsten mine located in the Mojave Desert in northwestern San Bernardino County, California. The town is located just off… |
 Ballarat California – Inyo County Ghost TownBallarat, California Located in Inyo County, Ballarat California is a ghost town which supposedly has a few residents living their dream within the town. Ballarat… |
 Bert Smith’s CabinBert Smith's Cabin overlooks Camp Rock Springs Located deep in the Mojave National Reserve exists a small stone building, known as Bert Smith's Cabin, which… |
 Calico California – San Bernardino Count Ghost TownCalico California is a ghost town located just outside of Barstow in Mojave desert of San Bernardino, California. The town began its like in 1881… |
 Camp Rock SpringsA small oasis and valuable water supply along the Old Mojave Road, Camp Rock Springs was the site of a military outpost established on December… |
 Chuck Yeagers NF-104 Crash SiteOn December 10, 1963, Chuck Yeager, a legendary test pilot, crashed while flying an F-104 Starfighter at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mohave Desert… |
 Colorado SteamshipsFrom 1852 through 1909, Colorado Steamships ferried people and supplies up and down the Colorado River to mining camps and outposts. Following the discovery of… |
 Darwin California – Inyo County Ghost TownDarwin is a unincorporated community, gold mining town and ghost town located in Inyo County, California about 22 miles from Keeler. The town was named… |
 El Dorado Canyon – Nevada State Historic MarkerEl Dorado Canyon NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number six and is located in Clark County, Nevada. The stone marker is located on the… |
 Evening Star MineThe Evening Star Mine first came to our attention in the winter of 2014, while researching the mining history of the Mountain Pass, CA. |
 Goffs California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownOriginally known as Blake, Goffs, California is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains. Originally… |
 Goldome MillThe heavily vandalized Goldome Mill outside of Ivanpah, California. Photo by James L Rathbun The Goldome Mill is an abandoned modern mill site in the… |
Government HolesThe tale of the the Old Mojave Road is the story of water, the more important resource in the desert. Along the Old Mojave Road… |
 Happy Bottom Riding ClubPancho Barnes, Happy Bottom Riding Club. Photo Curtesy of the U.S. Air Force The Happy Bottom Riding Club was a legendary dude ranch and restaurant… |
 Ivanpah California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownNot of be confused with two others sites of the same name, Ivanpah is a ghost town and mine site located along the Eastern edge… |
 Jedediah Strong Smith – Nevada State Historic Marker 84Jebediah Strong Smith was an early frontiersman, hunter, trapper, author, cartographer, mountain man and explorer of the western United States and the subject of Nevada State Historic Marker number… |
 Kelso DepotThe story of the westward expansion is the story of the railroads. Beginning in 1862, the Union Pacific Railroad sought expansion opportunities along the western… |
Kokoweef MineThe Kokoweef Mine and in fact all of the trails and mines located in the Ivanpah / Mountain Pass area represent exactly why I started… |
 Mojave GoldfishOver Presidents day weekend, my wife and I were travelling back from Big Bear, CA to our house after a visit with family towards our… |
Morning Star MineLocated in the Ivanpah Mountains, the Morning Star Mine is a gold / silver mine located near to California / Nevada border near Mountain Pass.… |
 Nelson Nevada and Eldorado Canyon – Clark County Ghost TownRock spires carved by erosion located in Eldorado Canyon, Nelson, Nevada. The ghost town of Nelson, Nevada, which is located in Eldorado Canyon along Lake… |
 One Tree Hill, A trip to the U2 Joshua TreeA trip to the U2 Joshua Tree brought back a life time of memories. There was never a point in time that I was not… |
Sandy WashSandy Wash is a short trail which leads from the Mead Davis Power Line road down to the shore of Lake Mojave, Nevada. We opted… |
Silver Star MineThe Silver Star Mine is a small mine site located off of the Zinc Mountain Road in San Bernardino County, California. |
 The Amargosa Opera HouseRecently, on a whim, my wife and I loaded up the jeep and opt to just explore the desert West of our home town of… |
 The Hole in the Wall Ring TrailThe Hole in the Wall Ring Trail is a short is a 1.5 miles loop trail around a hill top and through a slot canyon… |
 Travelers MonumentWhen travelling the Old Mojave Road, there is a tradition to pick and carry a rock, and carry the rock to the Travelers Monument. The… |
 Vanderbilt California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownA metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California. Located in the New York Mountains, Vanderbilt California was an… |
 YB-49 Crash SiteThe YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered flying wing aircraft designed and built by Northrop Corporation in the 1940s and 1950s. On June 5, 1948, the… |
 Zzyzx Road – Soda springsLocated south of Baker, CA on the edge of a large soda dry lake bed in the Mojave, Zzyzx Road is a short road which… |
Mojave Wildflowers
 Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata)Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata) Coyote Melon (Cucurbita palmata), also known as Coyote Gourd, is a flowering plant common in the desert southwest and known to… |
 Davy Gilia (Gilia latiflora)A Davey Gilia stalk poking up between the California Poppies in the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. Davy Gilia (Gilia latiflora) also known as Hollyleaf gilia… |
 Desert Marigolds (Baileya multiradiata)Desert Marigolds photographed near the Old Mojave Road. Desert Marigolds (Baileya multiradiata) are an abundant and well distributed flower across the desert south west. The… |
 Desert Primrose (Oenothera deltoides)Desert Primrose photographed in Anza Burego, CA The Desert Primrose ( Oenothera deltoides ) is a small bush-like flowering planet with delicate white flowers. The primrose ranges… |
 Mojave-aster ( Xylorhiza tortifolia )Mojave-aster ( Xylorhiza tortifolia ) A member of the sunflower family, the Mojave-aster ( Xylorhiza tortifolia ) boasts a delicate lavender flower in the harsh… |
 Owl’s Clover (Castilleja exserta)Owls Clover (Castilleja exserta) is a small flowering plant which can grow about 1 foot tall. The Owl's Clover is a native plant to… |
Mojave Ghost Towns and Mine Camps
Atolia California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownAtolia is a ghost town and tungsten mine located in the Mojave Desert in northwestern San Bernardino County, California. The town is located just off… |
Ballarat California – Inyo County Ghost TownBallarat, California Located in Inyo County, Ballarat California is a ghost town which supposedly has a few residents living their dream within the town. Ballarat… |
Calico California – San Bernardino Count Ghost TownCalico California is a ghost town located just outside of Barstow in Mojave desert of San Bernardino, California. The town began its like in 1881… |
Darwin California – Inyo County Ghost TownDarwin is a unincorporated community, gold mining town and ghost town located in Inyo County, California about 22 miles from Keeler. The town was named… |
Goffs California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownOriginally known as Blake, Goffs, California is a small unincorporated community located off of Route 66 in the Mojave desert near the Piute Mountains. Originally… |
Ivanpah California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownNot of be confused with two others sites of the same name, Ivanpah is a ghost town and mine site located along the Eastern edge… |
Nelson Nevada and Eldorado Canyon – Clark County Ghost TownRock spires carved by erosion located in Eldorado Canyon, Nelson, Nevada. The ghost town of Nelson, Nevada, which is located in Eldorado Canyon along Lake… |
Vanderbilt California – San Bernardino County Ghost TownA metal headframe marks a vertical shaft in the mining district outside of Vanderbilt California. Located in the New York Mountains, Vanderbilt California was an… |