A WEEKEND IN THE MOJAVE DESERT
Ever since Covid-19 hit, I have been itching to get away - to go to somewhere new, but that has proved to be a bit challenging with the travel restrictions that have been put in place since March. I typically like to go on 1-2 bigger international trips per year but since that doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards for me this year, I’ve decided to do more exploration in my own backyard. Living in LA, there are so many amazing places to explore that can easily be reached with just a few hour drive. As we all look for ways to continue traveling responsibly, I will be posting more on places that can be reached by car if you live in California or the surrounding states.
View from the inside of Banshee Canyon on the Rings Loop Trail
While I was researching new places I could go to for a quick, hassle-free weekend, I stumbled upon some gems in the Mojave Desert. It’s funny because I used to go to Vegas a lot and these were some of the places that I would pass by without even realizing they existed! These days, I’m a lot more into hiking and the outdoors than casinos and nightclubs; although, I am still a sucker for a good pool party. Keep in mind as you read through this 3-day itinerary that the weekend I went happened to have cooler temps so be sure to check the weather before planning your getaway, especially as we head into the summer months. None of the activities that I engaged in required much athleticism or strength, but that desert heat is no joke! In preparation for the hot weather, be sure to pack appropriately in terms of clothing choice, sun protection, food, water, etc. I did not have cell service at most of these locations and there were no gas stations or stores nearby so you should make sure that you know where you’re going and have everything you’ll need with you to enjoy your time.
DAY 1:
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE
My sister and I headed out around 9am on a Friday to drive to the Mojave National Preserve which took us about 3.5 hours to get to from LA. We decided to make this our first stop because it was along our way to Vegas which was where we chose to use as our home base for the weekend since it’s centrally located to all the places we wanted to see. I had never been here before (nor had I even heard about it prior to doing research for this trip) but I was really impressed with all of the natural features that it offered. We had to narrow down the things we wanted to see/do here in one day because the preserve is actually rather large and it can take some time to get from one place to another so we landed on going to the Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Loop Trail & the Kelso Sand Dunes.
The Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Loop Trail was about an hour drive into the national preserve. When we went, the visitor center and short road to the visitor center were closed due to Covid so we had to park on the main road and walk about half a mile to the trailhead which was pretty easy to find. The hike itself is not really even what I would call a hike but more like a 1.3 mile walk. We started counterclockwise so we got to the good stuff right at the beginning. We had to climb down a set of metal rings (hence the name) into a small canyon and once inside, were surrounded by these incredible rock formations made from volcanic ash. However, after passing through the canyon, there really wasn’t much else to see for the rest of the trail but I still think it’s worth checking out because of the spectacular views. In my opinion, it was a pretty big payoff for minimal effort. Perfect for if you’re trying to see something cool or want a good photo op without having to go on a strenuous mission to do so…other than driving to the middle of the desert, of course. All in all, we probably spent about 1.5 hours here. The “hike” didn’t take that long but we wanted to soak it all in before moving on to our next destination.
Our next stop in the Mojave National Preserve was the Kelso Sand Dunes. It took about 45 minutes to get there from Hole-in-the-Wall so we wanted to make sure that we would have enough time to explore this area before it got dark. We got there around 5pm which left us with a good amount of daylight before sunset which was around 7:30pm. The trailhead was not marked but it was pretty obvious once you got there where the trail began due to the footsteps. It’s about 1.5 miles to get to the top of the dunes which sounds like a cakewalk, right? Wrong! The entire hike is in sand and I completely underestimated the difficulty of walking in this type of terrain. There’s also no shade so the heat was pretty brutal but I was determined to make it to the top of the ridge! I had never been to a sand dune before and since a trip to Morocco is not in my foreseeable future, this was sort of the next best thing. It felt like it took forever to reach the ridge and at one point I actually just took my shoes off because it was easier to do barefoot. Once we reached the top, we saw some people sand boarding which looked pretty fun and we even met a cute visitor named, Sophie.
Joshua Trees in the Mojave National Preserve
DAY 2:
VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK
On Saturday, we woke up in our less-than-luxurious Marriott hotel room in Vegas (the strip was still closed at that time) and made our way to the Valley of Fire State Park. It was only an hour away but looked like we had been transported to somewhere on Mars. The red rocks were even more magnificent in person than in pictures. It reminded me a bit of Sedona or Zion even - definitely not a place that was just an hour away from Sin City. There was a lot to see and do but since we only had 1 day in the park, we made sure to cover off on the main highlights.
Here is a breakdown of the places we went to in the pictures shown:
Mouse’s Tank Road - This gorgeous, scenic road felt like the real life Radiator Springs ride at Disneyland. It was hard to believe that it was real and it only got more and more beautiful as the day went on.
Fire Wave - If you’ve ever seen pictures of The Wave in Arizona, this is like the bootleg version of that but still super cool and WAY easier to see since you don’t need a permit to come here. It’s a little over a mile hike roundtrip but I say “hike” very lightly because none of the trails in the park are difficult.
White Dome’s Trail - This was another super short 1.1 mile hike that takes you through sandstone formations and even a slot canyon. I don’t know what it is about slot canyons that I love so much but I was really excited that I got to experience one so close to home since usually when I think of a slot canyon, I think of Utah or Arizona. This was probably my favorite part of the park.
Pink Canyon (pics below) - With its pastel pinks & oranges, this canyon was definitely a sight for sore eyes. It is an unmarked trail and isn’t on any map but you can find it by entering these GPS coordinates into Maps: 36°28’47” N 114°31’36” W. Once you arrive, you can park right off the road and enter the canyon by heading east. It’s not very big but if you continue to walk all the way through, it’s another way to get to the Fire Wave with less people around.
A few other places I didn’t get to see, but might be worth checking out:
Rainbow Vista - Short trail that leads to a stunning vista over Fire Canyon with panoramic views
Atlatl Rock - A large rock formation with a staircase built into it that takes you to see petroglyphs that were carved thousands of years ago
Elephant Rock - Another large rock formation the supposedly looks like an elephant (I don’t think so though)
The Beehives - A collection of rocks that look like beehives
DAY 3:
7 MAGIC MOUNTAINS
Sunday was our day to drive home after spending an amazing weekend in the desert. I’m a firm believer that you can always fit at least 1 more thing into your trip so stopping at the Seven Magic Mountains was a no-brainer. It’s literally along the way back to LA from Vegas and is right off the freeway so you don’t have to go far to see it. This was a really fun way to end an incredible weekend and only added an extra 15 minutes to our drive home. If you haven’t already seen it on the gram or heard about it, it’s basically just a semi-permanent art installation in the desert done by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, similar to something you’d see by Desert X on the way to Coachella. Not gonna lie, there were a ton of people when we got there but there are still ways to get pics without anyone in them if you’re patient and find the right angles. It’s free to visit and open to the public so why not!?
I hope you all find ways to get out there and safely see new places during this crazy time! If you do end up using this itinerary or checking out any of these spots, please let me know! I’d love to hear about your experience and see your pics so be sure to drop a comment <3