Mojave National Preserve
Long Days Ride
This is your chance to experience the Mojave Desert. You can visit ghost towns, Joshua forests, sand dunes and eat some Greek food, too! This ride shows why we should take time to explore those small grey lines on the map.
Head south from Las Vegas towards L.A. If you want to avoid the high-speed rush, many local riders will follow Las Vegas Blvd. south to Jean, then get on the freeway. As you head into California, you will see the exit for Nipton and the Mojave National Preserve. When you get off the highway, there isn’t much choice which way to turn. You need to be careful as you head down the hill, not to miss the turn to the Preserve. All there is is a worn out sign pointing towards Cima. Take this right and you will soon see the large sign welcoming you to the Mojave National Preserve.
The roads here vary greatly. There will be stretches of new paved road with wide medians changing quickly into old crumbling roadway. There are also stretches of twisties and other places with nice sweepers. I recommend groups plan on riding single file most the way to Kelso.
After entering the preserve you climb fairly quickly into a wonderful Joshua Tree Forest. If you are from one of our more forested areas, you might not recognize this as forest, but that is what it is. Take time to stop and look at all the variety of plants. If you visit in the spring you should be able to see the desert in bloom. In the rare really wet years you might even get to see the Joshua’s flower.
Cima is an old mining and railroad station. The railroad has a 2100 foot change in elevation between Kelso and here and helper cars were used to help with the climb. They would hook up in Kelso and unhook here.
The first stretch out of Cima is rough and twisty. Be careful. The pavement is crumbling through here and there is a lot of loose debris. You will follow the railroad tracks down to Kelso. You will lose the Joshuas but soon see some magnificent vistas with distant mountains and the Kelso Dunes.
The National Park Service has turned the old Kelso Depot into a visitor center and museum. Take some time to visit and look around. I had the luck to visit the weekend they first opened for business. They are planning to open the lunch counter as a snack bar soon.
You have some choices here. If you take a left you can go to I-40 then back to Goff where you can pick up the old Rt. 66 to US 95 and back to Vegas through Searchlight. For this ride take a right towards Baker. The road from here is pretty good all the way to Baker. After you crest the summit between Kelso and Baker you enter an old volcanic region. The area is spotted with cinder cones and the road cuts through and along some lava flows.
Baker is an oasis along I-15 between LA and Vegas. It is filled with various fast food joints and gas stations. My favorite stop is the Mad Greek’s. Greek and American food served quickly and it’s all good. If you want a more traditional fare, I’d recommend the Bun Boy. It is a coffee shop but they offer quick service and reasonable prices. Finally, don’t miss the opportunity for some Alien Jerky. One of my frequent riding partners can’t pass through with out stopping to pick up some jerky. I like the jalapeño stuffed olives. Don’t forget to gas up, also.
From Baker you can either take the interstate back to Vegas or continue your ride through the Mojave. At the main intersection by the Mad Greek, head north towards Shoshone. You will ride along some playas which are shallow lake beds that may actually have water if it has rained recently. There are also some huge sand dunes and some hot springs in Tecopa. From Shoshone head to Pahrump, then take 160 back to Las Vegas.
More information: Mojave National Preserve Website
