The Route - A Day-by-day Description of our Journey
Mile designations below indicate virtual "mile markers" along the Mojave Road route. These are less than our journey's actual miles, because our route also included getting to the beginning of the route, numerous side trips, and travel from the end of the route to our last campsite.
Monday, April 7th
Travel south on Needles Hwy and Aha Makav Pkwy to Avi Casino to top off fuel. Backtrack a bit north to start of Mojave Road. 13.8 miles Mile 0: Colorado River where early travelers crossed the river. (elev 487’) Northwest toward the CA-NV state line, paralleling the border for a while. 11.4 Cross state boundary into California. Travel due west. 12.0 Take route south 1.2 miles to Balancing Rock and back - STOP 14.7 Cross US Highway 95 (elev 2,263’) 15 – 20 Be on the lookout for desert tortoise along this stretch 21.8 Cross electrical transmission lines and service road 23.2 Ruins of George Irwin Ranch a few hundred feet to the left 23.7 Fort Piute 1867 ruins walk – STOP (elev 2,792’, backtrack from here) 25.6 South along power line service road (Mile 25.6 is the same spot as 21.8) 30.5 Pass 3,432’ 31.4 Take road north 0.3 miles to historic Piute Corral – STOP 33.5 Sacramento Wash 39.5 Rough road 41.4 Penny can 42.0 Lanfair Road – STOP (elev 4,095) Turn south (left) and proceed 16.8 miles to Goffs and the Goffs Cultural Center (elev 2,595') - STOP Day’s total distance: To start of Mojave Road 13.8 Mojave Road 42.0 Balancing Rock 2.4 Piute Corral 0.6 Lanfair Road to Goffs 16.8 Total miles 75.8 |
Tuesday, April 8th - Goffs to Mid Hills Campground
Travel north on Lanfair Road back to the Mojave Road, 16.8 miles 42.0 Travel west on the Mojave Road, where we left it on Monday 50.2 Rock Spring Canyon walk to Rock Spring, 1/8th mi (elev 4,772’) – STOP 50.9 Bert Smith Homestead, walk 1/8th mile – STOP, Restroom 52.5 Government Holes, site of Burts-Robinson gunfight of 1925 – STOP 56.3 Junction with Black Canyon Road Travel 10 miles south to Hole In The Wall (elevation 4,400’) - STOP Visit Information Center Hike Ring Trail – 1 mile strenuous loop including Ring Trail in Banshee Canyon, or Nature Trail walk – 1/2 mile easy walk Travel 10 miles north on Wild Horse Canyon Road to Mid Hills Campground (elevation 5,600’) – STOP Day’s total distance:
Back to Mojave Road 16.8 Mojave Road 14.3 To Hole in the Wall 10.0 To Mid Hills 10.0 Total miles 51.1 |
Wednesday, April 9th - Mid Hills to Desert Studies Center
Mid Hills back to Mojave Road, 5 miles 56.3 Junction of Black Canyon Road and Mojave Road – go west! 59.1 View – STOP 59.9 Pavement! 62.6 Kelso Wash, 0.9 mile wide 66.9 Side trip to Bright Outlook Mine 1.4 mile round trip back to 66.9 – STOP 70.6 Lower Marl Spring (elevation 3,864’) - STOP 72.5 View – STOP 74.0 Mojave Mailbox – Sign log book – STOP 76.0 Penny Can – STOP 79.0 Aiken Mine Road – North to Lava Tube, 7.0 mile roundtrip back to 79.0 – STOP Sandy areas from here through Mile 86 80.9 Lava Caves – STOP 83.9 Willow Wash – “Treacherous” sand 85.5 Junction with Kelbaker Road (elevation 2,234’) 87.8 Seventeenmile Point 89.4 Collect rocks for Travelers Monument – STOP 96.9 Enter eastern edge of Soda Lake. Assess and discuss. – STOP 99.6 Cross main body of water if present. Assess and discuss – STOP 99.9 Steep drop-off – CAUTION 100.3 Mud likely – CAUTION. Assess and discuss - STOP 100.9 Travelers Monument – Leave rocks – STOP 102.2 The Granites – western edge of Soda Lake 102.5 Depart Mojave Road and travel north 1.8 miles to Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx (elevation 930’) – STOP
|
Friday, April 11th - Desert Studies Center to Owl Canyon
Desert Studies Center back to Mojave Road , 1.8 miles 102.5 Junction with Mojave Road 103.3 Enter Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area 106.5 Shaw Pass (elevation 1,150’) 106.8 Treacherous sand 114.8 Junction with Basin Road 115.0 Water crossing 116.4 Eastern railroad trestle underpass (elevation 1,227’) - STOP 117.9 Buried boxcar on left - STOP 118.8 Entrance to Spooky Canyon (AKA Flashlight Canyon) hike – STOP 119.5 Spot Arbuckle Mine on left 120.5 Middle railroad trestle underpass (elevation 1,368) – STOP 1.0 mile round trip hike to “The Caves” 121.7 Afton Canyon Campground – STOP 122.5 Western railroad underpass (elevation 1,452’) 129.1 Junction with Field Road 129.9 Side route to “The Triangles” intaglios 0.5 mile round trip. Hike – STOP 134.0 Exit riverbed to north 139.6 Steep downhill with sand. Assess and discuss – STOP 139.8 The end of the road. Hike to Camp Cady – STOP 1.0 mile round trip hike to Camp Cady site Drive back to Interstate 15 via Cherokee Road & Harvard Road 3.4 miles Interstate 15 southwest to Ft. Irwin Road 16.9 miles Ft. Irwin Rd / Irwin Rd / Fossil Bed Rd / Rainbow Basin Rd to Owl Canyon Campground 16.4 miles
|
Our total route from Big Bend Campground on the banks of the Colorado River to Owl Canyon Campground northeast of Barstow will total about 281 miles with one fuel stop at Baker.