Mojave National Preserve

On Sunday we drove from Sequoia National Park to Bakersfield, CA for Mass, and passed gorgeous orchards along the way, with incredible fragrances which we presumed to be orange blossoms. By the end of the day we had made the long drive to Mojave National Preserve, passing through Barstow of Route 66 fame, and entering Mojave on Interstate 40 from the south.

As is regrettably typical, we arrived after dark, and had no sense of how this desert would appear in the morning. We pulled into an available site at Hole in the Wall Campground, and found it pleasingly spacious and level, so we didn’t unhook, went straight to bed, and looked forward to a daylight discovery of whatever Mojave would be.

Prickly Pear in Bloom

This place brought no disappointments. There was incredible desert life in so many forms right outside our door--desert night lizards, blacktailed jackrabbits, barrel cactus, Mormon tea, Mojave yuccas, Joshua trees…

In the morning we hiked the Rings Trail, so named because of a difficult zone toward the end where metal rings have been hung to assist your passage and climb. Tall Son 

scouted out that area for us and recommended we return the way we had come rather than get injured trying to climb through the challenging area of the rings.

Mojave Yuccas

By this time the sun was scorching and we retreated to the shade inside the Escape to enjoy ourselves for the afternoon. We couldn’t put up the awning because of the wind. Although the temp was 97 degrees F, the camper stayed remarkably pleasant with the windows open and the Maxx fan running.

As evening approached, we re-emerged and had a terrific time by the campfire, making grilled cheese sandwiches in the pie iron, saying the Rosary, and playing the harmonica. None of us know how to play it, but in short order, Tall Son was doing a credible job playing recognizable songs. 

Mojave National Preserve is the perfect place to escape crowds and enjoy desert beauty and total peace and quiet. Campsites at Hole in the Wall are large, level, and well-separated. There is potable water to fill your tank and a dump station. Since we arrived low on gas, we did not drive around to see more of this vast preserve, but a quiet day here was a true blessing. We just skimmed the surface of the possibilities here. Just watch out for rattlesnakes.

Mojave National Preserve