The Mojave Preserve is a vastly under-appreciated gem of the National Park System in California. We visited on a trip that had us fly into Las Vegas before hitting the Mojave, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Death Valley National Parks. We had the best 1 day in the Mojave Preserve by doing some great hikes and appreciating the beauty of the park!
Tucked between I-15 and I-40 and touching the border with Nevada, this huge park (1.6 million acres and the third largest site in the contiguous US) encompasses abandoned mines, lava tubes, sand dunes, train depots, arguably more Joshua Trees than Joshua Tree National Park, mountains, and so much more that we were unable to do it all in a day! What we were able to do was enjoy some beauty and have a good visit as a family. And sweat… So, how do you have your best 1 day in the Mojave Preserve?
Best 1 Day in the Mojave Preserve
We began our morning leaving from Las Vegas, and the Mojave is certainly a place you could do a day trip to from Las Vegas if you wanted to get away from the Strip. Unless you camp, you won’t find lodging in the park and need to plan to stop in Barstow to the west or at one of the casinos in Primm, Nevada to the east if you don’t want to head back to Vegas. On that same thought be sure to pack a lunch as food, gas, water, and all other services are very limited in the park.
Teutonia Peak Trail
We filled up the gas tank at the Shell Station on the exit for Cima Road and used the restroom there (check out the waterfall urinal for a laugh and, well, awkwardness if you aren’t alone) as well before heading off to the Teutonia Peak trail. The trail to Teutonia Peak was pretty and is a great chance to surround yourself with Joshua Trees. We chose to focus our walk on the trees and in the first mile of the trail were surrounded by the densest concentration of Joshua trees in the world. What we did not do, as it was summer, was ascend the peak and instead turned back just before the climb.
WWI Memorial
Shortly down the road towards Cima is the contested White Cross WWI Memorial, a must stop to pay respect to the soldiers who fought for us! While there I saw two California Condor circling overhead and was again amazed at the beauty and size of these critically endangered birds (it is still one of the most rare birds with only 446 living in the wild). We also saw a Roadrunner, which is a highlight of any national park trip!
WWI Memorial 
WWI Memorial
Kelso Depot
From Cima we drove towards Kelso and enjoyed miles of dips. No, not the people in the cars we passed, but instead literal dips in the road where rainwater runs across the road and culverts don’t last because the ground can’t absorb the rain and they would just wash out.
Kelso is a must see as the Kelso Depot is simply amazing. At least the outside is because we went on a Wednesday and it turns out that it was closed that day of the week. That was a huge bummer as we planned on doing Junior Ranger books there, stamping our Park Passport book, and learning more about the history of this rebuilt depot! Instead we peeked in the windows like a bunch of Toms and locked “Hank” in the old jail before heading off to see the Kelso Dunes that had been on the horizon for much of the drive into town.
Kelso Dunes
The roughly 5 mile dirt road to Kelso is fine for cars but is rough. Don’t tell the rental car company but I hit a bump so hard it turned on the windshield wipers! After slowing down a bit more we finished our drive and set off like Clark Griswold minus the whole pants on the head thing. We went about as far as we felt was safe before turning back. You will see lizards, sand, and some great views back over the park.
Barstow
After heading back into Kelso to use the nicest bathrooms we’d seen since Vegas we headed off with intentions of finding the Lava Tube. In the end those intentions never did see the road to the lava tube and instead we enjoyed the sights, made it to Baker, and turned back onto I-15 and ended up in Barstow where the main ranger station is located and were able to do our Junior Ranger books, stamp our books, and chat with some nice Rangers who likely get few visitors due to the location of the Station.
Zzyzx
One area we didn’t have a chance to visit was Zzyzx and the Soda Springs Oasis and Historic Area. We chose to favor the nature aspects of the park rather than this abandoned health spa dating to the 1940s whose grounds are not generally accessible to the public. There is also a dry lake, Soda Lake, and an artificial pond named Lake Tuendae that you can walk around. We’d rather see the nature than buildings anyday!
Looking back on our trip, which included Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierras, Death Valley National Park, and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Mojave Preserve was unique, scenic, and a place where the expanse of the wilderness is amazing!
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