Hikes in Mojave National Preserve

FACT: Mojave National Preserve has a larger dune field than Death Valley.
FACT: Mojave National Preserve has more Joshua trees than Joshua Tree.
FACT: Mojave National Preserve does not charge an entrance free.

So what are you waiting for?

North of Joshua Tree and south of Death Valley, Mojave resembles a bit of both. Being a preserve, MNP lacks a few of the facilities you would find at these other national parks, but this absence creates the opportunity for a more intimate visit with the desert.

Situated on 1.6 million acres, this less-visited park offers many natural attractions. To help get started, visit the Kelso Depot Ranger Station. A worthy attraction in its own right, the ranger station is inside an old train depot that was build by Union Pacific Railroads over a century ago. This is the perfect place to ask questions about the park and learn the history of locomotion through the desert.

Mojave boasts hundreds of miles of off-pavement trails for 4X4s. Two wheel drive vehicles will not have a problem visiting many of the roadside campsites and other attractions. You may also take a tour of Mitchell Caverns, which is located in a state run nature preserve within the national preserve (a fee for the tour is required). Summer temperatures are in the triple digits, making November through April the best time to visit the park.

The hikes below are listed from north to south and west to east. The table can be sorted alphabetically or by distance to help you plan a trip to Mojave National Preserve. Each trail links to its own report complete with photos, maps, directions, and everything else needed to explore Mojave National Preserve.

Description	Distance	Latitude, Longitude
Teutonia Peak The out and back crosses a Joshua tree forest to summit a short peak with a great view of Cima Dome.	4 miles 700 feet	35.300458, -115.563498
New York Peak This out and back summits the highest point of the New York Range in the northeast corner of the preserve.	7 - 9 miles 2400 feet	35.258600, -115.306377
Lava Tube This short out and back drops underground into an old lava tube lit by holes in the surface.	0.6 miles 150 feet	35.216347, -115.751525
Petroglyphs near Seventeen Mile Point This faint path visits ancient engravings in the volcanic rock at the western rim of the cinder fields just off Kelbaker Road.	0.25 miles	35.205572, -115.872077
Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Trail This loop takes visitors through a landscape of pocketed rocks. Ringbolts allow fun passage through narrow canyons.	1.5 miles	35.043746, -115.398252
Fountain Peak This off trail trek summits a peak with commanding views over the Providence Mountains.	5 miles 2700 feet	34.945976, -115.537555
Kelso Dunes This out and back climbs the highest point in this 45 square mile dune field.	3 miles 470 feet	34.945976, -115.537555
Silver Peak This out and back summits a 6.365-foot peak in Granite Mountains.	8.5 miles 2,500 feet	34.812283, -115.695982
Amboy Crater This out and back travels up and into this "Mojave National Preserve adjacent" crater.	3 miles	34.544646, -115.790627