DirectoryTrail
Mojave Road
Mojave National Preserve, CaliforniaColorado River country to the western preserve
- Style
- Remote
- Time
- Multi-day
- Surface
- Soft sand
Planning notes, not a live road report. Weather, closures, and permits change. Confirm with the land manager before you go.
The Mojave Road is the old wagon route across what is now Mojave National Preserve, from the Colorado River country on the east to the western desert past cinder cones and dry lakes. People ride it as a multi-day traverse or they bite off a section. Either way it is remote. The preserve is not a lodge at every junction.
Pick a section on purpose
The historic road runs on the order of 140 miles, and those miles do not feel the same. The eastern end near the river can be soft sand. The middle has rocky two-tracks, sandy stretches, and the mailbox where travelers leave notes. The west runs toward Afton Canyon and the country near Baker.
If this is your first desert trip, drive a section you can exit before dark rather than the whole traverse because a video made it look short. The mailbox is a pleasant tradition. It is not a rescue station and it is not a promise of cell service.
Sand, rain, and staying unstuck
Sand is where highway tires and too much air go to sit. Airing down, staying in a gear that does not dig a hole, and placing traction boards under a tire that can still climb are the usual fixes. A second vehicle and a kinetic rope are the better fix. Practice that at home before you need it out here. Our weekend recovery notes cover what belongs in the bag, and what does not.
Rain is the other failure. Some washes and dry lakes turn to grease, and a playa that held a tire yesterday can hold an axle today. If the forecast is wet, choose another weekend. Do not test a flooded wash. The road will still be there.
Water and the spare
Carry more water than feels reasonable, for the people and for the radiator if you need it. Fuel for the distance plus a reserve. A spare, a way to repair a small tread puncture, and a compressor. The tire notes on this site are the longer version of that list.
Tell someone outside the trip your entry, your exit, and the day you will call. Paper or an offline map, because the phone is a maybe. Historic sites, including old inscriptions and the remains of army outposts, are not a supply cache.
Whose land you are on
You are mostly in a national preserve, with private parcels and sensitive ground nearby. Stay on the road. Do not drive around a closure to reconnect with the track you wanted. The National Park Service page for the preserve is where flood damage, fire closures, and current notices show up.
A calm trip is a section, a full tank, a second vehicle if you can arrange one, and enough daylight to be wrong once. The desert does not negotiate with a schedule you made on the couch.
Before you go
- Remote. Plan water, fuel, and a daylight exit.
- Soft sand, and sticky playa after rain.
- Stay on the route. Adjacent land can be private or closed.
- Check Mojave National Preserve alerts before you leave pavement.
- A second vehicle turns a hopeful plan into a sensible one.
Official page: Mojave National Preserve
Field notes, October 2026