| Mojave National Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 Joshua trees along Cima Road in the Mojave National Preserve | |
   | |
| Location | San Bernardino County, California, US |
| Nearest city | Baker, California |
| Coordinates | 34°53′N115°43′W / 34.883°N 115.717°W /34.883; -115.717 |
| Area | 1,542,776 acres (6,243.39 km2)[1] |
| Created | October 31, 1994 (1994-10-31) |
| Visitors | 424,864 (in 2024)[2] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | www |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 | |
 “Can a fire-ravaged forest of Joshua trees be restored?”, Tien Nguyen,Knowable Magazine, March 4, 2022. |
Mojave National Preserve is aUS National Preserve located in theMojave Desert ofSan Bernardino County, California, betweenInterstate 15 andInterstate 40. Established in 1994, it is the third largest unit of the National Park system within thecontiguous United States, and the largest national preserve.
The preserve spans 1,542,776 acres (6,243 km2). It surroundsProvidence Mountains State Recreation Area andMitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, which are both managed by theCalifornia Department of Parks and Recreation.
Natural features include theKelso Dunes, theMarl Mountains and theCima Dome, as well asvolcanic formations such as Hole-in-the-Wall and theCinder Cone Lava Beds. TheJoshua tree forest covering Cima Dome and the adjacentShadow Valley is the largest and densest in the world.[3]
The preserve contains theghost town ofKelso. The defunctKelso Depot serves as the park's official visitor center, though it is temporarily closed as of 2025.[4]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The preserve was established October 31, 1994, with the enactment of theCalifornia Desert Protection Act by theUnited States Congress,[5] which also establishedJoshua Tree National Park andDeath Valley National Park. Previously, some lands contained within the preserve were protected as the East Mojave National Scenic Area, under the jurisdiction of theBureau of Land Management.[6] The land was made a national preserve, not anational park, in order to allowhunting andranching to continue within its borders; desert protection activists felt that insisting on national park status would have eroded too much support for the bill, which was already controversial.[7]
Upon the preserve's establishment, Mary Martin was designated as its superintendent. Martin served from 1994 to 2005, when she was moved toLassen Volcanic National Park. Dennis Schramm then served from 2005 to 2010. Stephanie Dubois served from 2010 to 2014. Todd Suess served from 2014 to 2020, though he continues to work for the National Park Service as the Chief of Biological Resources. Mike Gauthier served from 2020 to 2023, and is now superintendent at Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
The preserve is underfunded compared to other National Park Service units. In its first year, theHouse Ways and Means Committee allocated it a budget of one dollar. Administrators responded to the lack of funding by choosing to make it "a park people could discover for themselves," with few developed facilities for visitors.[7][8]
The preserve continues to face challenges due to lack of funding. As of 2018, the preserve had adeferred maintenance of $118,036,341. This has led to infrastructure disrepair which, in combination with the reckless driving by some visitors, has caused a significant threat to theendangereddesert tortoise population within the preserve. In addition to the tortoise's threatened population, theprairie falcon and thebighorn sheep are both at a risk within the preserve. A common solution provided to help save this population is to install wildlife crossings over the main roads within the preserve, though this is currently not possible with the funding provided.[citation needed]
The preserve reported 424,864 visitors in 2024, although its visitation figures have been challenged due to the inclusion of through traffic.[2][9]
In August 2020, awildfire destroyed 1.3 million Joshua trees around Cima Dome.
TheBeale,Clark,Granite,Ivanpah,Kelso,Little Thorne,Marl,New York, andProvidence mountain ranges are located within the preserve, as well as the lowerMid Hills andVontrigger Hills.
The preserve's highest point (as well as the highest point in the Mojave Desert as a whole) isClark Mountain, at 7,930 feet (2,420 m) above sea level.[10][11]
TheCima volcanic field is located in the northern section of the park. It features alava tube that can be entered by visitors.[12]
Devils Playground, a large sandy expanse, lies along the park's western edge, between the Providence Mountains and the town of Baker. TheKelso Dunes are located in the southwest of the preserve near the Granite Mountains.
When the preserve was established in 1994, its borders contained over 85,000 acres (340 km2) of private land (inholdings), including more than 70,000 acres (280 km2) in theLanfair Valley.[13][14] Ranching was once a major activity in the preserve, and it continues to this day.[15]
Many of the settled areas in the park are nowghost towns, includingKelso,Ivanpah,Lanfair,Providence, andVanderbilt, though Kelso still hosts a population of Park Service employees.
Other towns in the preserve includeCima,the newer town of Ivanpah, andZzyzx (known for itsunusual name).[16] Cima is generally considered ade facto ghost town due to its low population.[17]
The preserve contains three developed campgrounds, of which Hole-in-the-Wall Campground is the largest. Roadside camping is allowed in previously disturbed sites throughout the preserve, many of which are located on unmaintained dirt roads.[18]
The preserve is commonly traversed by four-wheel drive vehicles traveling on the historicMojave Road, part of theOld Spanish National Historic Trail.
TheMojave phone booth was once a popular tourist attraction in the park. It was removed by Pacific Bell at the request of the National Park Service in 2000.[19]
TheCalifornia Desert Protection Act of 1994 (CDPA) designated awilderness area within Mojave National Preserve of approximately 695,200 acres (281,300 ha). The National Park Service manages the wilderness in accordance with theWilderness Act, the CDPA, and other laws that protect cultural and historic sites in the wilderness.
Climate in the preserve varies greatly. Summer temperatures average 90 °F (32 °C), with highs exceeding 105 °F (41 °C). Elevations in the preserve range from 7,929 feet (2,417 m) atClark Mountain to 880 feet (270 m) near Baker. Annual precipitation varies from 3.37 inches (86 mm) near Baker, to almost 9 inches (230 mm) in the mountains. At least 25% of precipitation comes from summer thunderstorms. Snow is often found in the mountains during the winter.
The following climate data is for a higher elevation area in the preserve. See alsoClimate of the Mojave Desert.
| Climate data for Mountain Pass, California. (Elevation 4,740 feet (1,440 m)) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) | 76 (24) | 81 (27) | 90 (32) | 104 (40) | 109 (43) | 110 (43) | 109 (43) | 102 (39) | 96 (36) | 89 (32) | 70 (21) | 110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.4 (10.2) | 53.7 (12.1) | 59.0 (15.0) | 66.4 (19.1) | 76.3 (24.6) | 87.0 (30.6) | 92.8 (33.8) | 89.9 (32.2) | 83.9 (28.8) | 72.4 (22.4) | 58.9 (14.9) | 51.1 (10.6) | 70.2 (21.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 32.4 (0.2) | 35.8 (2.1) | 41.0 (5.0) | 49.8 (9.9) | 59.2 (15.1) | 66.5 (19.2) | 64.5 (18.1) | 56.6 (13.7) | 46.3 (7.9) | 36.2 (2.3) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 45.7 (7.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 3 (−16) | 6 (−14) | 12 (−11) | 19 (−7) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 42 (6) | 44 (7) | 33 (1) | 21 (−6) | 10 (−12) | −2 (−19) | −2 (−19) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.92 (23) | 0.89 (23) | 0.89 (23) | 0.48 (12) | 0.27 (6.9) | 0.20 (5.1) | 1.04 (26) | 1.23 (31) | 0.59 (15) | 0.54 (14) | 0.68 (17) | 0.63 (16) | 8.36 (212) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.7 (6.9) | 1.8 (4.6) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.5 (1.3) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 1.1 (2.8) | 1.5 (3.8) | 9.3 (24) |
| Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[20] | |||||||||||||
Media from Commons
Travel guides from Wikivoyage| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
