Things to do / Travel Guide
A road trip in the California Desert promises long stretches of classic American highway cruising with an amazing array of scenic roadside and recreational attractions. Crank up the A/C, be sure to pack a lot of water, and blaze a trail through the California Desert - a truly one-of-a-kind environment.
Mojave Desert Scenic Drive
Starting in Barstow, this 59-mile-long scenic drive traces the Kelbaker Road, Kelso-Cima Road, and Cima Road, slicing through the 1.5 million acre East Mojave Scenic Area. The amazing desert scenery you'll encounter on the Mojave Desert Scenic Drive includes granite mountains, towering sand dunes, wide basins, and the denizens of Joshua Tree forests. A virtual open-air theater of the desert's natural wonders, this scenic drive will leave you with a lasting impression of the natural beauty of the region.
Rim of the World Scenic Byway
This popular scenic byway traces the crest of the San Bernardino Mountains, giving you a bird's eye-view of the mountains, forests, and the changing of the leaves in the autumn. The route begins on State Road 38 west of I-15 and runs in an open loop direction for just under 90 miles. The route traces several historic Western thoroughfares, including the Old Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe to Salt Lake Trail, and the tracks of the old Santa Fe Railroad. A highlight of the scenic drive is the rugged Horsethief Canyon, where Indians used to transit stolen horses out of the California Desert in the 1800s. Rest assured: if you're hauling equestrian cargo, the Native Americans in these parts have been out of the Horsethiefin' business for a long time.
Death Valley Scenic Byway
To truly experience the one-of-a kind beauty of one of America's favorite parks, take a spin down the Death Valley Scenic Byway. This stretch of State Road 190 runs from the western entrance of the Death Valley National Park to its eastern edge and is a great way to take in undisturbed wilderness and spectacular desert scenery. The route passes Dante's View, one of the most striking panoramic viewpoints in the park. From this perch, you can see far-off Telescope Peak, and well as Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, at 282 feet below sea level. Bizarre formations of salt crystals give way to jagged, crimson cliffs as the altitude rises and salt flats transform into desert mountains. One stretch of the route is the aptly named “Artists drive.” When you take a look at the spectrum of colors against the horizon, you'll understand why.
Palm to Pines Scenic Drive
The Palm to Pines Scenic Drive is a 66-mile-long thoroughfare that cuts a path from the San Jacinto Mountains to Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley. This stretch of State Roads 243 and 74 is a twisting, climbing, two-lane path that runs through palm-filled expanses of Palm Springs and the rest of the Coachella Valley up to the deep pine forests of the San Jacinto Mountains. The drive presents an amazing contrast in flora and fauna when passing from the desert floor to the sub-alpine mountain forests. The San Bernardino National Forest and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway are both attractions of the route, which has many areas where you can camp out, go rock climbing, or go on a hike. Particularly, if you hop out of the car and take the tramway to the top of the mountains overlooking the Coachella Valley, the views are simply spectacular.
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