Mojave Desert Tours and Activities

The driest desert in North America, the Mojave is home to Death Valley National Park, which is best known for its Badwater Basin, the lowest point on the continent at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. The Mojave’s 25,000 square miles (65,000 square kilometers) also encompass Las Vegas, Lake Mead, Mojave National Preserve, and more.

The Mojave Desert, which lies mostly within California, also stretches into small portions of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Death Valley National Park is the desert’s most notable attraction, but there is much to explore here. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, outside of Las Vegas, is popular for its rugged rock formations, while Mojave National Preserve features sand dunes, Joshua trees, and endless wildflowers.

The region attractions all kinds of visitors, from outdoorsy travelers interested in hiking and camping, to rock-climbing adventure-seekers, to those just passing through en route from Los Angeles or San Diego to Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon. Aerial Grand Canyon tours provide views of the desert from the sky, while multi-day US West road-trip tours stop at various parks and preserves.

Death Valley National Park sits on the edge of the California–Nevada border; enter the park on California Highway 190 from Death Valley Junction, 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Palm Springs. Mojave National Preserve lies between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, 120 miles (190 kilometers) northeast of Palm Springs.

Parks and preserves are typically open between sunrise and sunset; some sites may close or have shorter hours in the summer months, when it’s the hottest. To avoid the heat, go hiking in the morning or evening. Wildflower season is in the spring, after the rainy periods.

 

Together with the Colorado Desert, the Mojave Desert forms a UNESCO World Heritage–designated biosphere reserve to promote and protect the ecology of the region. Located on the border of the Mojave and Colorado deserts is one of the region’s most popular places—Joshua Tree National Park—230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Death Valley.