CaliforniaDesert.gov - Come and Explore America's Great Outdoors

  • CaliforniaDesert.gov - Part of America's Great Outdoors
  • CaliforniaDesert.gov - Part of America's Great Outdoors
  • CaliforniaDesert.gov - Part of America's Great Outdoors
  • CaliforniaDesert.gov - Part of America's Great Outdoors
  • CaliforniaDesert.gov - Part of America's Great Outdoors
CaliforniaDesert.gov Visit the Desert Mangers Group website Calendar of Events Find Recreational Acitivities Places of Interest Trip Planning Desert Conservation About Us Interactive Map
Welcome to the California Desert, part of America's Great Outdoors!

There are about 25 million acres of desert in California and Southern Nevada. That's a lot of territory filled with all kinds of things to see and do. Whatever you enjoy, we built these pages to help you plan your desert adventure. Start here before you hit the road and you are bound to have a better trip. Our driving tours can lead you to treasured places and save you miles and miles out on the dusty trails. Other pages give you the weather, tips for safe travel, and a schedule of events to help you plan ahead. So follow one of the links and get going. Early explorers never had it so good! If you would like to know more about America's Great Outdoors, please go to americasgreatoutdoors.gov for more information.
 
Guess What I've Seen!

Fire Closes Picacho State Recreation Area Until Further Notice

Picacho State Recreation Area will be closed for the Memorial Day weekend and until further notice due to a wildfire and its aftermath. For public safety reasons, all shoreline, side channels, backwaters, and lakes on the Colorado River between Island Lake and Catfish Cove have been closed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to the Island Lake Fire. The main river channel remains open.

Read the News Release

Some JTNP Campgrounds Will Be Closed During Summer

Summer is the slow season at Joshua Tree, and there is a reduced need for overnight camping during the hot summer months. Seasonal campground closures allow impacted areas to recover and also helps reduce the cost of maintaining these facilities.

These facilities will reopen October 4, 2013 for Columbus Day weekend, or earlier if park visitation warrants. All other park facilities including visitor centers, picnic areas, and other campgrounds remain open for normal visitor use.

Read the News Release to view closed campgrounds

Kelso Depot Visitor Center will be closed two days per week

Effective May 8, 2013, Kelso Depot Visitor Center in Mojave National Preserve will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.The Visitor Center will remain open Fridays through Tuesdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Mojave National Preserve's Headquarters Information Center at 2701 Barstow Road, Barstow, California, is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. to provide information and assist with trip planning.

Read the News Release

Rattlesnake Canyon Closure Extended 30 Days

Since January, individuals have defaced the day-use and canyon area of Rattlesnake Canyon with graffiti. This damage resulted in a three week closure of the popular hiking and day-use area. Because a more extensive cleanup program is required to remediate vandalism in Rattlesnake Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park is extending the closure for an additional 30 days.

Read the News Release

New Cameras on I-15 Help Motorists Know Before They Go

Motorists traveling on Interstate 15 (I-15) through the High Desert will have help avoiding traffic trouble spots. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has completed a $2.3 million project which provides seventy-nine Vehicle Detection Stations (VDS) along I-15 between Devore and the Nevada State Line.

Read the News Release

Student Exhibit To Open At Joshua Tree Visitor Center

One hundred ten 4th through 8th graders from the Morongo Unified School District's Gifted and Talented Education Kaleidoscope program worked with park rangers last summer to design a trail especially for kids. An exhibit of the presentation boards they created to offer their suggestions for the trail will open on April 24, 2013 at Joshua Tree Visitor Center and run for two weeks.

Read the News Release

Death Valley National Park Proposes Fee Changes at Campsites

Death Valley National Park is seeking public comments regarding pricing for nineteen improved campsites and the establishment of three new group sites in the Furnace Creek Campground. The National Park Service is seeking input from the public and interested groups from now until May 17, 2013. A final decision will be made based on that input, as well as budgetary concerns and comparisons with similar sites elsewhere.

Read the News Release

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