Introduction:
What? : Aiken Mine
Road is an 25 miles old mining road that runs across the Mojave desert. The half-day
trip on the road includes several attractions: access to the Lava Tube, deserted
Aiken Mine, Cow Cove Petroglyphs site and few old cuttle farmhouses.
This is 4x4 dirt
road, although that for most sections it is wide and relatively well-graded and
maintained, it can be sandy in few sections and rough in some spots, mainly near
the Volcanic Aiken Mine at its south section.
Related blogs:
Mojave National Preserve – Baker
Mojave National Preserve – Lava Tube
Mojave National Preserve – Cow Cove Petroglyphs
Mojave National
Preserve – Cima Dome & Joshua Tree Forest
Mojave National Preserve – visit planning, 2 days trip itinerary
Mojave National Preserve – Visit Planning
Driving the road South to north:
If you are
coming from Baker, CA (exit 245 on I-15):
Take Kalbaker
Rd. southeast, drive 20 miles on the paved road until you will reach a left turn
into Aiken Mine Rd (This road has a small street sign marking the intersection).
Google map link
Turn left into Aiken
Mine Rd, this is a well-maintained dirt road and drive for 4.6 miles until you
will reach to a fork. keeping left will take you to the nearby Lava Tube. For Aiken
Mine Rd take right at the fork, from this point it is definitely for 4x4 car only.
If you are
coming from Kelso Depot Visitor Center: 15 miles north of Kelso on Kelbaker
Road; turn north (right) onto Aiken Mine Road.
Driving the road North to south:
Take Highway
I-15 Exit 272 into Cima Rd. Immediately after passing the Shell gas station you
will see the trailhead on your right.
Google Map Link
When? : Late fall, winter
and spring is the preferred time to visit the Mojave desert, summer is just too
hot.
Due note 1: Water - Always take
more than what you think you need, this is desert and temperature can be hot,
in summer this is extremely hot environment.
Due note 2: Few notes about off-road
driving:
For any long off-road
driving activity, you must plan a head and know what you are doing!
Understand you’re
driving abilities and your car limitations and analyze the driving conditions
all the time. Think what if I need to turn around, can I make it back out.
Do not think “if
I can pass it?” but rather “what I will do if I get stack?”.
Things can “just”
happen, you may have flat tire or other car malfunction, you can get stack in “simple”
to pass places, in mud, deep sand or river bad, the road can be un-passable, or
you may even lose your way in the desert.
It is not about
pride, if the road gets too rough for you, turn around!
In the event of
an emergency, for un-trained people, staying with your car is probably the most
important thing you can do.
Make sure you
have a proper map and that you know how to navigate.
Know how to use
your gear, change flat tire or how to drive in deep send or mud conditions.
Garmin
satellite phone is always good to have with you for emergency and map.
Make sure you
have a basic First-Aid kit and that you do know how to use it.
Do not travel
cross-country or create new routes. This rule is strictly enforced; violators
will receive citations. Driving in washes is not permitted.
In Mojave
National Preserve, Groups of more than 7 vehicles or 25+ people require a
Special Use Permit.
Important Notice: ATVs and UTVs
Not Permitted in Mojave National Preserve at all!
Due note 3: Drive with enough
fuel, no gas station in Mojave National Preserve
Due note 4: No cellular reception
in Mojave National Preserve (you may have receptions near the main Highways). If
you are using cellular map with GPS make sure you download the map in advance
where you have cell reception (Wi-Fi connectivity is preferred).
Due note 5: Only few paved
roads cross the Mojave Desert, most main dirt roads are in good conditions, but
some may be impossible to pass after heavy rain. There are many off-road, 4x4 only
trails, make sure you know what you are doing and what your car can handle safely.
Due note 6: The NP website
state the following “A high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Low-clearance
vehicles are not advised.” But I think that if it is not muddy than the first 5
miles drive to the Lava Tube trailhead can be done by any car.
Due note 7: There are no
bathrooms, no pit toilets, and no trash cans. Please pack everything out.
Due note 8: During winter
month, bring with you few warm cloths, you may get warm during the day and the hike,
but you will need them once the sun is going down in a cold evening.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this
half day off-road driving trip. The road was relatively simple to drive, several
attractions to explore along the way and the amazing Joshua Tree Forest. Some
large sections of the forest where damage in the 2020 fire but this drive will
take you through large, unburned area.
Another thing that
made it fun, once you are getting into the desert you will probably be the only
one out there, during my half day drive I saw only one other car…
The Trip:
My trip was
from south to north, but it can also be done the opposite direction.
I will not describe
the road in detail, in general it is simple and easy to navigate with only few turns
to take.
Mile 0:
Start at Kalbaker
Rd. and Aiken Mine Rd (see above how to get description).
Mile 4.5:
Here you will
reach a fork in the road, left will take you to the nearby Lava Tube and recommended
stop on your trip.
After the Lava
Tube you need to keep right (hard left when coming from the Lava Tube).
See my blog on
this location.
From this point
forward you will need 4x4 car.
Mile 6.52:
Turn right on
the main trail and climb the volcano cone, the climb is short and not so
difficult for high clearance 4x4 car. This is probably the most “technical”
section of the drive.
Mile 7.63:
Here you will reach
the open Aiken Mine, there are many things to see here.
You can drive
up the mine roads, interesting mine to explore.
From here you
will see to your north the Cima Dome landscape, a flat-looking but landscape
dominate old volcano.
This is/was the
largest Joshua Tree Forest in the world, unfortunately the 2020 fire burned
huge sections of it, leaving behind skeletons of dead Joshua Trees.
From this
location the road will go down into the flat desert and become sandy, but not
so much difficult to drive.
Mile 10.7:
This road
section takes you into the heart of the Joshua Tree Forest in areas that was
not affected by the 2020 fire.
At this mile
point you will reach to old cow coral and water well. Not so much to see here.
Mile 12.7:
At this junction
you need to take left, here the road is following old wooden electricity line.
Here, on your right
side you will see the large sections of the Joshua Tree Forest that was damage
in the 2020 fire, all the way from this point to Cima Dome & road.
Mile 14.35:
Turn left into less-maintained
but clear road.
Mile 15.64:
Turn right into
well maintained clear main road.
Mile 17.57:
Make sure to
drive slow on this section and not miss the Cow Cove Petroglyphs trailhead.
At this
location you will see on your left an old dirt road, the road entrance is block
and you should not drive into it.
Park your car
on the side of the main road.
From here 1.3-mile
hike (one way) will take you to Cow Cove Petroglyphs, you can see from here, it
is a black color section in the hills far in the distance.
See my blog on Cow
Cove Petroglyphs.
Mile 19.5:
Once coming
back from Cow Cove Petroglyphs hike, keep driving east.
Here you will
reach to the old farm.
There are few well-maintained
deserted buildings, large water reservoir structures as well as cow coral.
At this
location and trail junction make sure you are taking the right road straight at
the same direction you came from.
Mile 25.5:
You will reach Cima
Road (paved), not so far from Highway I-15 and the Shell gas station (I-15 Exit
272).
This is the end
(or your start) of the ride.
Overall, with
all the stops along the way this is at list half day trip (I started as sunrise
and finished around noon).
It is not challenging
off-road drive, relatively easy to navigation, many things to see and explore
and enjoy the Joshua Tree Forest landscape with only few other people.
An excellent Mojave
Desert experience.
www:
https://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm
Map:
https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/upload/mojamap1.pdf
Pictures:
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