Tips for Exploring Mojave NP by Car

Desert Driving Information

Because few amenities are available in our desert parklands, you must not only bring your own supplies, but consider your automobile a self-contained “survival module.” Be certain that your vehicle is road-worthy and capable of withstanding harsh desert conditions. In case of emergency, your life could literally depend on it.

The image of bouncing across the desert in a dilapidated old jalopy may have some romantic appeal; it symbolizes the highly cherished notion of the freedom of the open road. In reality, however, driving a well-maintained, comfortable and reliable vehicle provides a sense of confidence and security—and a real measure of safety as well.

Naturalist Joseph Wood Krutch described venturing into the desert as “rewarding travel in an unfrequented land.” Travel in the desert is rewarding for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it truly is an “unfrequented land.” The wide-open spaces and lonely desert roads are particularly appealing to those seeking the solitude and quiet the desert offers.

But in an unexpected situation, such as a vehicle breakdown, that feeling of peaceful solitude can quickly become a fearful experience in a hostile environment. Therefore, driving a road-worthy vehicle is of utmost importance in the desert.
Since our desert parklands are fairly isolated from cities, it’s probable that any vehicle that’s driven a long way to get to one of the parks is in pretty good shape. But venturing into the desert, far from highway services, requires some special preparation.

The perils of desert driving include extreme heat and glare (especially when driving east in the morning or west in the afternoon); winter cold, ice and snow. The long, straight roads can become monotonous and sleep-inducing day or night. Dirt roads require special driving skills, and the unfamiliar territory demands navigational expertise. Weather conditions, including dust, wind and thunderstorms which can cause flash floods, are other difficulties faced by desert drivers.

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A Historical Perspective

In the early days of automobile travel in the desert, none of the roads were paved. Little more than trails—sometimes marked with signposts—the roads gave drivers a real adventurous ride through the desert. The earliest autos weren’t even equipped with tops or windshields, and electric lighting systems did not come into use until 1912. Still, intrepid individuals made their way to the Mojave for spirited travel experience.

Over the years, travelers have been advised to carry equipment and supplies to cope with emergencies. Earliest autos were notoriously unreliable; a 1914-1917 Auto Club checklist suggested the following:

• two stout pieces of rope, each 10 feet long
• a collapsible bucket for radiator water
• two wide canvas strips, each about 100 feet long sewn together (for getting unstuck)
• a can, funnel and chamois filter
• 5-gallon water and gas cans filled, plus 2 to 3 desert water bags
• a tire repair kit, including pump, vulcanizer, tube liners and sleeves, casing repair stock, friction tape
• a box of repair parts, contents depended on the make, model and reputation for reliability of the vehicle
  
• a tour book, available maps and a good compass
• a luggage carrier for food and personal gear

In the 1946 book, A Guidebook to Route 66 by Jack Rittenhouse, the author offered “A few small tips which mean big comforts: DON’T WORRY! A trip is no fun if worry sits at the wheel, even if this worry is not voiced to others in the car. So—first of all—rest assured that you’re not going to be ‘hung up’ in some forsaken spot. You’ll never be more than a score of miles from gas, even in the most desolate areas. There are no impossible grades.”

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Equipment Checklist

Although today’s better maintained, more reliable vehicles may not be as prone to breakdown as those in the past, many of the precautions suggested over the years still apply today. An up-to-date checklist includes the following:

• a well-maintained vehicle
• recent oil change
• recent tune-up
• good battery
• good starter
• check all fluid levels: water, coolant, oil, etc.
• check all belts; carry a spare fan belt
• check tires, carry a good spare, jack and tools
• check suspension
• check windshield wiper blades
• carry repair manual, extra water and coolant for the vehicle; if you carry extra gasoline make sure it’s in a proper container
• carry flares, fuses, blankets, extra food and water, tools and an up-to-date automobile club membership

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Map Reading

A turn-of-the-century U.S. Geological Survey report noted, “With some persons, the faculty of getting lost amounts to genius. They are able to accomplish it wherever they are. The only suitable advice for them is to keep out of the desert. There are safer places in which to exercise their talent.” If those words strike home, remember that map-reading is a skill. And like any other skill, performance improves with practice.

Certainly there is nothing more nerve-wracking or upsetting than the experience of a frustrated driver demanding directions from an unsure navigator. Not only is it frustrating, but potentially hazardous, especially when intensified by traffic, hot weather, fatigue or confusing territory.

To avoid such disorienting and upsetting scenarios, spend time before departure planning and mapping out excursions. Write down directions, road names and number and pertinent landmarks to prevent on-the-road confusion. While the main access roads to parklands are usually well-marked, many lesser roads are not signed at all. Therefore, pay close attention to mileage on the odometer when following directions to locations throughout the desert.

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Desert Driving Tips

• Contact the Desert Information Center in Barstow, or your local Automobile Club office, to check current road conditions and discuss your proposed route if you intend to drive on graded or dirt roads.
• Keep tires at normal pressure; underinflation wears on them and can cause blowouts
• Make sure vehicle has proper clearance for the road surface
• Drive slowly and carefully on dirt roads
• Drive only on established roads—no cross-country driving
• Shift to lower gears on grades
• Pay attention to temperature gauges—air conditioning is more comfortable, but it is taxing on the engine—if the engine heats up, turn off the air conditioning
• If you get stuck in soft dirt or sand, remain calm; try backing up, then carefully shift into low and back to reverse. Be careful not to attempt this for an extended period of time; it’s easy to burn up a transmission with this maneuver. If there’s no other way, dig, push or tow the vehicle to safer ground.
• In case of breakdown, stay with your car—it offers more protection than wandering in the desert unprotected from the harsh environment
• Stay out of washes, expecially during rain or thunderstorms
• Do not travel alone

Keep in mind, as you drive through the desert, to take it easy. Don’t try to drive too far, too fast or too long. If you get tired, pull over and rest or switch drivers for awhile. If you become disoriented, stop, regroup, consult the maps and examine landmarks to become re-oriented once again.

In 1937, photographer Edward Weston traveled extensively throughout the West. His wife Charis kept a journal, and her observations make it clear that while the vehicles have changed, driving in the desert hasn’t really changed in more than fifty years. “Luckily traffic was not heavy—each of the two cars we did meet left powdery dust sifting down on us for ten minutes after.”

Outdoor lovers agree that it’s impossible to know the land unless you venture off the highway and explore it. Nowhere is that more true than in our desert parklands. Leaving the main roads helps us understand the appeal of the desert. It seems to speak to the all-American pioneer spirit that lives on to this day.

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