Kelbaker Road, Mojave's 'Main Street'
by Cheri Rae
 If Mojave National Preserve had a "Main Street," Kelbaker Road would be it. The road is the preserve's busiest, and provides access to several of its most popular attractions including the Kelso Depot and Kelso Dunes. The National Park Service recently installed a large Mojave National Preserve entry sign just outside of Baker on Kelbaker Road. The entry monument, one of those grand granite proclamations characteristic of other western national parks, emphasizes Kelbaker's status as the major Mojave road.
Most preserve visitors remain in their vehicles while driving Kelbaker Road from Baker to Kelso Depot and thus miss a couple of interesting sights en route. Two of my favorite sights long the way are the Kelbaker Hills and the Lava Beds.Kelbaker HillsHere's your chance to name one of the preserve's geographic features. I call them the Kelbaker Hills because of their proximity to Kelbaker Road as well as for their location a dozen miles southeast of Baker and two-dozen miles northwest of Kelso; however, they don't really have a name on the map or one in common usage. Others have suggested the "Baker Hills" due to their close-to-town position or the "Rhyolite Hills" because of their volcanic composition.
By whatever name, these hills offer a close-to-the-paved road wilderness experience, as well as a short (though moderately strenuous) hike.To access the Kelbaker Hills from Baker and I-15, drive 11 miles east on Kelbaker Road. Just as the road makes a pronounced bend right (south) turn left (north) on the unsigned dirt road. Drive 0.8 mile along the preserve's signed wilderness boundary. Look east of the road for a distinct gap in the Kelbaker Hills and scarce parking just east off the road where you can find it.
If you locate a sketchy old road extending east up the wash leading to the hills, take it; otherwise, simply walk up the wash toward the obvious gap in the hills. You route will angle toward the base of the tallest hills, and just to the left of them.A bit more than 0.5 mile out, you'll observe a couple of narrow ravines (favorite burro routes, judging by the tracks) that lead to the top of the hills. Climb (careful, it's loose footing) any one of these ravines for good views of this part of the preserve.
Experienced rock-scramblers can make their way to the top of the highest hills. Those determined to make a loop hike out of this jaunt can do so by descending a ravine southeasterly and junctioning the main wash that leads back to the gap in the hills, and then returning to the trailhead.
Lava Beds
Another Kelbaker roadside attraction is the preserve's northern lava beds. A wash extending alongside the lava formation gives the hiker a convenient thoroughfare as well as a close-up view of the volcanic cliff face.This look at the lava resembles those hillside cuts made by highway-makers, though it was nature, not a road crew that, revealed the lava beds. Green, gray and red lichen color the north side of the lava outcroppings.
From Baker and I-15, head 14.2 miles south on Kelbaker Road to the Lava Beds and an unsigned turnout on your left. The turnout is just south of the long, narrow beds and just north of a wash. (Hint: if Kelbaker Road takes you through a major gap in the Lava Beds, you ventured about 0.4 mile too far south of the trailhead for this little exploration.)Head east on a faint, but visible trail at the base of the lava beds. Marvel at the odd geology as you walk 0.6 mile to trail's end.
Scramble to the top of the lava beds and a miniature plateau paved with a mosaic of lava talus that resembles the ruins of an ancient Roman Empire road. Make your way west cross-country over the plateau. Just short of Kelbaker Road, descend from the plateau by scrambling down the rocks to the trailhead.
Kelso Depot
Kelso Depot, located "235 track miles from Los Angeles," seemed a veritable oasis to passengers crossing the desert by train. Because Kelso was one of the few places in the desert with access to dependable water sources, it was considered a good location for a railroad stopping point. The Spanish-style depot was built by the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (part of the Union Pacific system) in 1924. Originally known as the Kelso Club House and Restaurant, this distinctive 50-by-150-foot, two-story stuccoed structure was designed with a red-tiled roof, graceful arches, and a red brick platform. It featured several small rooms that provided overnight accommodations for railroad employees, a billiard room, library, a telegraph office, and a waiting room for passengers. Nicknamed "The Beanery," the restaurant served meals to passengers traveling on trains without dining cars.
The depot continued to be open through the mid-1980s, although it ceased to be a railroad stop for passengers after World War II. Visitors picnicked on the oasis-like lawn, ate at the restaurant and enjoyed the Mediterranean ambiance of the charming building. When Union Pacific officials decided to demolish the historic strucutre in 1985, local citizens, governmental officials and a host of others formed a coalition, the Kelso Depot Fund, to save the depot. Their efforts were successful.
After extensive restoration, the old depot will be used as a visitor information center for Mojave National Preserve. A museum emphasizing railroad history plus food service facilities will adjoin the new visitor center.Kelso DunesOne of the most spectacular and popular sights in Mojave National Preserve is Kelso Dunes. This 45-square-mile formation of magnificently sculpted sand dunes is the most extensive dune field in the West. Some dunes tower over 700 feet high.The dunes are actually built up from the particulate remains of mountains worn away long ago. Prevailing winds create the dunes as they blow sand particles from the Mojave River Sink, across the Devil's Playground. Blocked from further movement by the Providence Mountains to the east, the individual grains are then deposited at the dune site.
Kelso Dunes are referred to as "booming dunes" for the low vibrational sounds that are created when the sand made of polished grains of rose quartz slides over the underlying surface. The low rumbling sounds emitted by "booming dunes" have been compared to the sound of a chorus or a mythological siren, as well a kettle drum, Tibetan gong or low-flying airplane. Everywhere they occur, from Egypt to Libya to the Kelso Dunes of California, booming dunes have become the stuff of folklore and legend.
An old story tells of a teamster who started off across the dunes with a wagonload of whiskey to replenish the supplies of the saloons in Kelso. A violent sandstorm arose, and forced the wagonmaster to unhitch his team to wait out the storm. But when he returned to reclaim his property with its important contents, he could not locate it. Legend has it that the sounds that can be heard coming from the dunes on cold, clear nights are really the celebrations of the ghosts of the old teamster and his friends, who have finally located their precious load and are reveling in their discovery. Prime times to visit the dunes are at daybreak and at sundown. The early morning rays cast a rose-colored glow on the sand, and the fading late afternoon sun gives a bluish-purple appearance. A hike to the crest of the dunes takes two to three hours; plan your trek so you're not out on the dunes during the midday heat. Always bring water and a snack.
The Kelso Dunes provide a fine vantage point from which to gain a stunning view of the preserve. But to get to the top of the shifting sands requires some hard work. Although the hike is short (3 miles round trip with a 400-foot elevation gain), it's somewhat demanding; there's a lot of two step forward, one step back kind of progress, especially as you near the top of the ridge. Take your time, and enjoy the experience; it's not every day you get to play in a giant sandbox. From Kelso Depot, continue south on Kelbaker Road for 7 miles to a signed dirt road and turn west (right). Drive slowly for 3 miles along this road (navigable for all but very low-slung passenger cars) to a parking area. The trail to the Kelso Dunes begins just up the dirt road from the Mojave Desert Baker Information Center. Back to Mojave National Preserve
For more information:
Mojave National Preserve (760) 255-8801; (760) 733-4040.
Cheri Rae is co-author (with John McKinney) of Mojave National Preserve: A Visitor's Guide (Olympus Press, 1999).
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