NPS Staff Mojave After Dark Are you a night owl? The fun doesn't stop at Mojave when the sun goes down. In fact, things are just getting started for many desert animals. A full moon is the perfect time to take a night hike across the sand dunes. Kit foxes, kangaroo rats, and scorpions are all active at night on the dunes. To be safe, take a flashlight with you. If you let your eyes adjust, you may find that you don't even need it. A new moon, when the sky is dark, is the perfect time to have a campout with your family and look at the amazing night sky. If you have a telescope or binoculars, bring them with you, but you'll be surprised at how much you can see with just your eyes. On a clear night, thousands of stars are visible. Try to plan your visit on a new moon, when the night sky is especially dark. 
NPS Staff Underground Lava Tube Head below ground to check out this cool lave tube, formed thousands of years ago as lava from the nearby volcanoes cooled. Download the Cinder Cones and Lava Tube Brochure (PDF, 1,488KB) for directions. 
Kelso Train Depot All aboard! Years ago, Kelso Depot was a bustling train station in the middle of the desert. Now, Kelso Depot Visitor Center is a great place to learn about the park. Come by and watch our 20 minute film. Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet. Have your picture taken on the old saddle. Or have a picnic lunch outside under the palm trees as you watch the freight trains roar by. 
NPS Staff Climb the Rings Trail Imagine giant rocks that look like Swiss cheese! Come and see the many "holes" of Hole-in-the-Wall as you use metal rings to climb up through Banshee Canyon. The canyon walls were created millions of years ago as hot ash fell from the skies after a giant volcanic eruption. Ever since then, erosion has revealed hole left by gas bubbles trapped in the ash as it cooled. Climbing the rings is an adventure not to be missed! Along the trail, look for Native American petroglyphs and evidence of the cattle ranch that has operated out here for generations. Download the Hole-in-the-Wall Trail Guide (PDF, 844KB) for more information. 
NPS Staff Hike up Kelso Sand Dunes Try hiking up some of the tallest dunes around. Along the trail, you'll see evidence of the many small animals that live in the dune system. Perhaps you can identify some of the tracks they have left behind. If you get to the top, you can try sliding down and see if you can make the falling sand boom. But be careful not to trample the vegetation. Some of the plants you see live nowhere else on Earth! |
Last updated: December 8, 2022