Visitor Centers

From top to bottom: Kelso Depot east; trains still rumble past the historic depot; visitors at the Depot.

NPS Photos

Kelso Depot Visitor Center
Information, exhibits, orientation film, art gallery, bookstore, restrooms, water, picnic area.

Click here (PDF, 273 KB) to view and/or print an informative brochure about Kelso Depot.

Hours of Operation
Kelso Depot is temporarily closed.

Entrance Fee
Free

Phone
760 252-6108

Location
From I-15: Exit Kelbaker Road at Baker, Calif. Continue 35 miles southeast on Kelbaker Road to Kelso, Calif.
From I-40: Exit Kelbaker Road (about 29 miles east of Ludlow Calif., or 28 miles west of Fenner, Calif.). Continue 22 miles north on Kelbaker Road to Kelso, Calif.

Exhibits

Originally opened in 1924 as a train station, Kelso Depot was renovated and reopened in 2005 as the Visitor Center for Mojave National Preserve. Former dormitory rooms contain exhibits describing the cultural and natural history of the surrounding desert. The baggage room, ticket office, and two dormitory rooms have been historically furnished to illustrate life in the depot in the first half of the twentieth century. A 20-minute orientation film is shown in the theater.

The Desert Light Gallery features rotating fine art collections by local artists, focusing on the cultural history and natural splendors of Mojave National Preserve. Click here for information on the current exhibition.

For more information on what Kelso Depot would have been like while it operated as a dining and rest stop for train crews, go here (PDF, 120.91 KB).

 

From top to bottom: Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center against a backdrop of volcanic tuff; Mojave yucca are common along trails; Banshee Canyon overlook.

NPS photos

Hole-in-the-Wall Information Center
Information, bookstore, campgrounds, picnic area, trailhead, restroom, water, telephone.

Hours of Operation

Hole in the Wall Information Center is temporarily closed.

Entrance Fee
Free

Phone
760 252-6104 or 760 928-2572

Location
From I-40: Exit Essex Road (about 49 miles east of Ludlow, Calif., or 8 miles west of Fenner, Calif.). Continue 10 miles north on Essex Road to junction with Black Canyon Road. Bear right on Black canyon Road and continue an additional 10 miles to Hole-in-the-Wall.

Ranger-led Programs
Ranger Programs are canceled until further notice due to COVID-19.

Exhibits
Basic orientation, as well as a 12-minute film about the preserve.

 

Headquarters (Barstow) Information Center
Information, bookstore, restroom.

Hours of Operation
Temporarily Closed

Entrance Fee
Free

Phone
760-252-6100

Location
From I-15: Exit Barstow Road at Barstow, Calif. Continue south to 2701 Barstow Road.

Exhibits
Basic orientation