Things to Do Within 100 Miles of Barstow Secured in Writing from the Author
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Permission to re-print must be Things To Do Within 100 Miles of Barstow secured in writing from the author. Courtesy of Route 66 Mother Road Museum, Barstow CA Approx. Distance from Websites & Additional Info Name Description Mother Websites may not be updated regularly. Call ahead for current Road information. Museum Afton Canyon Natural The Mojave River flows above ground in the Afton Check with the Bureau of Land Management office in 1 Area Canyon area. Sometimes called the “Grand Canyon of Barstow for up-to-date info. the Mojave,” it is considered a good spot for bird and http://www.blm.gov/ca/index.html wildlife viewing. Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith, & John Bureau of Land Charles Fremont are some of the early western Road conditions can change from deep sand in explorers who passed through the area. The historic summer to mud and washed-out sections after rain. Management Mojave Road is nearby. 35 miles Avoid canyons during thunderstorms due to possible 2601 Barstow Road violent flash floods. Plan accordingly, as no food, Barstow, CA 92311 The Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow has water or gasoline may be available for miles. Always (760) -252-6000 numerous books for sale on areas to explore, such as notify someone of your plans. Cell phones do not canyons, rock formations, intaglios, etc. always work in remote areas. Amboy Crater is a cinder cone from an ancient Amboy, CA volcano. The Crater is on BLM land, and has a graded Avoid intense midday Summer sun at Amboy Crater. 2 Historic Route 66 dirt road leading to the base of the crater. Hiking trail For trail & road conditions, contact the Bureau of leads to top of crater; allow 2-3 hours round trip to Land Management office in Barstow. hike. Picnic tables and vault toilets are available. Best • Amboy Crater 2601 Barstow Rd., Barstow CA 92311 times to view: during spring wildflower bloom, early Phone: (760)-252-6000 morning, or late afternoon. 80 miles • Roy’s Café http://www.blm.gov/ca/index.html Historic Roy’s Café is a 1940s café, 1930s motel, and There are no services in the town of Amboy. Plan gas station on historic Route 66. Numerous photo accordingly for desert conditions; no food, water, or shoots have been done in Amboy. gasoline may be available for miles. Antelope Valley http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=627 3 California Poppy This 1,745-acre reserve, 15 miles west of Lancaster, Wildflowers bloom March through May. Peak Reserve CA, is considered the state’s most consistent poppy- blooming is usually in mid-April. Call first or check California State Park bearing land. Owl’s clover, lupine, goldfield, cream 115 miles the California State Parks website above for updates, Lancaster Road cups, and coreopsis wildflowers mingle with the as some years there is not enough precipitation for a (15 miles west of Route 14) poppies, the California state flower. flower bloom. Lancaster, CA 93536 (661)-724-1180 Bagdad Café An old Route 66 café, located in Newberry Springs. It (Formerly called the 4 was the inspiration for the film Bagdad Café. A few Sidewinder Café) miles to the east, is where the original town of Bagdad 22 miles Newberry Springs, CA once stood. Nothing remains of the town today. 92365 Big Bear Discovery The Big Bear Discovery Center has information on Call or check San Bernardino National Forest website 5 Center hiking, biking and camping in the San Bernardino for Visitor Center hours. North Shore Drive Mountains and National Forest. It also has rotating (Highway 38) exhibits on wildflowers, wildlife, and history. There 80 miles http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/contact/fawnskin.sh are views of the lake and mountains from the tml Big Bear Lake, CA (909)-382- 2790 observation deck. Borax deposits were discovered in Boron CA in 1925. The Visitor Center for the Rio Tinto Borax Mine 6 Borax Visitor Center Normal hours of operation are seven days a week from overlooks the largest open-pit mine in California. It Rio Tinto Borax Group 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding major holidays and contains one of the biggest and richest deposits of weather permitting. 14485 Borax Road borax on earth, and supplies nearly half the world's Email: [email protected] or call Boron, CA demand for refined borates. 45 miles (760) 762-7588. DIRECTIONS: From Route 58, exit at Borax Road. Admission: Motorcycles: $2.00, Automobiles: $3.00, Visitor Center: Follow Borax Road to the main gate. Buses $12.00 (760)-762-7588 http://www.borax.com/borax6.html Elmer Long’s http://bottletreeman.blogspot.com/ 7 Bottle Forest Elmer Long has been collecting bottles in the desert Approximately 9 miles north of Victorville between since childhood, and has turned them into an eclectic National Old Trails 20 miles Oro Grande and Helendale/Silver Lakes on National forest of bottle trees. Elmer & his bottle forest have Highway (Route 66) (Approx.) Old Trails Highway (Rte 66). between Helendale and been on HGTV. This is a private residence. Please be respectful. Oro Grande, CA Rev Date: February 3, 2012 Page 1 K. J. Diffenbacher© Things To Within 100 Miles of Barstow Permission to re-print must be secured in writing from the author. Courtesy of Route 66 Mother Road Museum, Barstow CA Approx. Distance from Websites & Additional Info Name Description Mother Websites may not be updated regularly. Call ahead for current Road information. Museum Calico Early Man 8 Archeological Site Archaeologist Louis Leakey was the director of this 15 miles northeast of Barstow. site/camp from 1963 until his death in 1972. The BLM Barstow Field Office website has additional Off I-15, Excavations continue here at his old camp, which has information. Minneola Rd. exit, 15 miles Barstow, CA a visitor center and museum. Calico Ghost Town http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/parks/calico.htm Calico is a former mining town, founded in March 36600 Ghost Town Rd. 9 1881, and preserved by Walter Knott, of Knott’s Berry Northeast of Barstow. Take the Ghost Town Road P.O. Box 638 Farm. It is a San Bernardino CA County Park. One 17 miles Exit from Interstate 15 in Yermo, CA. Yermo, CA 92398 third of the town is original, and the rest is (760) – 254-2122 reconstructed. 1-800-TO-CALICO Campground, camping trails & bunkhouse. California Route 66 Hours: Mon, Thur, Fri, Sat, 10 am – 4 pm Historical exhibits, contemporary gallery, research 10 Museum Sunday: 11 am – 3 pm library, travel information and gift shop on historic 16825 D Street 32 miles Tuesday & Wednesday by appointment Route 66. Victorville, CA http://www.califrt66museum.org/ (760)-951-0436 The National Old Trails Highway (Route 66) goes Historic Daggett 11 through this historic Mojave Desert town. Daggett Most historic buildings are privately owned and not Daggett, CA 92327 was once home to naturalist John Muir’s daughter. open to the public. Please respect private property. Death Valley Scotty and “Borax” Smith were regular 10 miles For a printable driving tour and map, go to: visitors to the (remains) Stone Hotel located on Santa http://www.route66museum.org/id8.html Fe Street. Desert Discovery The Desert Discovery Center is now staffed by the 12 Center Some of the displays include: extinct animal tracks, Bureau of Land Management. the famous Old Woman Meteorite, paleontology and 831 Barstow Road 1 mile Call for Hours geology. Barstow, CA 92311 http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/meteorite.html (760) – 252-6060 Devil’s Punchbowl is a 1,310-acre park, with unusual Devil’s Punchbowl Park Hours: Sunrise to Sunset rock formations, one mile from the San Andreas fault. 13 Visitor Center: Tues-Sun; 9 am – 5 pm L.A. County Park Hiking, geology walks, reptile programs, and a small 70 miles 28000 Devil’s Punchbowl Rd nature center. http://www.devils-punchbowl.com/ Pearblossom, CA 93553 Edwards Air Force Base is the birthplace of supersonic 14 flight and where Captain Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager General Public Tours are offered twice a month; broke through the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. usually on Fridays, but, not always. They begin at 9 Edwards Air Force a.m. and end around 1 p.m (Security conditions and Tour generally includes: 90-minute walking tour of the Base missions permitting). Advance Reservations are NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, presentation at 85 miles required. See website below for info. Rosamond, CA the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, and windshield tour of the Edwards Air Force Base flight line. Availability fluctuates with base alert levels. http://www.edwards.af.mil/questions/topic.asp?id=812 Fort Irwin 15 National Training th Center & 11 The museum focuses on the history of Fort Irwin from 1844 to the present and 11th Armored Cavalry http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1152778 Armored Cavalry 34 miles Regiment Museum Regiment from 1901 to the present. Fort Irwin CA 92310 (760) 380-6607 In 1998, The Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural The Goffs Schoolhouse is located near the intersection 16 The Goffs Association restored the one-room mission style of Goffs and Lanfair Road and is open by appointment schoolhouse to its original configuration, and it is on only. Schoolhouse the National Register of Historic Places. The Hosted by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural 37198 Lanfair Road - G15 schoolhouse is one of a few remaining structures in the 121 miles Association. Essex, California 92332 community of Goffs on the original 1926 alignment of For additional information: http://www.mdhca.org/ Phone (760) -733-4482 Route 66.