I just returned from the Mojave National Preserve. I spent 3 tranquil days camping under the stars, taking photos of native plants and hunting jackrabbit.
This beautiful stretch of public land is about 1 hour south of Las Vegas on I-15. The Mojave Preserve is one of the least visited parcels of land in southern California. The preserve is managed by the National Park system, but it isn’t over managed like many National Parks.
Also it’s free to enter and free to camp. It’s a gem and you should plan a trip soon…
~ EthnoHerbalist
Joshua trees set the tone of the Mojave Preserve.
Cholla, creosote and Mojave yucca fill in the lower canopy.
Summer is entirely the wrong time to visit the preserve. The summer days bake like a hot oven, don’t do it!
Winter, early spring and late fall is when you’ll want to plan your visit. Visit the preserve website right here… they should have all the info.
Most importantly, the preserve just re-opened Mitchell Caverns. You need to make a reservation to tour these fascinating limestone caverns, but it is worth the effort. Their current tour guide is incredibly intelligent. He was the main guide in 2018… I forget his name but he has a complete grasp of the ecology of the caverns. He also recommended an excellent Cormac McCarthy book to me, Blood Meridian. I’m reading it now and it is brutally violent but contains gorgeous writing.
Inside the caverns, the temperature is 62 degrees year round. So, this is the spot to be during midday highs.
The Mitchell Caverns are filled with stalactites and stalagmites and everything in between, including rare and endemic insects.
If you’re curious about the cultural history of plants inside the Mojave Preserve, then check this out. I just updated my database that reviews the ethnobotany of southern California plants. The Mojave National Preserve contains many of these plants.