{"id":2413,"date":"2014-10-26T05:25:09","date_gmt":"2014-10-26T05:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/titus-canyon-road-trip-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-09-21T19:44:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T19:44:00","slug":"mojave-narrows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/mojave-narrows\/","title":{"rendered":"Mojave Narrows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Walking Around the Mojave Narrows:<\/h3>
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In the center of the High Desert\u2019s Victor Valley is one of the largest riparian zones in the Mojave Desert.<\/strong>\u00a0 Known as the Mojave Narrows, it is often overlooked as a place to escape our busy, day-to-day lives and enjoy some of the nearby nature that our region has to offer.<\/p>

By definition, a riparian zone is a place where land and a river meet. \u00a0For us, the Mojave Narrows riparian zone creates a kind of oasis in the desert where there is lush plant life and lots of wildlife.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Getting There<\/h3>

Get to the High Desert by using the I-15 Freeway. From the L.A. Area, that means driving I-15 over the Cajon Pass.<\/p>

From either direction on I-15, head towards Victorville and exit on Bear Valley Road. Go east on Bear Valley Road for 4 miles. Starting at I-15, you may already see signs directing you to the Mojave Narrows Regional Park. After driving 4 miles through many traffic lights, look for Ridgecrest Road (just after crossing over the railroad tracks) and turn left (north).<\/p>

Continue on Ridgecrest Road for 2.5 miles. You’ll see the entrance to the park on the left.<\/p>

After paying a modest entrance fee, there are several places to park your car and begin exploring. You can explore on foot, horseback or mountain bike. The park boasts a campground, several picnic areas, several playgrounds for children, a water park, horseback riding, fishing at the two lakes and plenty of wide-open scenery to enjoy that will make you forget you are near a large urban area.<\/p>

If you are reading this article after 2015, be aware that the street alignment for Ridgecrest Road will have changed to accommodate for a new expressway that passes just south of Mojave Narrows. Follow the appropriate signs to the entrance.<\/p>

About the Mojave Narrows<\/h3>

The Mojave Narrows got its name from the large granite outcropping located where Highway 18 crosses the Mojave River. This outcropping acts as a natural barrier to the water that flows underground in the Mojave River. The water has to squeeze through this narrow passage and, as it does, it comes to the surface and pools.<\/p>

As the water is forced to the surface, plant life can take hold and the lush oasis we now enjoy is created. This plant life in turn attracts wildlife making the Mojave Narrows a very unique ecosystem of the Mojave Desert.<\/p>

Within this riparian zone, which stretches from approximately the Victor Valley College to Oro Grande, is the Mojave Narrows Regional Park. The Park is operated by the County of San Bernardino and is part of the historic Verde Ranch that was started in the late 1800s. Inside the Park are two lakes and scattered wetlands with a dense forest of cottonwood and willow trees that stretches along the riverbed for four miles and is almost a mile wide.<\/p>

Cottonwood trees get very large and are deciduous (meaning they lose their leaves each year). In the late fall months, the leaves on these cottonwood trees turn yellow making the Mojave Narrows a great place to go for some fall colors. The best time to see these big trees in their fall colors is during the month of November or after a few weeks of near-freezing temperatures.<\/p>

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Pictures<\/h3>

Below are some pictures of what you will see along the way.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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