12 Best Sights in The Mojave Desert, California

Friendly and enthusiastic staffers conduct guided tours of this 53-square-mile complex at Fort Irwin Military Base, 35 miles north of Barstow. Tours start at the Goldstone Museum, where exhibits detail past and present space missions and Deep Space Network history. From there, you'll drive out to see the massive concave antennas, starting with those used for early manned space flights and culminating with the 24-story-tall "listening" device. This is one of only three complexes in the world that make up the Deep Space Network, tracking and communicating with spacecraft throughout our solar system. One-month advanced reservations are required for this 2½-hour driving tour (in your own vehicle); contact the complex to reserve a slot. The NASA Goldstone Deep Space Visitor Center at the Harvey House in Barstow offers a glimpse of what's in store.

A reminder of an ugly episode in U.S. history, this site is where more than 10,000 Japanese-Americans were contained behind barbed-wire fences between 1942 and 1945. A visit here is both deeply moving and inspiring—the former because it’s hard to comprehend that the United States was capable of confining its citizens in such a way, the latter because those imprisoned here persevered despite the adversity.

The best place to start is the outstanding interpretive center, which screens a 22-minute documentary film and displays historical photos, artifacts, and a model of the camp as it was during WWII. Although few of the original 1940s structures remain, the area known as Block 14 has a restored mess hall and reconstructions of a women's latrine as well as two barracks, where four exhibits highlight what daily life was like here. You can also drive or bike the 3.2-mile road through the site, taking a self-guided tour of Japanese rock gardens, various signposted ruins, and a small cemetery.

When it comes to the history of road travel in America, it's hard not to think fondly of Historic Route 66, and this 4,500-square-foot museum is chock-full of memorabilia—maps and postcards, photographs, paintings, nostalgic displays—that brings the iconic highway to life. Highlights include a Studebaker horse carriage, a 1917 Model T Ford, and an original concession stand from Santa Monica Beach. Friendly volunteers are more than happy to answer questions and take your picture inside the flower-painted VW Love Bus. There's a large gift shop where you can sift through Mother Road souvenirs. 

A mile from the San Andreas Fault, this natural bowl-shape depression in the earth is framed by 300-foot rock walls. At the bottom is a stream, which you can reach via a moderately strenuous 1-mile hike. You also can detour on a short nature trail; at the top, an interpretive center has displays of native flora and fauna, including live animals such as snakes, lizards, and birds of prey.

The highlights of this museum dedicated to Inyo County and the Eastern Sierra’s history include photos and artifacts from the Manzanar War Relocation Center, Paiute and Shoshone baskets, and exhibits on the Los Angeles Aqueduct and mountaineer Norman Clyde. Be sure to visit the botanical garden and the outdoor exhibits as well.

London Bridge dates back to the 1830s when it spanned the River Thames in London, England, then was taken apart in the late 1960s and reconstructed piece-by-piece in, of all places, the planned community of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Today, it is a draw for curious tourists (even Brits who remember it at the original location) and connects the city to a small island. Riverbanks on both sides have numerous restaurants, hotels, and RV parks.

More than two dozen hand-painted murals in downtown Barstow depict the town's history, from prehistoric times and early explorers to pioneer caravans, mining eras, and Route 66. Self-guided walking tour maps are available at the Barstow Chamber of Commerce or on the Main Street Mural website. 

Considered "Barstow's attic," this museum has a floor-to-ceiling collection that highlights local history, both quirky and conventional. Items on display include Ice Age fossils such as a giant mammoth tusk dug up in 2006, Native American artifacts, 19th-century handmade quilts, and exhibits on early settlers. Entrance is free, and there’s a little gift shop with a nice collection of more than 500 books about the area.  The story about Possum Trot and its population of folk-art dolls is not to be missed.

A delightful place for a family picnic, the hatchery was one of California's first trout farms. The Tudor Revival–style structure, constructed in 1916, is an architectural stunner, its walls nearly 3 feet thick with locally quarried granite. Fish production ceased in 2007 after a fire and subsequent mudslide, but dedicated volunteers staff the facility and raise trout for display purposes in a large pond out front. Bring change for the fish-food machines.

The colorful history of the Rand Mining District during its heyday of 1896 is celebrated in this small museum, with displays that include historical mining photographs, documents, and artifacts. Since the museum is only open weekends (11 am–2 pm) based on volunteer availability, it's best to email ahead regarding a visit. (The phone line is seldom answered.) 

Nestled in the foothills of the Antelope Valley, this enclave is both Benedictine monastery and restful place for both day visitors and those participating in retreats. You can walk the lush tree-lined grounds, which include a shaded pond teeming with ducks and red-eared turtles, or browse the well-stocked gift shop. Ceramic tiles in the image of saints and angels by Father Maur van Doorslaer, a Belgian monk whose work U.S. and Canadian collectors favor, are among the items sold here to help sustain the monastery and its good works.

You can almost hear the murmur of passengers and rhythmic, metal-on-metal clatter as you stroll past the old cabooses, railcars, and engines, such as Sante Fe Number 95, that are on display outside the historic Barstow station housing this museum. Inside, the memorabilia includes a train simulator, rail equipment, a model railroad, items from the depot’s Harvey House days, and period dining-car china from railways around the country.