Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert occupies the southwestern United States, covering Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California. This large desert plain (35,000 square kilometers) has been nicknamed the “Sahara of the New World”. The Mojave is crossed by several hills, and along its border are mountain ranges. The desert is known as the “Valley of Death” – one of the hottest places on Earth.

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Video: Mojave Desert

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“Character” of the desert

The Mojave’s “temperament” is hot, with summer temperatures reaching +49 degrees in the valley region and over +54 degrees in the lowlands. The weather is affected by the wind, because in some places its gusts reach 80 kilometers per hour. Despite the climate, for a long time alfalfa was grown here – the plants were irrigated thanks to the California aqueduct and groundwater.

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The hottest strip is Death Valley. Native Americans called this place the “Burning Ground”, but today residents of nearby states dub it the earthly hell. Being in Death Valley is dangerous: after just a few hours without water, a person can die. But people like to challenge the difficulties – every year there is an extreme marathon Badwater. You have to run just over 200 kilometers under the scorching sun. The road is laid on hot asphalt, and in the face blows headwind – about 20 meters per second. But there are those who want to participate – on average 70-80 people take part. Only about 50 people reach the finish line.

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Only in winter you can safely walk in this area – the thermometer column shows about 0 °C. Each year in the Mojave falls about 150 mm of precipitation, but in the mountains more – from 1000 to 2000 mm. In winter, there are snowfalls in the desert, and so heavy that they block traffic on the highways.

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The main source of water for this desiccated land is the eponymous Mojave River.

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Transforming the Mojave

Despite the climate, the desert doesn’t miss an opportunity to show off. In the spring, the land is covered with bright colors. Since there are no abundant rains, many plants do not take root. But acacia, wormwood, various types of palms and narrow-leaved shrubs do well here. There are also cacti, creosote bush, and tree yucca, which are perennials. There are about 2,000 plant species in the Mojave.

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Animals also had to get used to the difficult conditions. Many mammals escape the heat of the day in burrows, coming to the surface at night. The Mojave is home to cougars, foxes, coyotes, goats and rabbits. There are also turtles, iguanas, scorpions, lizards and snakes. Birds also inhabit the desert area.

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Ghost Towns

Today, the Mojave is mostly wind-driven, with occasional tourists visiting the desert. It was a very different picture in the 19th century. After the discovery of silver and gold deposits, a succession of gold prospectors came here. Cities appeared on the territory of the desert, but almost all of them were abandoned with time. Some were abandoned when the noble metal deposits were depleted, others when highways were bypassed.

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One of the ghost towns is Calico. The locals once labored in the silver mines. Today, all that remains of the bustling town is an abandoned railroad depot. Even road signs refer to Calico as a “ghost town.” Walter Nott is to thank for the town’s survival. This man bought the area in 1951 and set about restoring it. Now everyone can come here to get a real Wild West atmosphere.

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There are also “living” cities in Mojave – Las Vegas and Palmdale, as well as several smaller communities. The famous world entertainment center is located in the very “heart” of the desert. The local climate affects the life of the town – the main problem is water supply. But Las Vegas continues to exist as an oasis in the desert.

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Walking the Preserves

The Mojave is home to several national parks and preserves. Among them are Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Zion. Primarily, the parks were created to preserve native flora. But lifeless landscapes, reminiscent of distant planets, also attract tourists. They are looking for interesting plants, for example, yucca short-leaved. The locals have nicknamed it Joshua’s tree. From February to June, the plant blooms with beautiful white inflorescences.

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The area of Joshua Tree Park is more than 3 thousand square kilometers. Tourists rush here to see all the diversity of California nature. Flowering cacti, rock formations, boulders against the sunset, lonely trees, stepped rocks – the Mojave Desert is charming in its own way.

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Another preserve is Red Rock Canyon. The attraction is located 27 kilometers west of Las Vegas. Tourists can look at the remains of the ancient ocean – rocks of sandstone and limestone. Multicolored rocks surprise with different shades – from light brick to dark red. The reserve is famous for the diversity of plant and animal life, as well as rock art – it was left by the Indians.

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Along the Red Rocks Road is the Bunny Springs Ranch. It used to be a mining town that was converted into an amusement park for tourists. In the XIX century here rested migrants from California, gaining strength before the journey through Death Valley. Today, there are stages set up right on the streets of the town, where performances for guests are shown. You can visit the local wax museum, visit ancient mines and craftsmen’s workshops.

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In Mojave National Park, the natural wonder that is Mitchell Caverns are worth a look. They are decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. These are the result of sedimentary marble and limestone that have been dissolved by groundwater. Also within the reserve are the Kelso humming dunes. When the sands crumble, they create a low rumbling sound. The humming sound lasts up to 15 minutes. This “singing” used to be feared by the locals.

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The most famous attraction of the desert is the giant thermometer. It reaches a height of 40 meters. To see it, you have to get to the I-15 freeway near the town of Baker, located in the state of California.

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A haven for airplanes and spaceships

Mojave has a haven for unwanted airplanes as well. Aircraft that once flew commercial flights are sent here. The place resembles an airport terminal, but no one announces upcoming flights. Airplanes are constantly in the heat, thanks to which they do not rust – they are helped by the dried air. Most of them have no engines, wings or portholes. “Graveyard” of aircraft is located in the desert, at the intersection of highways 14 and 58. Nearby is another transportation site – a spaceport. This is the only spaceport in the United States from which commercial flights into space are made. It is a three-hour drive from Los Angeles.

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Desert Travel

To get around the desert, many visitors to the Mojave choose a Jeep. There are few roads in the desert, and asphalt paths often transition to dirt and sand roads. They were built long ago and are now only occasionally repaired. But the difficulties of travel more than outweigh the pleasure of the local beauty.

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