South of Las Vegas by a couple hours, a hundred miles and a world away is the Mojave National Preserve where we have camped and hiked for the last 4-5 days. With 1.6 million acres located mostly in the Mojave Desert, this is a must-see destination. We camped at the Hole-in-the-Wall campground, which is a 35-site boondocking campground. For much of the time we have been here, there have been at most a dozen (usually less) other campers. Campsites are $12 per night, but with the “old guys” pass that cuts it to $6 per night for us. Go prepared; nearest available services of any kind are about 60-70 miles away in Needles, CA.

The desert is stunningly beautiful, and the colors and textures vary with the sun and shadows. From the Providence Mountain range (up to 8,000 feet), to the Kelso Dunes (600 feet – tallest in North America), to the desert floor, this is dream location (at least it is in January!). Love it!!