Great Drives - California

Highway 395

Starting just east of Los Angeles, in the Mojave Desert, U.S. 395 provides one of the great drives in the United States. It begins in the high desert of Southern California, ends at the Canadian border, and in-between, crosses some of the most desolate land in California, as well as taking you to high elevations and some of the most magnificent mountain views in the world. This story is about the southern part of the Hwy. 395 drive.

The Owens Valley

Lying just east of the Sierra Nevada and north of the Mojave Desert, the Owens Valley is one of the least known and thus most underrated places for vacationing in the state. With the High Sierra to the west and the Inyo and White Mountains to the east, this spectacular valley provides the entrance to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states, and to a wealth of other outdoor adventure attractions including the John Muir Wilderness, and Death Valley National Park.

Highway 395 begins its northward trek at Interstate 15, a few miles west of Vistorville. It passes the small town of Adelanto (motels, store) and runs through 30 miles of open desert. Before reaching the Owens Valley from the south, we recommend taking a 20 mile side-trip eastward (via Hwy. 58) to Red Rock Canyon -- north of the town of Mojave on Highway 14. Red Rock Canyon State Park, with a campground situated in a setting of uplifted layers of sandstone, lava and tuff. There is a short nature trail and the whole park&emdash;with its canyons and unusual rock formations&emdash;begs to be explored. Beyond Red Rock Canyon -- if you take Hwy. 14 north to return to Hwy. 395 (about 35 miles) -- the Owens Valley appears.

If you miss Red Rock Canyon and continue northward on Hwy. 395, you drive through flat desert, close to the Edwards Air Force Base dry lake, and then passing the old mining towns of Randsburg and Johannesburg. Randsburg is a funky ghost town, well worth visiting. Ridgecrest is a modern town a few miles east of the highway. Then you approach the Owens Valley -- passing the exit to Death Valley and circling around the northern edge of the Owens Lake bed. A shoirt trip around the southern edge of the lake bed provides access to Dirty Socks Hot Springs -- a long-deserted pool in the desert, off a side road from Highway 190. Be warned, the hot water stinks from sulphur like its namesake hose.

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