Dennis Kerr

My wife and I ran this trail in the reverse direction. Most of the trail is as described, but the recent monsoon rains have really washed out Waypoint 11 leaving much deeper ruts and much more exposed rock than in the pictures. When we made it to the lava tubes we spoke with a person driving a Jeep Cherokee that said they got stuck three times trying to make it up Waypoint 11 and had to keep backing down and giving it another shot before finally making it on their fourth attempt. All in all we really enjoyed this short trail and exploring the lava tubes. It's certainly different terrain than any other we experienced in the Mojave National Preserve.

This is a nice, easy trail that any experience level should have no problem with. A good portion of the drive is through a burnt forest of Joshua Trees but you can see lots of new growth as nature bounces back. The cinder mine and surrounding area is quite the contrast to the Joshua Tree forest and is a neat place to get out and do some exploring. Make sure an check for the latest road closures before you go. Currently Kelbaker Road is closed from Baker to Kelso Cima Road, so if you intend to drive straight through you're going to need to plan on taking a portion of the Mojave Road either coming or going.