My 10th anniversary Mojave National Preserve bicycle-camping trip. I didn't know when I first visited Mojave National Preserve back in 1999 that I would be coming back with my bicycle many more times. As usual, I take the Amtrak train-and-bus combination to the start of the trip in Baker, California.
The chilly late-November weather means that I'm avoiding the higher elevations in the Preserve, but it provides an opportunity to comfortably visit the often-hot Devil's Playground area. High daytime temperatures in nearby Baker during this trip range from 54F to 72F, while overnight lows range from 32F to 41F.
Four of this trip's eight days were hiking days. I camped two nights on the east side of Devil's Playground, three nights on Cornfield Spring Road and two nights off the power-line road west of Kelso Dunes. Drinking water came from Kelso Depot, Cornfield Spring and a store in Baker.
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Day 1: Baker to east side of Devil's Playground, northwest of Old Dad Mountain, by bicycle, Mojave National Preserve
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Day 2: Old Dad Mountain Canyon and Idora Mine Canyon day hike, Mojave National Preserve
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Day 3: Devil's Playground to Cornfield Spring Road via Jackass Canyon by bicycle
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Day 4: Hike to Cornfield Spring on the west side of the Providence Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
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Day 5: Hike to Rex Mine and west edge of the Providence Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
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Day 6: Cornfield Spring Road to west of Kelso Dunes by bicycle
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Day 7: Bull Canyon hike, Granite Mountains, Mojave National Preserve
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Day 8: Kelso Dunes area to Baker, CA by bicycle
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Map of Mojave National Preserve bicycle and hiking routes