If you're looking to camp and you don't want to drive too far from Los Angeles, Red Rock Canyon…read moreState Park is a great option. They have several campgrounds which is first and first serve. There's also several hiking spots in the area, which are less than a mile. There's also a visitor center, which has a lot of information about the park and clean bathroom. Great spot for photos!

Beautiful state park offering a cute Visitor Center, plentiful hiking trails, and a campground…read more Entrance fee as of Feb. 2026 is $5.00, payable at the Visitor Center, and is required to park anywhere in the park. Known for its striking red cliffs, this park also offers great wildflower viewing. I hiked the Hagen Canyon Trail, which already had flowers blooming in what is technically still winter! Highly recommended.

Calico Ghost Town is a historic ghost town and former silver mining community located in the Calico…read moreMountains of California's Mojave Desert. Founded in 1881 during the silver mining boom, the town prospered for over a decade before declining when silver prices collapsed. By 1907, most residents had left, and Calico was eventually restored and transformed into the county-operated attraction known today as Calico Ghost Town.   Situated just off Interstate 15, about 3 miles from both Barstow and Yermo, Calico has become a popular stop for travelers exploring Southern California or driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. We visited in February 2026 during our trip to Las Vegas and were impressed by the dramatic desert scenery, unique rock formations, and panoramic views from the surrounding hills.   Today, visitors from around the world come to experience the atmosphere of an authentic Old West mining town. The park offers a variety of amenities, including RV and group camping, cabins and bunkhouses, mountain biking trails, off-road vehicle areas, shops, and restaurants. Throughout the year, Calico hosts several special events such as Civil War reenactments, the Spring Festival with Americana music, Calico Days celebrations featuring burro races and mining-themed activities, and the popular Halloween Ghost Haunt in October.   Only minutes from Interstate 15 and a short drive north of Barstow, Calico Ghost Town makes an enjoyable roadside stop for food, shopping, sightseeing, and a glimpse into California's mining history. However, I would recommend visiting Calico Ghost Town during the spring or winter months rather than in the summer, when desert temperatures can become extremely hot and less comfortable for exploring the outdoor attractions and surrounding hills.

Whats happened to this place ? I am sad to say that Calico…read morehas seen better days. Ive been going here since the 1980s. I miss what it felt like, even 15ish years ago. Yes its an OLD run down ghost town but it truely feels OLD and run down now. Trash everywhere. Spiderwebs and dust everywhere. Its not the Calico look, its literally no one cleaning around here. It looks so unclean everywhere we went. Also...I dont feel many workers are in Character anymore. I miss that. If they are even dressed up they are just sitting around on their phones or talking to each ither. Zero interaction. Zero immersion... just so disappointed. We keep coming back but its just getting worse.

We stopped by here during a road trip. It's a nice small park with a tank, train, flying eagle…read morestatue and some other stuff. It was perfect to stop by for 10~20 minutes and stretch our legs. Not too far from the freeway :)

If you love tanks and trains then you should stop by and take a quick look around. The park is tiny…read moreso don't expect to linger here for hours but just minutes to see these two metal classics on display.

Nice park near my house, has a lot of different areas of activities: basketball courts, tennis…read morecourts, volleyball court, shaded children's playground, 4 baseball diamonds, soccer field that also doubles as football field. There are picnic tables and bbqs throughout the park, a track lines the perimeter and there's also a vending machine library. I really enjoy walking my dog there. With the new builds in the area the park has gotten super busy, but still a great place to visit.

Sunset Ridge Park is easily one of the nicest parks in the High Desert! It's always so clean and…read morewell-maintained, which I really appreciate. They recently added one of those cool library vending machines, and I love that touch--it makes the park feel even more welcoming and community-focused. The playground is great, the baseball fields are well-kept, and it's the perfect place to walk, relax, or hang out with family. It's definitely my favorite park in the area. If I had one suggestion, it would be to add a trash can and hand dryers inside the restroom. Other than that, I just hope people continue to take care of it--it's such a beautiful space and it deserves to stay that way!

Went for a bike ride and found they have really been working hard to clean this place up. There a…read morenew buildings, there is a horse stall and ring (fingers crossed they will have horse rides again) and the overgrowth has been seriously cut back. It is beginning to look great again. I hope they start hosting family fun events again such as chili cook offs, margarita pr beer gatherings.

Beautiful park in the high desert offering many recreational activities for the whole family. Great…read morefor hiking, relaxing, camping, picnicking, wildlife watching, photography and fishing. There is a fee per day/per car ($15 as of this writing), so plan accordingly. While I didn't camp, I did see some stunning campsites right next to the water and in beautiful condition. Lots of great hiking spots, lots of folks fishing and overall a wonderful atmosphere. There's even a Frisbee golf course. Very clean and well-maintained. Parking is included in the entrance fee. Always check the website https://parks.sbcounty.gov/park/mojave-narrows-regional-park/ for current regulations and fees. Enjoy!

First Puppy play date in the snow‍‍ Our friends bought the brother to ours. So much fun! Great…read morefriends = Great puppies‍‍ The puppies and all 4 of us had a blast. Puppies "Brothers 8 Months old." They had a great time playing up and down the snow hills. Walk a 100 yards on the trail, and you will see a little cove for the dogs and kids to play, sled in deep untouched snow. A hidden gem. Safe where we went, no traffic, away from the busy highway. We so enjoyed the puppies first time experiencing the snow with our puppies. TIP: STOP. Weekends: You need a day parking pass $5.00 Where do you buy one. At the visitors center, before going up to the end of Wrightwood. Weekdays you do not need a day parking pass. Rules not unforced during the week days. Top of Wrightwood. Plenty of Parking. Clean Bench, maps of the trail , and two restrooms. Bring your own: seat cover & TP. Hand sanitizer. Mount High Cafe I hope you have as much fun as we did! Great hidden gem.

Oops! I have no idea why I called the mountains "dainty " On second thought I do, yet let's step…read moreforward. We had a delightful experience! it is an absolutely beautiful place. The creation is beautiful. We all need beauty. There is a lot of ugliness, evil, and error being floated around by various persons so it's nice to be in a place where the unadulterated beauty of the creator shines forth. Wrightwood with all the trees and the streams and the mountains and the birds and the other animals and the snowflakes and the ice and the rain and the sun and the wind and a pretty homes and the delightful architecture and the friendly people, and I hear the church is nice too. Yes I know there is more than one church and if there are other places of worship I apologize; I am not familiar with them.

We spent many days at this park when my kids were young. My Moms group used to meet here so the…read morekids could play. Happy memories, all those kids are now grown and moved on to start their lives. This park was named after the founder of Tehachapi. It has the prettiest, tallest shade trees around. It has over 5 acres of grass, there is picnic tables, BBQ's, restrooms and a gazebo in the center of the park. You can rent the gazebo for $75.00 and a security deposit of $75.00. I have been to many parties in the park and the gazebo is really nice to set the food and gifts in. I personally know a couple people who were married in it. You can even rent out the full park for an event for $500 a day with a $1500 deposit. The playground is newly renovated and you always see happy kids running around. I have been here on multiple occasions and have seen kids in the late teens and young adults hanging out near the restrooms. They are definitely up to no good, We have seen small kids at the park themselves, I don't recommend that. This may be a small town but there is a drug problem and some of the people like to hang out here. So as long as the kids are supervised this is a nice place to spend some time. Many events are held here, Tehachapi Mountain festival, Tehachapi Old-timers Reunion, music in the park and also movies in the park. You can check with the Tehachapi Parks and Recreation for more information.

Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the community - but Tehachapi holds a special place in my heart…read more It's also where my boyfriend works and occasionally I get to visit him. This park is not too far from his campus and is a great spot to stretch the legs and wander around. I love the tree carvings and lush old-growth landscaping. This is a great park to escape the heat and bring the kids to run around!

This place was such a nice free surprise off the side of the freeway on the drive from CA. to…read moreVegas! I learned a lot of history, saw some intriguing and inspiring sculptures, and actually learned a lot of new things I had no idea about or wouldn't think would be here. The whole park is funded by volunteers and educates people on the China Communist Party and the devastation communism provides. There were even parts along the fence with Chinese signs and notes about people who had been prisoners or died from communism. It will really send a chill down your spine. Take a nice walk along the park, read some signs, learn something new, and take in the beautiful (and tragic) sculpture art. Thank you for this park, funding it, and your desire to educate others and really better our world one viewer at a time.

Found Liberty Sculpture Park randomly on a visit in the area. And honestly, five stars for no…read moreadmission fee and being incredibly unexpected. It's a drive-through Sculpture Garden created by political refugees/protesters from China. The artists have nothing good to say about Communism, that's for sure, and also acknowledge the Civil Rights and Indigenous Rights movements in the USA. Many "establishment" museums and galleries would never give a spot to any of these artists, in my opinion....which is kind of ironic when you think about how many artists were revolutionary in their time. And what about the First Amendment? (Oh, congratulations Afroman by the way! We have to fight for our rights to create art in this country.) Anyway, thought-provoking stop if you're in the area. Great value....you can't beat free.

PROS: I love the park. Looks like it was built by boyscouts a long time ago. The Mojave river…read moreruns right past it along with dual traintracks and an excellent view of Quarzsite mountain. I've seen all sorts of wildlife here, from ducks, big fish, little fish, crawfish, beavers, hawks, pelicans, huge amounts of crows, Big Owls, and theres squirrels that live at the flagpole. The rocks in the park are known to hide secret treasures from tweakers, i found all sorts of snap on bits, an expensive folding knife and a book on Spiritual Warfare. I love to take my rc trucks as a trail companion, not much action for crawlers. Sometimes I hike the powerline road that leads to the park and washes from Brentwood area. 4x4's are known to drive up the River. There's two large patches of grass and the water company constantly tests the waters so there's daily early visits from specialists. They say it's reservations only but the area has a small amount of parking for many cars. I've never seen law enforcement there. We like to go here primarly cuz not many people are there and it makes my family feel safer. The city mops the place up of grafitti. CONS: This park is now a serious hotspot for human traffickers, people breaking into trains that live in the granite rock quarry directly above the park. Unseen in the park, are shantys, rv's, the rock quarry now a giant trash pit. I was looking for the devil faces in the rocks and found a ghost town of creepy vibes. Go figure. Feb 28th I was almost sacraficed in a vampire coven in apple valley. I walked out of a trap that day only to find that camp on the other side of the mojave river. I barely made it to rockview that day and got picked up. I've gone to this park many many times. I doubt i'll go here anymore without a ccw. I will fear no evil type ahhhh either way. All the wildlife is vanishing, everything is fair game for food thanks to the village of people living near the river. Literally everything has vanished. starting with ducks, then fish, then beavers, then squirrels!!!! It wouldn't surprise me if they are eating crow. Life must be tough. BEWARE: of black magic human traffickers here. What am I talking about? Traps. People that are too friendly, a girl flirting too much, or a guy wanting to see you again to go to other spots or they ask to take pictures of your children. Be careful people, there's an evil cult that has taken over everywhere in the HD, I'm talking full on the worst things you could think of as a business. Extortion, framing, giving stds and claiming u graped, every type of human trafficking problem, selling body parts up to adrenochrome. These people use GHB laced foods/drinks, and other evil drugs to seduce you into whats known as a honey trap. I love you all, discern peoples motives, do they seem dark or like they've done this before. These families are full of smiles, but you can see the anticipation of fear in thier actions. They study your reactions, and mirror you. If you use drugs, they'll lace yours. These are interesting times we live in, God Bless you all, Godspeed. (I'm a good looking guy that open carrys a chrome plated pair of large scissors. I was almost shot in Brentwood park point black by a 357 while holding my 4 year old son. I took my kids to rockview to reconnect them to nature. I'm deeply concerned with the HD falling into evil hands. My favorite things to do in this city now are going to court and watching people in tough situations and praying for them, and praying in an open area of the desert with a 360 view while i watch the sunset.)

I wanted to go on a little hike here with my family, but not only did it not say anywhere that it…read morewas reservation only (something I only found out through another yelp review) but also the place it was telling us to enter was closed and had a sign saying no parking. On google it says it was open 24hrs today. And when we tried to call, we got a pre-recorded message from October and the website would just not load. Honestly just update your stuff because this was pretty disappointing. Mojave Narrows it is