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.

I have been with P&S tours since the business has been around for several years. Paulette and Bob…read moreare wonderful hosts. They are always friendly and do the best they can at accommodating everyone's comfort. I will give P&S Tours a 10+

PS Tours is the only way to travel. Paulette, Bob and our Ebemeyer-driver Dane were great. We took…read morea three day trip to Pismo Beach and surrounding areas. Or driver took us to Simi Valley where we started a 4-hour train ride along the coast aboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight Train. In Pismo, the weather was beautiful, warm during the day but not hot, Sept is beautiful in Pismo. Mornings and evenings were crisp but not cold. Our hotel Sandcastle Inn was so nice. The hotel was newly renovated. The staff was pleasant and very helpful. They prepared breakfast for our group and met every request with a smile. Their professionalism and teamwork was very noticeable and welcomed. We visited Moro Bay , their Natural Museum and took a 2 hour lunch cruise aboard Chablis Cruises. It was so nice to learn about Morro Bay from the staff. In the evening we went to Sensorio Light Field of Lights in Paso Robles, where you walk through the fields to view over 80,000 lights that come alive at dark. This was our second time at Sensorio they have added a restaurant, lighted fire pits, and different experiences to accommodate everyone. On Friday, we traveled to Santa Ynez, Ostrich-land and Solvang. We stopped for lunch and shopping for 2 hrs before heading home. Everyone was singing their praises to Paulette and Bob for another wonderful trip. Looking forward to another trip soon.

Explored Silver City Ghost Town's creaky saloons and mining cabins--perfectly preserved…read more100-year-old relics felt frozen in Gold Rush days, with cool artifacts everywhere. Affordable entry, haunted vibes added thrill (booked lantern tour next), short drive from Lake Isabella made it an easy adventure. Bodfish hidden gem for history buffs!

We're traveling in an RV & went to Bakersfield because a friend lives out there. Found this cool…read moreplace on Yelp & decided to give it a try. We brought the families & it was a WONDERFUL experience! I even got some cool antiques to put in my RV from the gift shop. I loved the history of the place. I loved that we could bring our dog also.

The tour was so much more than we expected. We are locals and didn't think there was anything new…read morewe could learn about our town but we were totally wrong. We experienced a new restaurant as well as learned so much history about the places we went to. We also made new friends with some of the other people taking the same tour which is always a benefit! Definitely recommend!

Palm Springs Old and new!…read more The MAGIC CART RIDE is such a fun activity for tourists and locals alike. I'm a long-time local, but I still have so much to see and learn. I work with many tourists who ask me about great activities and this is the top on my list. Donnie and Kathy (the tour guides) are so much fun- taking us through the history of Palm Springs, while pointing out the newer details about the area. History, culture, art, food, what more can we ask for? They kept us hydrated and filled with beverages, water, food and even a nifty gift bag. This tour is small and intimate, with only 6 guests, so everyone has a chance to ask questions and absorb! The tour includes several stops featuring cocktails, mocktails and food while you enjoy the experience. Some of our stops included several popular and my personal choices, Eight Four Nine and Crudo. We were treated to Crudo's pistachio lime cocktail - perfect beverage to feel relaxation at its finest! These may be on your tour, or there will be other wonderful places. Best to even take the tour again, in case you missed something! I don't want to give much more away so just trust me and make your reservation now. It's truly memorable and magical!

Came out from OC as we heard great things about this hike and the hot springs we could get into…read more They do charge $10 per person for parking depending on how many people are in your car. The hike down is beautiful with wide desert views. Just remember: going back up is a workout. Bring plenty of water and be ready for sun. The hot springs themselves are awesome--several warm pools and the cold creek right next to them. It can get busy, but still really relaxing. Overall, a great adventure spot if you're up for a tougher hike. Would definitely go again.

Clean, beautifully maintained. There's a fire pit by each camp site, and except for the ones for…read morebig groups, lots of space for privacy. The hike back from the hot springs is no joke, especially on a hot day if it gets to 80s. It is nonstop uphill for about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on your speed. Still gorgeous.

I finally had the chance to visit this place after discovering it a while back, and it was an even…read morebigger experience than I expected. It's definitely out in the desert, but that makes sense, they need plenty of space to safely house and care for so many different animals. All of the animals looked healthy, well cared for, and comfortable in their habitats. The admission price was very reasonable, and the Extreme Feed experience was absolutely worth it (just keep in mind it's for ages 18+). I know it can feel a little sad seeing animals in enclosures, but learning more about their backgrounds helped put things into perspective. Many of them can't survive in the wild, and this sanctuary gives them a safe, protected place to live with a staff that clearly cares about their well‑being. Overall, it was a meaningful and memorable visit, and I'm glad places like this exist to give these animals a second chance.

$15 to get in which isn't bad at all.. The sad part is the animals. While I think they're being…read moretaken of.. The space they're in is so small. I understand it's not a zoo and money may not be available.. But it's just sad to be. Plus it's in a neighborhood! How scary is that... Go and support these beautiful animals but don't expect to be there for not than an hour or so..

If you're in the area this boat tour of the lake is a must!…read moreCapt Ryan was professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and a comedian. Had the best 50min tour with perfect weather. Learned so much about the lake and surrounding areas. He gives recommendations for resturants, fishing spots, lake activities, tours, and ALA access. So worth the price

Great views, great story telling about the lake and for cost vs. experience I would say this tour…read morewas well worth it. The captain of the boat was courteous and made everyone laugh as well.

This was hands down one of the best tours I have ever experienced. It is a bit daunting to think…read moreabout finding the tour group off a Joshua Tree parking lot at night, but the logistics and communication by Molly and Tony were exceptional, with Cuz onsite. They are also quick responders to any questions. Every aspect of the experience has been perfected. I don't know much about astronomy and figured this tour would help point out some constellations for us. It was SO much more, full of Tony's impassioned stories from different cultures about the stars . His enthusiasm is contagious and knowledge is impressive. The tour is totally unscripted yet packed with great stories and just the right amount of interaction. It is a great and inspiring story how the business was developed. They offer drinks and snacks as well as blankets and gravity chairs, with flameless candles lighting where to step. The two other highlights for us were the UFO military grade goggles that make the stars and planets pop as they did for our ancestors, prior to light pollution. The equipment is clearly state of the art. The slow exposure portrait Tony takes at the end is absolutely beautiful and frameable. I left wanting to do further research on the stars, and would repeat these tours again for sure.

If you're into seeing the night sky the way God intended for us to see, then these are the guys to…read morehookup with. You will see things that will not only educate you, but will blow your mind. Tony is a great storyteller and his sidekick Kevin is hoot as well. It made our whole stay worth it. When we come back we'll be hooking up A2WS again.

I grew up in San Diego and I've lived in LA for many years and a year after year I keep telling…read moremyself that I have to check this place out. For this most recent long three-day weekend in Lake Arrowhead we decided to finally give this place a try. We are two adults in our 30s with no kids. It is important to note that because honestly, this place is for children 10 and under. It is not for teens or adults. It is honestly pretty underwhelming if you are an adult, but it can be quite charming if you are a child. It is also $55 per person and $15 for parking which is a bit expensive, but I understand the inflated price due to the location and having to staff it. One thing about this place that is nice is they don't have a bunch of add-ons once you get inside, so you really do just pay one price unless you decide to get food as well. The other part of this park is specifically designed for people into mountain biking. They have six different trails ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult and about half of the visitors seemed to be doing that which we would go back specifically for. The activities for adults are pretty limited, so the main ones that we did were the bike in the air that goes around the rim of the property. This is the ride that you see in all the marketing and is the most popular. It was probably the most fun we had but it was honestly a bit scary once you get to the steepest point. It's about 50 feet above the ground so it would be quite a fall down. After that, we tried some archery and ax throwing which was surprisingly fun. After that, there was honestly nothing else that we could really do given our age and size so we headed out after that. This would be a great place to visit during December with children 10 and under because they do have Santa Claus and people in costumes and what not and each of the buildings is alpine themed and is very quaint. They also have a very large area that serves as a wedding location so I'm sure that is also another part of this place. There is a large free parking lot attached in front with EV charging available as well.

We've been here 4-5 times and it was time for a review. Ticket prices are high, but I thought it…read morewas OK for 1x a year trip or once every 2 years. We've been here during the fall and winter and I would recommend coming for the winter decorations. The crowd varies during the year, when we came during the fall weekday, it was empty and there was no wait for any of the activities. We came last week (3 days before Christmas) and we had to wait for each activity. It wasn't bad, but it did make the day longer. If you plan to eat, I would eat earlier because in the afternoon lunch our food took about 1hr. The highlight of the trip for my kid is santa and I'm glad we did that first to get a reservations. We did the mountain bike part earlier in the fall and that was nice if your kid is into it. We rented all the gear and opted for the tour guide to help us get use to it.

What a great experience we had! the guide was amazing we got there early as they asked to check in…read moreand get the equipment fitted properly. tour was beautiful and i highly recommend coming to the see the property the equipment was very well maintained and as long as you follow the rules there weren't any problems at all! We will absolutely be coming back to do the side by sides next time!!! Went in September and cant stop talking about it. great for any skill level and they were very understanding of first timers. made my partner feel at ease and was so funny!

Just got back from our ATV trail riding in Angeles Forest. It was Amazing! Highly recommend!…read moreOur guide Kevin was terrific! The safety equipment provided is excellent. Even paper ski masks to help keep out the dust! That was a very nice and unexpected touch. I was a bit nervous after reading some of the reviews about getting the waivers done. But it's not hard. I've worked in IT help desks for years so I know some people are just not good with a computer. That's fine. Just read the instructions carefully and you'll get thru. Or just get help from a teenager. :-) To get to this location they give you very good directions. If you follow them you'll have no issues. It's actually very easy! But GPS is not great for the less traveled roads in the mountains going to a place that doesn't really have a street address. We will be going back soon! Hopefully for 2 hours next time!