Hole-in-the-Wall to Mid Hills — Mojave National Preserve Desert Loop via Wild Horse Canyon

The rings at Hole-in-the-Wall aren’t a photo op — they’re how you get out of the canyon. Iron rings bolted into the rhyolite walls of Banshee Canyon let you lower yourself down into the slot, and that descent sets the tone for everything that follows on Wild Horse Canyon Road. From the Hole-in-the-Wall information center, the route winds north through open creosote flats before climbing into piñon-juniper woodland toward Mid Hills Campground at 5,600 feet. The transition from low Mojave desert to highland forest happens fast, and the views across the Providence Mountains and back toward the Granite Mountains reward anyone with eyes open. The full loop returns via Black Canyon Road, passing the information center and the volcanic formations that give this corner of the preserve its eerie character.

This is a moderate high-clearance route — the rocky two-track sections through Banshee Canyon approach and Wild Horse Canyon require decent clearance but not a full rock-crawling rig. A stock high-clearance 4WD handles it comfortably in dry conditions; after rain, volcanic soil turns slick. Spring and fall are ideal; summer is survivable but brutally hot below 4,500 feet. No permit required for drive-through. Both Hole-in-the-Wall and Mid Hills campgrounds have water seasonally — confirm with the preserve before relying on it. Cell service is essentially zero. Carry extra fuel; the nearest gas is in Needles or Baker, both over an hour out.