Jawbone Canyon to Dove Springs — El Paso Mountains Desert Spine

The El Paso Mountains sit between the Mojave and the southern Sierra Nevada like a crumpled paper bag someone forgot about, and that’s exactly what makes this corridor worth running. Jawbone Canyon is the entry point — a sand-floored wash that cuts north from Highway 14, lined with Joshua trees and side canyons begging for exploration. Work your way east through the El Pasos on a network of BLM roads and you pass the old Red Rock Canyon formations, scattered mining ruins from the borax era, and the Bickel Camp site where early Mojave prospectors called it home. The terminus at Dove Springs drops you into one of the most open OHV areas in California, where the hardpack and whoops go on for miles.

This is desert running — loose sand in the washes, hardpack and embedded rock on the ridgelines, and the occasional steep climb that separates the cautious from the committed. High-clearance 4WD with aired-down tires handles it well; locking differentials are your friend in the deeper sand sections. Best season is October through April — summer temps in the El Pasos routinely hit 105°F and the canyon has zero shade at altitude. No permit required on BLM land. Nearest fuel and water is Mojave or Ridgecrest. Carry two gallons per person minimum. Cell service drops to zero once you’re in the canyon system.