Mojave Road — Needles to Barstow via Fort Piute, Government Holes, and Afton Canyon (Full East-to-West Historic Crossing)
138 miles of wagon-rut Mojave history, end to end.
The Mojave Road is an old government freight and mail route, used by indigenous people for centuries before Kit Carson and the Army pushed wagons across it in the 1850s. Running east to west from Needles on the Colorado River to Barstow, the full crossing covers 138 miles of Bureau of Land Management desert through the East Mojave National Preserve. Key waypoints read like a history of western expansion: Fort Piute ruins (a stone military outpost from 1867), Piute Spring, the Lanfair Valley ranch country, Mid Hills campground, Hole-in-the-Wall with its volcanic ring formations, Government Holes (reliable water holes marked by the Army), Soda Dry Lake playa, and the Afton Canyon narrows above the Mojave River — the only place the Mojave River runs at the surface for miles.
The road ranges from straightforward two-track desert to genuine technical driving — Piute Gorge requires rock-crawling confidence, and the Afton Canyon exit has narrow shelf sections above a drop. High-clearance 4WD is the minimum; lockers help in the gorge. A printed Mojave Road Guide (originally compiled by Dennis Casebier and the Friends of the Mojave Road) is the standard navigation reference — GPS tracks exist but the guide gives you the context to actually understand what you’re driving through. No permit required. Carry 5+ gallons of water per person. Camping at Mid Hills and Hole-in-the-Wall campgrounds or dispersed on BLM land. Best October through April — summer temperatures are lethal.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Difficult |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Backcountry, Overland Route, Technical 4x4 |
| Surface | Dirt, Mixed, Rock, Sand |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 138 mi / 222 km |
| Duration | 2-3 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 4600 ft |
| Best season | October-April |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD |
| Nearest town | Baker, California |
| Land manager | Bureau of Land Management — Needles Field Office / Mojave National Preserve (NPS) |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Official sources | NPS Mojave National Preserve off-road info BLM Needles Field Office Friends of the Mojave Road |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Tacoma or 4Runner handle the full Mojave Road, or do I need a built rig?
A stock high-clearance 4WD with low-range will get you through most of it, but the lava rock sections near Fort Piute and the soft sand stretches demand real aired-down tires — run 18-22 PSI in the sand. Lifted and skid-plated rigs will have an easier time, but stock trucks with capable drivers do complete it regularly.
What months are actually safe to run this trail, and what happens if you go in summer?
October through April is the window — summer temps in the Mojave regularly hit 115°F+ and the route has zero shade and no water resupply for long stretches, which makes a breakdown genuinely life-threatening. Stick to the cooler months; even May can be dangerously hot in the lower elevation sections.
Do I need a permit to drive the Mojave Road, and is there a fee?
No permit is required for the BLM sections, but the route passes through Mojave National Preserve (NPS), where no off-road vehicle fee is currently charged for driving established routes like this one. Camping inside the Preserve requires staying in designated areas or following Leave No Trace on dispersed sites — check the NPS Mojave page for current rules before you go.
What's the hardest section of the trail and what specifically makes it technical?
The lava rock crossing near Piute Spring and the narrows approaching Afton Canyon are where rigs take the most abuse — sharp volcanic rock chews tires and the line choices are unforgiving if you're not reading the terrain carefully. Afton Canyon itself has multiple water crossings of the Mojave River that can deepen after rain, so check conditions beforehand and don't assume it's the same crossing twice.
How far is the nearest gas from the trail, and what's the longest stretch without a resupply point?
Baker is your last reliable fuel stop on the west end — stock up there. From the Needles start, you're looking at roughly 138 miles of dirt with no gas available on route, so carry enough fuel for 200+ miles to account for low-gear crawling that tanks your mileage. A fuel transfer tank or extra jerry cans are not optional on a multi-day crossing like this.
Trail track
No GPX track for this trail yet. If you've driven it and have a track, contribute below.
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