I hate driving. Not the physical act of driving, but the sitting. For that reason, I’m a sucky traveler and we try not to spend more than a few hours driving between spots. We found a great boondocking spot in the Mojave National Preserve at around 5000’. The preserve is huge at 1,542,776 acres! After setting up camp we did a quick hike up to the top of 5,627’ Teutonia Peak. Our hike was 3.7 miles with around 700′ of elevation gain.
This area burned as part of the August 2020 Dome Fire and the hike passes through several areas of the burn. We’ve been to Joshua Tree National Park but the Mojave National Preserve is home to the WORLD’S largest Joshua tree forest. Skeletons of Joshua trees cover the area though there are giant swathes of untouched trees in the preserve as well. The trail is quite rocky in spots and there are some switchbacks towards the top as you climb up to the ridge. The giant vertical rock slabs at the top are impressive; as is the Cima Dome once I knew what it was.
Cima Dome is a geological oddity. It’s a 15 mile mound of granite that has weathered from it’s original craggy mountain into a gigantic smooth mound. This area might just look like desert to some, but I’m amazed by the biodiversity of the place.
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