The vast Desert Region within the Inland Empire includes portions of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts where quiet and solitude can be experienced in a wilderness area. The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California as well as parts of Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. The transition from the Sonoran Desert to the cooler and higher Great Basin of Southern California is called the Mojave Desert.

     Near the Great Basin-Mojave border is Death Valley National Park, the lowest elevation in North America. Baker is known for displaying the world’s tallest thermometer (134 ft. tall), commemorating the hottest temperature recorded in the US (134 degrees F.), in nearby Death Valley.

     Amboy, located about 60 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms, is one of California’s oldest towns. Once a major stop along Route 66 before Interstate 40 opened, Amboy is famous for the Amboy Crater, dating back 6,000 years.

     The Mojave National Preserve encompasses 1.5 million acres that protect and preserve the outstanding natural, cultural and scenic resources of this area. Nearly half of the region is wilderness where only foot and horse travel are permitted.