I have always heard crazy things about the Mohave Desert growing up, so I figured it was about time I found out for myself what was really up. I spent a week deep in the depths of the Mohave exploring, hiking and offroading.
In February the weather is fantastic - the sun is out and the weather is warm, yet you aren't in that desert heat like in the summer. But when that sun drops, it gets desert cold...a cold unlike one I've ever felt before 😂 Plan your trip around the season you will feel most comfortable. There's not much shade in the desert to escape the heat, but the plus side of visiting in the summer is you get to see the cacti bloom!
The Mohave Desert stretches across parts of California, Arizona and Nevada, so there's a ton of wildlife and various scenery to discover. There are no gas stations, little or no cell service, and not much infrastructure in the Mohave so be prepared. Come with at least 2 gallons of water per person, bring plenty of supplies, and dress appropriately.
The desert is home to joshua trees, jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, coyotes, all kinds of cacti, tarantulas, owls and tons more. Keep an eye out not to disturb these creatures (or get yourself in a battle you don't want to fight!). There are an estimated 2,000 types of plants and 600 species of animals that call the Mohave home.
I did some fun hiking, even hiking down to the bottom of a canyon and climbing back up through the top of it! There are tons of trails all around the Mohave for hiking and offroading. You can camp if you come with the right gear. You'll find people wandering all over the place here. The views are filled with booming mesas (flat-topped mountains) and a wide, open desert that you can see for miles and miles and miles.
The other crazy thing about the Mohave is just how submerged in nature you really are. It was SOOOOO silent it almost hurt! A bee buzzing by my ear sounded as loud as a car driving by. My voice echoed for days without one soul to hear it. The experience was quite unreal.
Throughout the American Southwest, you can find petroglyphs on rocks. This is very common in Arizona especially, so I was really excited to find some here in Cali. Keep your eyes pealed when you're hiking in this region of the USA! You can see some on the rock below:
Check out more pictures from my adventures in the Mohave below:
