This quintessential expanse of Mojave Desert is truly one of the Southwest’s best kept secrets. One of the newest and largest areas managed by the National Park Service at 1.6 million acres, the preserve is a haven of beautiful desert wildeerness that takes at least 2 days to S.E.E. Highlights of this tour include camping beside and hiking the majestic singing sand dunes, scrambling volcanic cinder cones, and experiencing beautiful expanses of wildflowers from Spring through Summer. The MNP is also steeped in history. From ancient native trade routes adorned with Petroglyphs and Pictographs (Indian Rock Art), to old forts to defend the US Postal Route which passed this way, to historic cattle ranches and a beautifully restored train station it’s truly a window on days long gone. About 2 hours from Las Vegas it’s just a short ride to get there.

•  Leave Las Vegas no later than 8am.
• Beginning early on day one we make our way to the eastern boundary of the preserve south of Searchlight Nevada where we meet up with the historic Mojave Road and take it west into preserve. The Mojave Road was originally a trade route the Mojave Indians' used to transport agricultural goods, grown on the banks of the Colorado River, for exchange with seashells and other coastal goods offered by the tribes in California. It was later travelled by Spanish Missionaries, the great explorers like John Fremont, Kit Carson, and Jedidiah Smith, and the U.S. Army which protected the main Postal Route from the natives on the Mojave Road for a few years in the 1860's until the railroad made it obsolete. The Mojave Road, or at least large sections of it, are used as a 4WD and ATV trail today.
• Our first stop is at Piute Gorge where we will take a 2-4 mile hike (one way or two way option) to Fort Piute, one of the historical Army Outposts. The hike through the Gorge is amazing. The geology in the Gorge reveals lava flows, water carved rocks and canyon walls, stone of all sorts of fantstical colors and patterns, a unique desert riparian habitat at Piute Springs, and often a desert bighorn sheep or two all before arriving at the foundations of the old fort which was used for three years and then abandoned.
• Continuing on we travel through history visiting the homesteads and ranches of a very hardy group of settlers that inhabited this part of the high desert in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At Indian springs we visit the site and recount the true story of the legendary lethal Wild West Gunfight that happened here.
• We then head towards Carruthers Canyon where a beautiful hike amidst the pinyon pines and juniper to the top of a ridge reveals stunning views of the mountains and desert.  This is where we camp on day 1 so those that would rather relax around camp until dinner is served are welcome to do so.

• On Day Two we wake early, pack up the gear and head to the center of the park where guests have the option of either taking a guided tour of the magnificent limestone formations of Mitchell Caverns OR Hiking the Hole-In-the-Wall to Mid hills trail and rings course.
• After this daytime activity is finsihed we continue on the Mojave Road to Marl Springs, a historic military outpost, mining area, and cattle watering stop.  Thers is an old arrastra, a mechanism where a burro or donkey would walk in a circle and grind ore, the foundations of the old outpost, and beautiful expansive desert views.
• Continuing on the Mojave Road we now pass by a vast array of enormous black and red colored cindercones, or extinct volcanoes. These oddities are realtively young in geological history, with volacanic activity here only ceasing about 1000 years ago.  These cindercones were mined in very recent history for material used in cinderblocks and road surfaces. In fact, before the Mojave was protected as a National Park, the road throughout the park were surfaced with the red cinder from nearby cones.
• Wandering a bit from the Mojave Road we take a side trip to the lava tube, an underground cave-like structure created by a lava flow which cooled more rapidly on the outer edges creating a pipe-like structure. We descend down into the tube (via a park service ladder) and explore with flashlights.
• Finally we head directly to the Kelso Dunes for our day 2 camp.

• On Day 3, we wake before Sunrise (optional) to catch the best light for photography from the summit of the 600ft majestic Kelso Dunes. During Wildflower Season (Mar-May) there is a dizzying array of dune primrose, phacelia, verbena, desert bells, and desert gold. It is a lving spectacle second to none. Please see the photo on the right AND photos under Wildflower Season or Mojave National Preserve to get a taste of this wonderful event.  While guests are hiking, the guide will be packing up camp and readying for departure.
• On the way out of the preserve we will make a brief stop at the beautifully restored Kelso Train Depot, where there is a visitor center, a cafe, and a spectacular railroad museum.
• We will also pass over the Cima Dome on the return trip and see the densest joshua tree forest in the world. This is a visually stunning mound of granite covered with these interesting plants and dotted with historic ranches with a nostalgic charm of their own.
• Leave the Preserve. Return to Vegas Arrive mid to late afternoon.