Exploring the Mojave Desert | Video

We often focus on big, grand trips that require months of planning and travel to make happen. We’re very fortunate to be able to make those ambitions happen on a pretty regular basis. However, because of that we usually ignore the adventures that are waiting for us in our own backyard. To remedy this, we decided to take a weekend trip into the Mojave in our more minimal rig, Uni. We hope you enjoy the video and the following blog post. Feel free to drop any questions in the comments.

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During this micro adventure through the Mojave we got to enjoy some amazing camping, unique hiking and otherworldly geology. The Mojave Desert is a truly special place and relatively quiet compared to other nearby places such as Joshua Tree National Park.

Owen hiking up the incredible Kelso Dunes

On our first day in the Mojave we headed straight for a wildly unique hike. This one starts by weaving through a narrow, steep canyon that has rings (not shown in the photos here, but it is shown in the video) permanently placed in the rock to assist your descent/ascent. It was super fun to work our way through this beautiful area and it opened up into a large amphitheater. The towering walls created a shady respite from the sun and we enjoyed the environment for quite some time before reluctantly moving on and making our way towards camp.

Our first camp was nestled right up against an ancient lava flow. I don’t think we’ve ever camped in a place quite like it. That night we had a full-ish moon and it really lit up our surroundings. The contrast of the black lava and white sand made for an alien like scene.

MAK with our 1998 Toyota Hilux, Uni, enjoying a beautiful sunset in the Mojave Desert

The next day we had a slow morning, taking time to enjoy our campsite. After having some delicious coffee and breakfast, we explored some of the dirt roads around camp before moving on to the famous lava tubes that the Mojave is home to.

Owen descending into the lava tubes in Mojave Desert National Preserve

The lava tubes are down a washboard dirt road. It’s not too far or difficult, but be prepared for a bouncy and rough ride out there. Once you arrive, it’s a very short walk out to the lava tubes and you descend a set of stairs to enter.

A sign at the start of the road out to the lava tubes

Owen inside the lava tubes in Mojave Desert National Preserve

After spending some time in the lava tubes, we headed out to one of our absolute favorite places in all of the Mojave Desert National Preserve… Kelso Dunes! When we arrived it was still quite bright and hot, so we set up camp in the Super Pacific X1 and waited for a few hours. We did this so we could hike to the top of Kelso Dunes for sunset. The view from the top of the dunes at that time is absolutely amazing!

Owen waiting out the heat of the day in the Super Pacific X1 with Kelso Dunes in the background

Recently, the Mojave has received a lot of rain. All the rain has resulted in the Mojave Desert looking far greener than we’ve ever seen it!

A page from MAK’s sketchbook where she documented some of the plant life we saw on this trip through the Mojave Desert

It took us about an hour to hike from camp to the top of the dunes. We took our time so that we could take note of the plant and animal life and to take some photos and videos of course! One of the things that makes Kelso Dunes so special is that it is one of just seven dunes in the United States that is a singing dune. When the sand starts shifting in large enough quantities (usually requiring a steep pitch), it begins to emit a low droning sound. It almost is like a far off old rotary plane. The shifting sands make the dunes vibrate and you can feel it if you are standing close enough! We were super lucky and got an amazing show of the singing dunes on our way down the dunes after sunset. Check out our video at the top of this blog post to listen to them!

The sun setting on the Kelso Dunes in the Mojave Desert National Preserve

We hope you enjoyed this video and blog post covering our micro adventure in the Mojave Desert. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below! See you down the road!