Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is a US National Preserve located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Look for it 30 mi southeast of Baker. Management falls to the National Park Service. Visitors in 2025 numbered 570K.
A national preserve, 30 mi southeast of Baker
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 108–109°, and about 163 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Visits rose 34% in 2025
The National Park Service counted 569,844 visitors in 2025, up from 424,864 the year before. Visitors ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Laughlin, 59 miles east. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Las Vegas
Las Vegas is about 87 miles north (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar and Nov
February, March and November are the mild months, with highs of 70–77°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Visitors and weather through the year
Every month at Mojave is set out below.
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is a US National Preserve located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Established in 1994, it is the third largest unit of the National Park system within the contiguous United States, and the largest national preserve.
The preserve spans 1,542,776 acres (6,243 km2). It surrounds Providence Mountains State Recreation Area and Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, which are both managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
- Type
- National Preserve
- Established
- 1994
- Area
- 2,483 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 11K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/moja
Entry, hours, address
Where to sleep near Mojave National Preserve
You can sleep inside the park (4 places). The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Baker (3) and Needles (24), and Paradise has the most rooms in the area (234).
Stay in the park
- Nippeno Camp hotel
- Hotel California hotel
- Hole In The Wall Campground campground
- Mid Hills Campground campground
Baker
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
339 people
30 mi northwest of Kelso Depot Visitor Center · at the park edge
Paradise
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
185,913 people
80 mi north of Kelso Depot Visitor Center · 41 mi to the park
Compare 6 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | 30 mi northwest | 45 min | 3 2 hotels · 1 motel | 339 | — |
| Needles | 60 mi east | 1.5 hr | 24 9 hotels · 6 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 4,821 | $157K |
| Laughlin | 59 mi east | 1.5 hr | 13 11 hotels · 2 RV parks | 8,789 | $284K |
| Searchlight 20% vacation homes | 52 mi northeast | 1.5 hr | 3 1 hotel · 2 motels | 246 | $143K |
| Cal-Nev-Ari | 48 mi northeast | 1 hr | 1 1 motel | 275 | $75K |
| Paradise | 80 mi north | 2 hr | 234 224 hotels · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 3 RV parks | 185,913 | $384K |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Other places close by
All of these are within 67 miles.
159 mi Ancient siteCalico Early Man Site
243 mi National MonumentCastle Mountains National Monument364 mi MuseumLiberty Sculpture Park
466 mi MuseumDesert Christ ParkPhoto credits
Calico Early Man Site: Ellen Levy Finch (Elf), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Castle Mountains National Monument: David Lamfrom, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Desert Christ Park: Zekerags, Public domain
Visits reached 569,844 in 2025
The count runs from 2016 up to 2025.
Asked about Mojave
What town is Mojave National Preserve near?
Baker, CA, about 30 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Mojave National Preserve?
February, March and November, with highs of 70–77°. April is the busiest month (about 86,427 visitors).
How many people visit Mojave National Preserve each year?
569,844 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 1,178,998, set in 2023.
How far is Mojave National Preserve from Henderson and Las Vegas?
About 77 miles northeast of Henderson and about 87 miles north of Las Vegas, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Mojave National Preserve?
Boulder City Municipal (BLD), about 79 miles away. The nearest big hub is Harry Reid (LAS), about 79 miles.
Where should I stay near Mojave National Preserve?
Inside the park: Nippeno Camp, Hotel California and Hole In The Wall Campground. Nearby: Paradise (80 mi, 234 places to stay), Baker (30 mi, 3 places to stay) and Needles (60 mi, 24 places to stay).
Ask people in Baker
People in Baker have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.