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Ivanpah Windsailing Special Recreation Management Area
Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A dry lake bed used for land sailing located just outside of the preserve boundaries on BLM managed land
Ivanpah Lake is a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California on the border of California and Nevada. Nestled in the Ivanpah Valley near Primm on Interstate 15, the 13-square-mile (34 km2) lake is almost entirely within California. At the north edge of the lake lie the Nevada Welcome Center (closed) and a California Lottery retailer. It is a popular place for land sailing and kite buggying.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
A broad sloping upland dome, the erosional remnant of granite plutons that formed deep under the Earth's surface. Best viewed from Teutonia Peak Trail that leads through the what was once the densest concentration of Joshua Trees in the world (severely damaged in a 2020 fire).
Formed by lava 27,000 years ago. Bring a flashlight.
Available only by guided tours at 11AM and 2PM. Cave tours at the Mitchell Caverns in the Providence Mountains State Recreation Area (administratively not part of the preserve, but entirely surrounded by it).
The massive Kelso Dunes are easily accessible by car (no four-wheel-drive needed). Second highest sand dunes in California, up to . They are created from wind that carries dust and is reflected off a mountain. The top of the highest dune has beautiful views of the surrounding desert. Beyond their large size, these dunes also have a phenomenon called "singing" or "booming" dunes. When the moisture content is right in the sands, they emit a low thrumming sound as sand slides down the slope. Try running down the slope of a dune to trigger the sound. From the parking area, the dunes do not appear to be very far away or very large. This is an optical illusion. The hike is about 3 miles (5 km) round trip with a roughly 600-foot (180-meter) elevation gain, and hiking in sand is a lot more work than on solid ground. Allow 2–3 hours to climb to the top of the dunes and back, bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and take off your shoes or prepare to get sand in them.