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Region of California
Photo: utilisateur:Urban, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The California Desert is composed of California's entire southeast corner and offers excellent opportunities for hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
By train
Amtrak operates trains through the California deserts from Los Angeles. The following routes stop in the desert regions on their way into and out of the Los Angeles Union Station.
By car
The whole area is served by excellent though frequently congested roads in urban areas and empty roads in remote areas.
Regular bus service to and between major cities including Barstow, Indio and Palm Springs is available through the Greyhound bus service.
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Las Vegas · International · LAS
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Baker is a tiny town located along I-15 in the desert of the state of California. The town is usually a rest stop for those traveling to Las Vegas, Death Valley National Park, or the Mojave National Preserve.
Barstow is a city of 24,000 people (2018) in the southern desert of the state of California. The city's location at the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 in the middle of a barren desert, as well as its position on the old Route 66, make it a frequent pit stop for travelers passing through on their way to more exotic destinations.
Bombay Beach is a small town on the east shore of the Salton Sea.
Indio is a city of 89,000 people (2020) in Riverside County in the Desert region of California.
Palm Desert is a city of 53,000 people (2018) in the desert of California between Palm Springs and Indio. It lies in the Coachella Valley at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains.
Palm Springs is a resort city in the California desert. It became a destination during the 1950s and 1960s when Hollywood movie stars flocked there in droves.
Twentynine Palms is a city of 26,000 (2021) in south central San Bernadino County in the California Desert on the northern boundary of Joshua Tree National Park.
El Centro is the largest city in Imperial County in California. Its name is Spanish for "the center".
Calexico is a city in Imperial County in California, located just across the U.S.-Mexican border from Mexicali.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California is the largest state park in the state and the second largest in the United States (after Adirondack State Park in New York). The park is located on the eastern side of San Diego County, with portions extending east into Imperial County and north into Riverside County.
Mother Earth in the raw
Many well developed campsites and great rock climbing
Mojave Desert is in San Bernardino County, Kern County, and Los Angeles County.
1.6 million acres (6.474.970 hectares) of mountains, jumble rocks, desert washes, and dry lakes
California's largest lake formed when an irrigation canal burst in 1905 and flooded the Salton Basin for more than a year. This unusual area is home to geothermal features, a wildlife refuge, the partially built resort community of Salton City, and the "profoundly strange" artwork of Salvation Mountain in the squatter town of Slab City.
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