Mojave National Preserve

Highlights

Mojave is the boldest desert entry on the sheet: vast, open, and ideal for riders who want true space and self-directed adventure.

Riding

The riding experience is broad and self-directed. Rather than funnelling riders into one signature loop, Mojave gives them room to shape a journey around terrain and appetite. That can mean all-day desert mileage, open-country travel, or a camp-based ride with a stronger exploratory feel. The result is a destination that feels expansive, adventurous, and unusually free. For confident riders, it is one of the most compelling stock-use landscapes in the state.

Rideable terrain

1,600,000 acres

Trailer parking

Horse camping and staging are available, but the preserve rewards riders who arrive fully self-sufficient and route-ready.

Horse regulations

Even with broad stock access, riders still need to follow preserve rules, wilderness ethics, and current conditions. Water availability, weather, and road status are not small details here. The preserve’s openness is a privilege, and customers should be encouraged to approach it with real self-sufficiency and respect.

Getting here

The National Park Service makes a critical point here: horses and other pack animals are welcome on all trails, backcountry roads, and open country, including wilderness areas, within the preserve. That level of access is unusual and genuinely compelling. Still, the arrival experience should be framed around preparedness. This is a large, remote preserve, and a polished trip depends on having your route, water, staging point, and camping plan set before you pull in. When handled that way, the ride begins with confidence instead of guesswork.

Planning your visit

Market Mojave to riders who want breadth and independence, not hand-holding. This is a cooler-season favorite, and it should be sold with honest guidance around remoteness, fuel, water, and communications. Customers prepared for that will likely remember Mojave as one of the most powerful rides in the whole project.

Where to stay

Horse camping is part of the preserve’s official visitor guidance, and that matters because Mojave is best experienced with time. Whether you use a designated equestrian campground such as Black Canyon or build your plan around approved camping practices, staying overnight changes the mood entirely. Early desert light, cooler evenings, and the absence of hurry make the trip feel more complete and more premium in a rugged sense.