The Unique California Desert Campsite With Views Of A Massive, Ancient Volcanic Crater

From California to Chicago lies a stretch of road symbolizing the ultimate American road trip: Route 66. Along this popular route, travelers will find unique oddities such as the world's largest rocking chair, a big (fake) blue whale in the middle of a lake, funky roadside signs, and a giant soda bottle sculpture. Located just off Route 66 in Amboy, California, sits another unique formation, one that's all-natural. Set at a whopping 250 feet high and 1,500 feet wide, it is one of the youngest volcanic fields in the United States. 

The Amboy Crater is a Route 66 icon. Situated in the Mojave Desert, this crater is a geometrical wonder — as it was formed in an almost perfectly symmetrical volcanic cinder cone shape. The top of the crater offers panoramic views of the desert below, along with a 26-mile-long laval flow, Bristol Dry Lake, and the Marble Mountains in the distance. According to Outerspatial, "The blow sand in the lava field provides a habitat for a surprising diversity and density of lizards including whiptails, Desert Iguanas, and the iconic Chuckwalla. They also state that the crater was a "significant landscape feature that helped guide Route 66 travelers on their way to a new life in Los Angeles." Wherever your final destination lies, a visit to Amboy Crater makes for the perfect day to explore the beauty of the Mojave Desert.

Visitors can come and explore the crater and surrounding area any time of year, however, due to high temperatures in the Mojave Desert from late spring into early fall, these particular periods are not recommended. Visitors may also want to time their visit with the desert wildflower bloom, which is typically from mid-March to early June depending on rainfall. The hike to the crater is about 3 miles round trip from the designated parking area, and visitors suggest giving yourself around 2-3 hours to explore the whole area. Before heading up the trail leading to the crater, visitors can check out an overlook to the left of the parking lot, which gives a nice view of the crater and surrounding volcanic fields. The trailhead also has shaded picnic tables and toilets (without drinking water).

Per Outerspatial, "The 1.5-mile trail takes you through an extensive lava field to the base of the crater, where you can hike up a breached wall of the volcano and up to the rim. The view from the top provides a birds-eye perspective on the sprawling Mojave Desert, where faraway cars on desert highways look like miniature toys against this epic landscape." Aside from hiking the Amboy crater, visitors to the area can also pair this with a hike through the nearby Kelso Dunes Trail (a 3-mile round trip excursion that leads towards a 600-foot-tall-dune), or the Silver Peaks Trail (a 7.9-mile round trip hike through the desert up to a peak). 

Although camping at the crater is not allowed, there are no-fee camping spots scattered along the road and nearby that people can camp at with RV's or tents. One reviewer on The Dyrt stated, "Main Amboy Crater Parking Lot does not allow overnight camping, but their overflow parking area does. Overflow parking is asphalt but has dirt edges you can pitch a tent on." There are also free dispersed camping sites provided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) located in and around the Mojave Desert area. Examples of these campsites are the Heart of the Mojave West Campground, located in the Mojave Trails National Monument just outside of the Amboy Crater, which allows both tent and RV camping (with no amenities). 

Rules of BLM campsites are that "campers may occupy a single site for a maximum of 14 days, and then move to a new location at least 25 miles away. Campsites must be at least 1/4 mile from wildlife water sources, whether natural or human-created and camping in previously disturbed sites is encouraged." RV Share recommends using Amboy, as your center when googling "BLM camping near me". For those looking for more 'luxury', there are also a few private RV parks nearby like Van Life and Nomad Campground in Twentynine Palms, and Twentynine Palms Resort that sit within 50 miles of the Amboy Crater. Wherever you choose to lay your head, the Mojave Desert (and especially nearby the Amboy Crater) is the perfect place for spending an evening under the hundreds of visible stars.