What are the components of an epic adventure ride? Incredible vistas, unique history, geologic wonders, endless miles of exciting trails, remote camping far from civilization… One of our favorite spots to ride that has it all in spades is the Mojave Preserve in Southern California — the fourth largest nationally protected area in the contiguous United States and just a few hours drive from several major population centers. But the Preserve is visited by relatively few people, making it the perfect refuge for those seeking peace and solitude. 

Even though we’ve ridden the Mojave Preserve many times, it still never ceases to amaze us with new surprises. So when powersports accessories manufacturer Trail Tech asked us to play Trail Boss for a new episode of their ‘ADV Weekend’ video series in SoCal, it was at the top of our list and we jumped at the opportunity to show our friends a good time in our own backyard.

The main goal of the Trail Tech series is to demonstrate how you can create your own mini adventures, in a 3-day weekend, to amazing destinations, no matter where you live. Not everyone is blessed with endless miles of unfettered trail access and inspiring landscapes in their own backyard. But with air travel, you can reach some pretty cool spots in a matter of hours, get in a few days of riding on a rental and be back at work after taking just a day or two off.

As for the Mojave Preserve, this would be a turnkey adventure since we previously produced a Ride Guide for the area with GPX tracks and points of interest all mapped out. Meeting on a Thursday afternoon, we quickly prepped our steeds in Barstow, California and headed straight into the open desert. We’d get our first taste of deep sand, just as the sun dropped over the horizon, on our way to setting up camp under a dazzling array of stars.

Over the next few days, we’d visit a number of top destinations in the Preserve like the Mojave Lava Cave, Evening Star Mine, and Zzyzx, plus we’d explore a few new spots that have now expanded our ‘must-see’ list. After putting hundreds of miles of sand, whoops, and rocks under our knobbies, once again, the Mojave didn’t disappoint. Check out all the action and spectacular spots we visited in the newly-released episode of ‘ADV Weekend’ and look for more episodes coming soon to the Trail Tech YouTube page. We also recently posted a trip report of the adventure in written form here. 

Photos by Rob Dabney, Jon Beck, Spencer Hill & Jeff Santry

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.