make sure you put in Double Negative into your GPS instead of Carp Elgin Road.... we made the mistake of putting in the street when we were driving towards Nevada, and it took us through a terribly sketchy road up along the mesa where parts of the cracked asphalt was sliding off the mesa! the road then ended up being blocked due to corrosion on top of the mesa and unfortunately we couldnt make it by sunset but we were thoroughly surprised with the scenery on the mesa, we spotted wild cows, and enjoyed it nevertheless despite getting into some nerve wrecking moments.
Loved this place during a sunset! Walk down and take a hike up the colorful hills. You won't regret it. My boyfriend and I, in our early 20s, witnessed an old couple perhaps in their 80s walking with canes through the hills. They knew what was good. So get close to that colorful dirt! But of course, be nice and only walk on the paths people have already walked on!
I loved this place! Easy parking lot and restroom access. Walk up the short hill for a beautiful scenic view of the powers of erosion and the wonderful colorful layers of sediment. The river that runs through the canyons dried up 5 million years ago... meaning you can totally and should take a hike down if you're up for an adventure! It seriously feels like Mars or another planet down there walking on the dried river bed.
Did not make it here while the brine was red/pink if there was any brine at all during that time. We found a way in I believe off the 136, on the other side of the lake. It looked like a private road for a company that was currently working there, managing the lake for something. So trespassing beware. But if you get in, its a really cool landscape. There are pools of water everywhere, and you can walk around.
Solid place for a one day trip or a longer weekend/week trip. Great climbing and bouldering. For scenic areas beyond the awesome rock formations everywhere and joshua trees, I recommend the Cholla cactus garden.
nice little campground near white sands. grill and roofed picnic table at our site.
YOU MUST GO TO WHITE SANDS WHEN YOU ARE HERE. it was pure magic if magic were made out of white gypsum sand. there is no page currently on roadtrippers for white sands so i must share my enthusiasm for white sands here unfortunately.
enjoyed the tour. cool seeing students still studying there. our tour guide was this eccentric old lady... i think she had a serious crush on frank lloyd wright.... but i can't blame her. who wouldnt.
make sure you put in Double Negative into your GPS instead of Carp Elgin Road.... we made the mistake of putting in the street when we were driving towards Nevada, and it took us through a terribly sketchy road up along the mesa where parts of the cracked asphalt was sliding off the mesa! the road then ended up being blocked due to corrosion on top of the mesa and unfortunately we couldnt make it by sunset but we were thoroughly surprised with the scenery on the mesa, we spotted wild cows, and enjoyed it nevertheless despite getting into some nerve wrecking moments.
beautiful place. spend at least half a day here and stay for the sunset!
I did not expect that it would be a privately owned meteor crater. that perhaps started me off on the wrong foot with this place... but they charge a steep admission price, don't let you walk around the entire crater, and only a portion of it is accessible behind a metal railing. I understand the need to preserve the site and pay their employees but it's pretty overrated in my opinion.