Looost In Spaaaaace – Trona Pinnacles, CA
Takete-takete-rattle-bump-shake….ugh….takete-takete-rattle-bump-shake….aaarghhh!
We’d been on this god-forsaken washboard road driving 5 mph for almost 30 mins and we were only half way there. It felt like we were being bashed around in a cement mixer, or perhaps belted into one those old hip vibrating machines that were popular in the 50’s. I briefly wondered if I was jiggling away any of my waistline before I come crashing back to the present with another gut-thunking bump.
Did I do the right thing by dragging everyone out here??
I’ve been fascinated by the Trona Pinnacles ever since I first read about them on a blog several years ago. This outer-worldly spot in the middle of a flat, featureless, landscape has more than 500 calcium carbonate spires reaching up to 140-feet in height that rise like phoenixes from the ground. It’s a 14-square mile art-piece in the middle of nowhere that formed underwater in the ancient Searles Lake between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago. Calcium-rich groundwater and alkaline lake water combined to grow tufa formations, much like the living models you see today further north in Mono Lake. The entire process totally blows my mind especially in a spot where modern-day humidity is so low your eyeballs feel like sandpaper.
These are some of the most unique geological formations in CA and they could not be in a weirder place.
Our handy dandy van-man, Glen offered to scout out the road a day ahead of the “beastly” pack, and had reassuringly reported back that it was “not in the least bit tippy”. This, together with a quick call to the Ridgecrest BLM office to confirm the same had me totally fired up to go. It was going to require 5 miles of teeth-chattering rattling to get there, but the spot was going to be totally worth it. At least I really, really (really) hoped so. Almost an hour later we all arrived dusty and shaken to our camping spot, a rocky ledge with 360-degree views overlooking the spires. We wobbled out of our rigs to take in the scene.
Oh holy mother of all boondocking locations. This was everything I had expected and more!
The next two days were passed just hanging and exploring this fascinating and remote location. There are 4 types of spires here categorized as towers (tall spiky things 30-40 feet high), tombstones (stubbly squat things 20-30 feet tall), ridges (long, toothy runs up to 140-feet high) and cones (little guys less than 10 feet tall). As you walk through the landscape you feel like you’re walking on an alien planet surrounded as you are by the intensely dry, rocky ground and the towering formations.
This outer-wordy feel has captured the eagle eyes of Hollywood who’ve landed the location for over a dozen sci-fi movies including Lost in Space (or, as my mind always says it Looooost In Spaaaaace), Planet of the Apes (2001 version), Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. A talking race of apes dominating humankind? Oh yeah, it all makes sense here.
The nearby Borax mines, first developed in 1873 only add to the unearthly allure of the place. Back in the day, 20-mule teams of horses hauled Borax from the oasis of Searles Lake to San Pedro through wagon routes with creepy names like Poison Canyon. The brand name 20 Mule Borax persists to this day (bet you didn’t know that one, eh?)
Our pack of 5 walked the trails, hunted down some cool Geocaches and spent the evenings watching the kaleidoscope of colors dance around the spires. All this against the backdrop of a deadening silence broken only by the rumbling of an occasional train and the rip of a nearby fighter jet buzzing the desert floor. My camera clicked incessantly, the cats lounged in the sun and doggie provided no end of cool photo ops. Cool surroundings, cool buddies and almost no-one else around. What more could you want?
But the desert is fickle and the forecast was calling for a round of big winds and rain, something our beast-size masses definitely didn’t want to be caught in. Also the urge to move was strong, or rather the urge to soak in a ridiculously luxurious hot tub of water was strong. So yesterday, mere 2 days after we got to the Pinnacles we moved on to an old-time favorite in Desert Hot Springs. Glen’s gone off to fiddle with van-stuff in LA, while Technomadia and us are jello-blobbing and re-hydrating our parched skin in the hot mineral waters of the southern desert. Our pack has had a good run, but as with all nomads we must eventually separate.We’ll meet again and you can bet your bouncing butts that we’ll be back here too.
What a spot!!!
Related Links:
- Trona Pinnacles BLM Link -> Click HERE
- Trona Pinnacles Desert USA Link -> Click HERE
- Poison Canyon -> Click HERE
Love getting your updates. My wife and I started living the dream too this August. We’re from Montana. I haven’t been able to leave our first boondocking site once we came south. Just outside laughlin NV. Telephone cove. Water and views. Off the beaten path. Not as remote as we are used to. But worth it because of the lake. Lake mohave. Heading further south as the weather degrades. Very loosely enforced 14 day stay limit. I think we might be the camp hosts lol. I can’t wait for your next spot review. Have a safe trip.
My RV buddy Ivan (and his cat) rave about Telephone Cove. We’ve yet to go, but I have it on our “list”. Maybe we’ll see you there LOL.
Nina
I am so glad we endured those bumps going in.. so worth it, and so fun exploring new locations to both of us! And your pictures.. make it seem even more beautiful!
I am SO glad you guys did too. The great company made the experience all the better.
Nina
Breathtaking! Love the colors of the sky and the spires and mud cracks! As a Californian, I’ve never heard of this place. Gotta check it out next spring.
You know I’d never heard of this place either until we started RVing & following RV blogs…and we’ve lived in CA for years!! It was a total find for me too.
Nina
How very cool. Looks like it was worth a little teeth rattling. That last shot is a stunner.
It was most definitely worth it. Glad we finally made it out there. I’ve been wanting to go for ages.
Nina
Hmmm, I’d be so tempted to ride the full suspension 29’er mountain bike in there on that washboarded road. The TT does not take kindly, internally, to getting bounced around and jarred like that, me thinks.
Our heavy “beasts” did a fair amount of shaking too, but I think our weight (and going slowly) helped a tad. It would be a super fun bike ride.
Nina
Looks amazing. Great photos.
It most definitely was….
Nina
Amazing! Totally worth the bumpy road. How was the Verizon out there? I might just have to put this on our “must visit” list. All of the photos are gorgeous, but that last evening one wins the prize. Simply stunning.
Excellent Verizon signal (4 bars of LTE on our MiFi, and I think our neighbors even had XLTE). Zero ATT though.
Nina
Believe it or not – there are said to be two swimming holes in the desert north of Trona (I have not been to them yet)
WEB INFO
Tom Hillegass
INCONCEIVABLE….would never have thought this crazy dry landscape would hide anything like that? Something to add to our “list” next time we come back to the area.
Nina
Looks like a really great and unique spot for sure.
Fortunately enduring a loooooong rough road can deliver the big pay off which can be great. We experienced that back at Palatki on FR525, in July/August 2013.
Indeed. Often times the “best” boondocking spots are the ones that take a bit of effort to get into.
Nina
thank you for sharing. Enjoying it here in Ct. With my iPad
Sounds chilly…..you guys are getting pounded with snow up north. Hope you’re staying warm.
Nina
As usual your photos are terrific.
I’ve never heard of “Trona” Pinnacles, but I’ve heard of The Pinnacles. “The Pinnacles” are located in the middle of the state, I thought. So there must be two pinnacles I guess.
I lived in CA for 50 years, and this is a new one for me. But an intriguing one, because it’s on the way back up to Washington. I’m going to look it up. Very interesting post. Those wide open spaces sure look good.
Have fun at Sam’s!!
Yup, I know of the “original” Pinnacles too. I backpacked/tent-camped there back in the day (when we lived in the Bay Area) and didn’t realize there were any other Pinnacles in the state. A totally new one for us too.
Nina
Too late for your recent travels, but something to remember for the future: The way to deal with washboard roads is to “float” along the tops of the ridges. Driving slow guarantees your tires will find the tops and bottom of the ridges, thus the bumpy ride. Depending upon the weight of your vehicle, if you drive at 35 to 40 mph, the tires will only “see” the tops of the ridges and “smooth” out the ride. Counter intuitive, I know, but basic physics. I discovered this principle in Colorado on a 10 mile long washboard road last year. We have a 35 foot Expedition diesel pusher. At 40 mph we floated. At 5 mph we felt every washboard. Every vehicle has its own “sweet speed.” It’s a matter of discovering what that is. Enjoy the tubs.
Interesting. I’ve heard of this and did do a little “experimenting” on that road. We pushed it up to 25mph and didn’t see an improvement (it was worse), but I guess we weren’t pushing it far enough?! 35-40 huh….I’ll have to try that next time.
Nina
that is what Tom says and does whenever we hit washboard roads…I have to admit I never believed him..I was going to ask if you thought our 5th wheel could make it there…it sounds dust wonderful…
Beautiful pictures ! I’ve never heard of this place, it looks very cool. Maybe one day we’ll be on the road too, just need a buyer for our condo. We live in Palm Springs and would love to meet you! Please let me know if you have any free time while you here at Sam’s spa. I look forward to your new post as always full of fab pictures, great reads and tons of info. You have no idea how much you inspired me to go full time RV-ing. Thanks a lot ! Zsuzsa
We should have some time while we’re here. I’ll send you an e-mail.
Nina
Oh, my, gosh!! What a place!! You know me and my love of rocky formations…this is calling my name for sure! Your photos are amazing! Thanks for including so many. I loved them:)
This place definitely has YOU written all over Pam 🙂
Nina
What amazing places you guys find!! Thanks for the MiFi help today!
After a similar experience, we learned that Ill effects from that washboard ride will pop up at later dates. The first thing is I to is inspect ALL hoses, and visible fittings. Electrical contacts also. Within one month we had a hole in a perfectly good power steering hydraulic hose,a hole in a radiator over flow return hose,These were both rubbed against a frame or metal piece, and the hoses were good but unfortunately we had to fix them because of the holes rubbed. Also the bottom of our vanity collapsed and had to be repaired. All in all nothing serious, but repairs were still required. We have a 2000 Holiday Rambler 40 ft DP. I tried to push it faster but I couldn’t brave it past 20 mph because it felt like we were shaking apart. I endured the 5 mph for over a hour in and out.
We’ve had plumbing come loose after these rides too. It’s definitely worth checking around the rig after long, bumpy roads.
Nina
This is new to us for we have not heard of Pinnacles or maybe we had but were not interested then. But a chattering drive like that is enough to just read your blog and travel with you sans the bumping but of course enjoying your amazing photography. Would you say this was almost the same drive going to Alabama hills ? but longer?
Love that pic of your boon docking site. Very nice.
The road here was in worse condition than the one in the Alabama Hills…not significantly worse, but enough to be annoying -> more ruts, a few dips here and there, and definitely a more pronounced washboard.
Nina
“Oh mother of all boondocking locations.”
You had me rolling om the floor laughing with that one! Lol!
What an amazing find. Just a completely unusual kind of scene. The wonders of nature, and fulltiming. Thanks so much for sharing.
The words were flowing on this one 🙂
Nina
This kind of alien and dramatic landscape calls to me. Yet I know how hard all that bumping is on a rig. Still looks worth it. Enjoy the hot water.
I too love these stark Alien landscapes. I don’t think I could live in a place like this year round, but I love our winter visits.
Nina
I’d second the suggestion from Tim/Bob concerning how to handle washboarded roads. Getting up to 35 mph or so seems about right for our 21′ Chinook to skim along the tops.
We experienced quite a few heavily washboarded roads in MT this summer – for example: http://chinookers.blogspot.com/2014/08/travelling-north-fork.html
Seems like 35mph is the winner! I’ll have to do some more experimenting next time we find a long washboard road.
Nina
The Mythbusters show did one on washboard roads..It made no difference how fast or slow they went as I remember. They used a car and a glass filled with, I’m thinking alcohol?
David
Well actually looks like Mythbusters confirmed it:
http://preview.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/make-a-bumpy-drive-smoother-by-driving-faster/
Of course they didn’t test a 33,000lb RV, but I’m sure the principles are the same. The road at the Pinnacles had quite a few ruts too, so we had to slow down for those anyway, but it’s interesting stuff nonetheless.
Nina
OMG those washboard roads seem to go on FOREVER. Looks like the teeth jarring journey was worth it, though. The photo of the pack going for a hike reminds me of something out of a sci-fi film. 🙂
This place provides all kinds of great scenes…no wonder Hollywood came here.
Nina
Mom lived in Trona as a young woman in the ’30’s. I wish I had recorded some of “those” stories 🙂 I visited the Pinnacles about 15 years ago in a rental car from Ridgecrest. I’ve always wanted to return and spend some time. Seeing it through your camera reminds me why! I’ve also been considering a rocker for my “outdoor” chair, and seeing Paul in his a few times I’m thinking it’s a viable option!
We loooove our outdoor rocker. It’s supposed to be “my” chair, but Paul seems to end up there too LOL. I just wished they lasted longer. Our last rocker only lasted just over a year before the fabric started ripping. This one will probably be the same.We do use and abuse them constantly though.
Nina
Thanks again for a very detailed and informative post. I am making notes and marking maps as I read. How do you ever find the time?
Ha!! I spend a lot of time planning 🙂
Nina
I just looked up trona pinnacles on google, and your doggie picture was shown as “scenes from trona”
I’m pretty sure it’s your doggie anyway.
We stop at Ridgcrest on our way back north in the spring. Thanks for the post – really a good one.
No way!! I guess Google has already indexed my pics. They sure are fast workers, those Google engineers 🙂
Nina
Amazing location – definitely have to check this out one day. Reminds me ever so slightly of City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico – though completely different. City of Rocks is a whole lot easier to get to and the formations are quite different. But the spires rising up in the middle of a fairly flat desert expanse are similar. The last photograph in the post is absolutely beautiful.
Yup, I had memories of City of Rocks here too. We stopped there a few years back (for a week or so) and absolutely loved the place. The spires there rise out of nowhere in the same kind of way. Amazing place!
Nina
I loved seeing your photos of “home.” I was born and raised in Trona, and these tufa spires are still facinating to me. I no longer live in the valley, but I still want my grandchildren to appreciate this beautiful landscape.
A local!!! How cool is that. Wonderful that you still love and appreciate this place.
Nina
When I drive along roads like that I can picture the screws in The Palms slowly loosening. LOL Until I started RVing, I’ve always live in California and have heard of The Pinnacles – I had no idea that’s what it looked like. Really beautiful – thanks for all the great photos! 🙂
I can relate!! We often find random screws lying on the floor of the RV and wonder where they came from. Mostly I just hope they’re not something critical.
Nina
I grew up with that TV show every single day after school, without fail! In fact, I had a tiny model of “The Robot” on my desk, right up to the time I sold my S&B and went full time. When you pushed down on his head, he said in perfect tone,…”Warning, Will Robinson!” I have GOT to get there!!
You find the coolest places Nina! Love your images, especially that last one. 🙂
Hey Folks!!
I go out to the pinnacles frequently. We almost always go in the spring, and fall, as sometimes the winter rain can make the “road” slimy slippery with mud. I am a “Jeeper”, and do a lot of off road camping in the Red Rock Cayon State park, as well as the Goler Gulch/Garlock, and Holland Camp parts of the El Paso Mtns. You really have to admire the silence out here, and the stark beauty!
Happy Thanksgiving Nina & Paul!
My husband & I finally made it out to Trona Pinnacles to spend Thanksgiving, it is so awesome here! No one is here except one other RV, & some day hikers, we hope it stays that way thru the weekend! Just curious, when you guys were here, did you hear any booming in the distance? Even throughout the night? It’s far away, we were just wondering what it might be, thought maybe you may know with all your researching 🙂 Think it is the mining company?
Hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving!
Glad you like it! Not sure what the booming might be, although there may be some military testing around there? I know you see fighter jets fly over Trona quite often.
Nina
Could be, we did see some of those low flying jets yesterday, pretty cool. Thanks for the speedy reply, hope you guys are having a good one, happy hour has started, you’re invited! 🙂
We were looking for places for Wild Camping near Bakersfield, California and I found Trona Pinnacles on the CA BLM website. I thought to myself “this place seems AWESOME…it’s right up Nina’s alley!” Sure enough I do a quick search and boom, you’ve already been here.
Nikki and I are so excited to visit Trona, we’re heading that way Monday. If the weather cooperates we’ll hang for the max stay.
Awesome! It is really a super cool place. Enjoy your stay!
Nina
Great pics! They reminded me to Goblins Valley, years ago. And your beautiful cat does not Run away???
No she’s an older girl now. She mostly just likes to go outside and sun herself. After around half an hour she’s done and goes inside to sleep the rest of the day.
Nina
A few years back we when over a wash-board road in Alaska; the approch to a wild-live viewing area. Really bad washboard! Later that day the fridge ammonia started to leak and we had to replace the fridge on the road. Pricey, buying one in Alaska!