March 2023: Mojave Desert Weekend Getaway in California
This was our first time vacationing in the desert! I have personally never stepped foot on a desert until this time. We drove through the Mojave Desert when we moved to Fresno, California in December 2022, but at the time I didn’t know what wonders lie within southern California. I don’t remember what made us book a little weekend getaway to Mojave, California, but I’m so happy we did!
In this blog post, I share our personal itinerary. It was a short trip but full of fun, outdoor adventures! I hope you will be inspired to create your own Mojave Desert weekend getaway. Enjoy! 🌵
Mojave Desert Weekend Getaway
- Day 1: Check-in to off-grid airstream in the desert
- Day 2: Hiking at Red Rock Canyon State Park & Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area
- Day 3: Check-out of Airbnb & visit Poppy Reserve
Day 1: Check-in to Unique Desert Stay
March 10, 2023
Who else loves a nice little weekend getaway? I had started my third physical therapy travel contract in Fresno, California, so we have not had much time for a vacation. I’m so happy we found the cutest off-grid stay on Airbnb. It’s an airstream placed in the Mojave Desert near the town of Mojave.
We arrived at the airstream late at night, but we were greeted by the sweetest dog! We unpacked all our stuff, turned on the generator (which took some time to figure out), and went to bed. Oh wait, we ate some Mexican good and drank to-go margaritas, then we went to bed.
This is not an affiliate link (nor sponsored) but here is the link to the off-grid airstream that we stayed in during our Mojave Desert weekend getaway ➡️ “The Airstream”
Day 2: Visit Red Rock Canyon State Park
March 11, 2023
Hiking Hagen Canyon Trail
Location: This trail is located within Red Rock Canyon State Park in Southern California.
Length & Elevation Gain: We hiked about 1.2 miles with an elevation gain of 65 feet.
Hiking Time: It took us about 30 minutes to complete this hike.
Route Type: This hike is a loop hike (2 small loops).
Difficulty Rating: This hike was easy for us.
Pet-friendly? No, pets are not allowed.
This was our first hike of the day! It was definitely our favorite hike of the day, too. This was our first time hiking in a desert! Before moving to California, I didn’t know how diverse this state’s landscape would be. It’s amazing how you can quickly go from snowy mountains to a desert. Growing up on the east coast of North Carolina and only knowing about the cities of California, I was in complete shock when me and my husband moved to California. It’s such as beautiful state!
Anyway, here we are hiking in the Mojave Desert in a small state park called Red Rock Canyon State Park. The first hike we did was very short but had a lot to offer. The red colored cliffs and unique rock formations were so awesome to see.
We were the only people out there when we started the hike. It seems like a low-key place with much solitude. We also went in March, which is the off-season time, but I doubt it will be too busy in the summer with how dangerously hot it can get.
If you happen to be driving through the area or staying nearby, I recommend making a little trip to see this area. The landscape is stunning!
Hiking Red Cliffs Trail
Location: This trail is located in Red Rock Cliffs Natural Preserve within Red Rock Canyon State Park in California.
Length & Elevation Gain: We hiked about 1 mile with an elevation gain of 100 feet.
Hiking Time: It took us about 30 minutes to complete this hike.
Route Type: This hike is a loop hike.
Difficulty Rating: This hike was easy for us.
Pet-friendly? No, pets are not allowed.
Our next hike was only a few miles down the road from Hagen Canyon Trail. It was also a short hike and offered beautiful views of red colored rocks. The red cliffs were easily viewed up close from the parking lot, but we wanted to get some more steps in for the day and to see the red cliffs from a further distance.
The wind picked up speed as we started the hike. It was VERY windy! This hike was simple yet nice despite the insane wind speeds. If I had to choose between this hike or the first one, I would definitely choose the Hagen Canyon Trail. However, if you have the time, Red Cliffs Trail is a short, easy, and family-friendly hike.
I was very excited for the next location we were visiting! I had very high expectations. So many hopes and dreams of seeing cute little creatures scurrying through the desert. Was it worth getting lost two times and hiking more miles? I guess you’ll have to keep reading to find out!!
Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area
First things first. Don’t type in Desert Tortoise Natural Area into Google Maps or else it will lead you to another place that is not where you need to be. Furthermore, don’t even rely on Google Maps to lead you to the correct place – Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area.
Here’s what we learned. Go to this website and follow their directions on how to get there. Google Maps kept taking us on some random dirt roads that were nowhere near the tortoise area. But using both Google Maps and the directions on their website, we eventually found it!
We were the only people when we arrived! Later another couple came but left before we did. Again, we had another quiet hike without a hoard of people. Our main goal was to find the desert tortoises!
This area has four trails. We did the Animal Trail, Discovery Loop, and the Main Trail. The total mileage ended up being about 2.75 miles. We started with the Animal Trail in hopes to see desert wildlife, particularly the tortoises.
We saw a few birds and bunnies. That was it. We completed the other two trails and only saw birds and bunnies. We saw a bunch of holes… maybe tortoise holes? But didn’t see any above ground unfortunately.
I was very excited and optimistic prior to arriving to the tortoise area, but my optimism went away after reading the educational board which stated that in the month of March, the tortoises will come out in the mornings and be out and about until noon time. We got there around 2 PM, so I assume the tortoises were in their homes resting.
The scenery at the tortoise area was not as spectacular as compared to the other two places we visited earlier in the day. But it would be worth visiting if there were tortoises roaming around. I want to return just to see the tortoises in their natural habitat. Maybe we’ll be back one day!
VIKAS PROPOSED!!!!!
When we got home, we got all cleaned up and dressed up to take thumbnail pictures for our YouTube video. It was Vikas’s idea to dress up nicely and take pictures in front of the airstream. It was cold and windy, so I was ready to get the pictures done with! I wanted to change, put on something comfy, and sit by the fire.
I thought Vikas was setting a timer on the camera so we could take multiple pictures in a row. I didn’t realize he was recording a video! You can see in the video (posted below) that he started fidgeting with something in his pocket, but I was too oblivious to notice his suspicious actions.
He then got down on one knee and the rest is history.
I ended up saying no.
HAHA I’m kidding. Of course, I said yes!
The proposal was the most perfect thing. The location was secluded and beautiful. We had a cute dog for an audience. And the words Vikas spoke came straight from his heart. It was a magical moment!
After the proposal, we changed into comfy clothes (yay!), played a game of giant Connect 4, and sat by the campfire reminiscing on all the fun things we’ve done together. 💕
Day 3: Check-out & Visit Poppy Reserve
March 12, 2023
We started our Mojave Desert weekend getaway as boyfriend and girlfriend and ended it as fiancés!! How crazy is that!?
Even though we had to check-out of our cute off-grid airstream, we had one more little adventure to go on before returning back to Fresno.
We have seen so many picture posts and reels about the wildflower season in California. It was a bit early for them to be in full bloom, but we decided to visit the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve anyway.
There were quite a few people already there, but still not overly crowded. We decided to hike one big loop so we could see several vista points, including Kitanemuk Vista Point, Antelope Butte Vista Point, and Valley Vista Point.
The poppies were slightly popping, but nothing too incredible. The views of the snowy mountains were beautiful from the vista points! We did see an array of colorful wildflowers, but not nearly as amazing as the super bloom that happened a couple years ago.
It was still worth the visit! And that was the end of our weekend getaway. I hope whoever reads this was inspired to take a trip to Mojave, California. There’s a lot of outdoorsy desert activities and fun places to explore!
🌵 Enjoyed this post? Check out our 3-day Joshua Tree itinerary!
