Calico Mountains Road Trip
The Calico Mountains near Barstow offer a treasure trove of hiking and opportunities for exploring back roads, along with unusual geologic formations and classic California mining history. Best known for the Calico Ghost Town, not many people are aware of what lies behind the famous ghost town. Several days can be spent exploring the different corners and fascinating places to see in the Calico Mountains.
Trip Specs
Length
Attractions
- Rugged colorful mountains
- Rugged canyons
- Historic mines
- Desert vistas
Difficulty
- Must have 4WD high-clearance
- Difficult to navigate
- Easy to get lost
Elevation Gain
Virtual Video Tour
The Tour
Our tour starts on the east side of Barstow, where our previous tour of Main Street through downtown Barstow, ends. If you’ve missed that, see Driving Route 66 thru Downtown Barstow. This tour ends in the remote desert outpost of Ludlow.
Along the way, this tour visits these interesting towns and sites:
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow with its connection to the Tournament of Roses Parade
- Elephant Mountain
- Daggett
- Cool Water Ranch & power plants
- Barstow-Daggett Airport
- Newberry Mountain
- Newberry Springs
- Pisgah Crater
This tour can be taken in either direction; from Barstow to Ludlow or Ludlow to Barstow. If you start in Ludlow, simply follow the tour itinerary in reverse.
Barstow
Begin your tour by driving to the east-end of Main Street in Barstow, where it passes underneath Interstate 40. You can also take the I-40 freeway and take exit #1. Reset your trip meter here.
There isn’t much to see along the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) stretch of Route 66 from exit #1 to the Marine Corps base. There used to be an old hotel and bar, but it was razed around 2010. If you’re not a serious or diehard Route 66 traveler, you can jump on I-40 and exit at Nebo Street (exit #5), which also bypasses the Marine Corps base.
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
If you took Route 66 from exit #1, you’ll pass underneath I-40 again and in a short distance be stopped by the base’s main entrance. Just before the entrance stands an old gas station and hotel that was originally a Motel 6.
The alignment of Route 66 used to go right through the middle of this military installation. Until I-40 was built, Route 66 travelers drove right through the base as if it were another town along the road. Unfortunately, after the events of September 11, 2001, for security concerns, the public can no longer drive on this portion of Route 66 through the base.
The base is used as a supply depot and maintenance facility for the Marine Corps. It was originally established in 1942 to support the Pacific theater in World War 2. During this time, unneeded material, mainly wood for crates, were thrown away but picked up by locals to build many of the old buildings along Route 66. The base itself, has since grown to support the on-going needs of the Marines.
A satellite facility of the base was built later and called the Marine Corps Logistics Base Yermo Annex. It can be seen along this tour just north of our visit through Daggett. Here is where the Marines store a lot of their rolling stock. Trains can regularly be seen delivering or picking up the rolling stock, such as tanks, assault vehicles and JLTVs (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle).
An interesting side note about this facility, it is the home of a mounted color guard. Traditionally, this elite team of equestrians lead and kick off the beginning of the Tournament of Roses Parade on Pasadena’s Colorado Blvd, which ironically is also, Route 66.
To continue the tour, jump on I-40 eastbound at exit #2, drive two miles, then exit at Nebo Street (exit #5).
