Red Rock Canyon State Park is in between the coast and the Death Valley Region on Highway 14 in the Mojave Desert just south of the Sierra Nevadas in Southern California. It’s a true California desert experience with badlands, 4 Wheel Drive Roads, scenic eroded cliffsides, Joshua Trees, and red rocks. It’s also a hot place. For $6 it’s worth the visit but it helps to have 4WD and a bunch of water. There are three sections to the Park that one can easily explore: the Ricardo Camp and Visitor Center, The Red Cliffs, and the Scenic Cliffs (Canyon).

The Visitor Center is past some awesome red rock badland formations of red sandstone reminiscent of the Colorado Plateau. Inside, it has archaeological finds and lots of fossils which the park is truly full of. The scene in Jurassic Park where Grant explains to the snot nosed kid about the raptor ripping your guts out was filmed in the park (why fly to South Dakota when this is so near LA?). Tons of mammals from before and during the Pleistocene met their maker in the area long ago. And as a bonus, the drive around the Ricardo Campground (which should be done slowly as to avoid dust) is filled with Joshua Trees! The Campground is first come first serve and some of the 50 campsites are set against the wall and amongst Joshua Trees. But they do look exposed, hot, and dusty.

The Red Cliffs Area is on the east side of the highway just down the road from the turn to the Visitor Center. It is a large parking lot that features the famous red rocks and is worth the stop. There’s even some distant green Joshua Trees that look great juxtaposed against the red rocks of the canyon walls.

The third place is called the Scenic Cliffs on the brochure but Scenic Canyon on the sign that leads you to them. The road is north of the Visitor Center and also on the east side of the street. When you exit you can only turn right/north so plan accordingly. It’s definitely a 4WD road and can be bumpy, steep, and hot but it’s a fun drive to the massive cliffside.