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California City

Visiting

Things to do in California City

People come here for three reasons: to ride, to see the empty grid, or because they own a piece of it and finally want to look. It is a small desert town, not a resort, and much of what is worth the drive is within forty minutes of it.

Last reviewed · 22 sources

Still water in Central Park's lake reflecting a pavilion with three peaked canvas roofs, pine trees and a tan building on the far shore, framed by a large tree on the right.
The west side of Central Park's lake, in the middle of town, July 2012. “Central Park, California City, California” by Craig Dietrich, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; resized and converted to WebP.

At a glance

In town
Riding from Borax Bill Park, Central Park and its lake, two golf courses397
Nearest big draw
Red Rock Canyon State Park, 19.6 miles, about 35 min17
Spring festival
Desert Tortoise Days; in 2026, 2 and 3 May10
Busiest
Holiday weekends, when riders number more than 10,00016

What is there to do in California City?

  • Ride. The city describes more than 1,800 miles of combination-use city roads and dirt trails and 33.5 miles of designated OHV trail, including a route into the business district.1 Its OHV Department runs Borax Bill Park as the hub for riders, with a visitor centre and camping.3 See camping at Borax Bill Park; the riding areas beyond the city are in Nearby.
  • See the grid. Drive out past the built edge of town and the named, graded streets carry on with nothing on them. The grid map shows every one of them, and the history explains how a city for four hundred thousand people came to be drawn here.
  • Central Park and its lake, one of the parts of the 1950s plan that was built: 82.90 acres with the lake, a waterfall, playing fields, a dog park and a summer pool.9 Fishing is allowed from 6am to 10pm.8 See Central Park and the lake.
  • Golf. The city says there are two golf courses in town,7 which its code names as the Tierra del Sol course and the par-3 municipal course in Central Park.8
  • Birds. The Chamber of Commerce promotes the town for migration birding and says more than 360 species have been recorded around Central Park and Galileo Hill.6
  • Tortoises. The Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area, about four miles northeast of town, is best visited from mid-March to mid-June.11 See the tortoise natural area.
  • The night sky, which is much darker a short drive out of town. See stargazing near California City.
  • Desert Tortoise Days, the spring festival, which in 2026 was held on 2 and 3 May with a parade from City Hall to Central Park.10
  • Your own lot. If you own land here, see Land & Lots, and the rules on staying on your lot.
A Mojave desert tortoise with a domed brown shell walking across gravel at the edge of a sandy wash, with creosote bushes behind it.
A Mojave desert tortoise at the edge of a wash in Joshua Tree National Park, October 2024. “Mojave Desert Tortoise”, NPS photo by Samantha Laarman, Joshua Tree National Park, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain; resized and converted to WebP.

What is there to do near California City?

Each of these has its own page in Nearby. Distances are by road from City Hall, in free-flowing traffic.

  • Red Rock Canyon State Park, State Parks’ desert park on Highway 14, with a first-come campground: 19.6 miles, about 35 min17 to the visitor center.18
  • Jawbone Canyon, BLM’s open riding area off Highway 14:19 15.9 miles, about 28 min17 to Jawbone Station.
  • Dove Springs, another BLM riding area further up the highway.15
  • The El Paso Mountains, a BLM wilderness north of town where vehicles are not allowed.20
  • Randsburg, which grew up after the Yellow Aster gold mine was found in April 1895,21 61.1 miles, about 1 h 17 min17 by the highways.
  • Mojave Air and Space Port, a spaceport licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration,22 beside the town of Mojave: 15.7 miles, about 23 min17.

Before driving to any of them, read how to get to California City for the roads and where fuel and water run out.

When to come

Spring and autumn. NOAA has no official climate averages for California City itself; at Mojave, the nearest station that has them, July and August highs average about 97°F and December and January lows about 32 to 33°F,13 with around 34 days a year reaching 100°F and around 40 nights at or below freezing. Annual rainfall averages under six inches.14 Most of it falls in winter, with February the wettest month.13

A dark grey-brown sparrow with a heavy grey bill and a streaked breast, standing on gravel and dry leaves.
A thick-billed fox sparrow at Galileo Hill, May 2014. “Fox Sparrow - Thick-billed” by Kaaren Perry, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; resized and converted to WebP.

State Parks says visits to Red Rock Canyon rise from mid-October and usually last into mid-May.12 BLM describes the winds in the desert north of town as frequent and strong,15 and the city warns that extreme temperatures and high winds can make conditions dangerous quickly.3 The desert conditions page reads the current forecast for exactly those, and the best time to visit goes month by month.

What to know before you go

  • Riding in town. Friends of Jawbone says off-highway vehicles in California City must display both a green sticker and a California City street operating permit, which allows riding on the dirt routes in the designated riding area; street-licensed and dual-sport vehicles do not need one.4 The city issues OHV permits through its OHV Department.2
  • The 2026 route closures. A federal court order has closed BLM routes in desert tortoise critical habitat to recreational riding and driving since 24 March 2026.5 Check before riding out of town; see the Rand Mountains.
  • Services are thin. One hotel in town, a few places to eat, and very little in the desert around it. Read hotels and places to stay and restaurants, gas and groceries before you set out.

Sources

Every fee, rule, distance and date above traces to one of these, checked on the review date. Rules, closures and fees change: where it matters, confirm with the managing agency before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us and it will be fixed.

  1. 1.Designated OHV Areas. City of California City.
  2. 2.About Us (OHV Department: permits and Borax Bill Park). City of California City.Permits, Borax Bill Park's facilities and hookup charges, and the RV dump and water station policy and hours. Re-read 24 September 2026.
  3. 3.Borax Bill Visitor's Guide. City of California City OHV Department, 2025.
  4. 4.Vehicle Travel. Friends of Jawbone.
  5. 5.West Mojave Plan route network. Bureau of Land Management.BLM's notice of the court-ordered closure of routes in desert tortoise critical habitat to OHV recreation from 24 March 2026, the areas that remain open, and the Rand Mountains permit.
  6. 6."Best in West" migration birding. California City Chamber of Commerce.
  7. 7.Golf Courses. City of California City.
  8. 8.Code of Ordinances, City of California City: Title 7, Chapter 5 (Parks) and Title 9. City of California City, via Municode, codified through November 2021.Park hours, dogs, the lake, fishing, boating, camping permits, and temporary occupancy of a lot in a motor home.
  9. 9.Parks and Recreation Master Plan. City of California City, 2015.A scanned document; page numbers are the plan's own. Its facility descriptions date from 2015.
  10. 10.Desert Tortoise Days to be held May 2nd and 3rd. Desert News, 25 April 2026.
  11. 11.Overview & Location: Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area. Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee.
  12. 12.Red Rock Canyon State Park Preliminary General Plan Revision and Draft EIR. California State Parks, via CEQAnet, October 2022.The most detailed official description of the park's roads, trails, facilities, climate and history. A preliminary document: the adopted plan corrected some acreage and history figures.
  13. 13.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, monthly: Mojave, CA (USC00045756). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.The nearest station with official normals, about 11 miles west-southwest of California City in a straight line. There is no normals station in California City.
  14. 14.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual and seasonal: Mojave, CA (USC00045756). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
  15. 15.Dove Springs OHV Area. Bureau of Land Management.
  16. 16.OHV. California City Chamber of Commerce.
  17. 17.OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, from California City City Hall. Project OSRM and OpenStreetMap contributors, routed 17 September 2026, long-distance rows added 24 September 2026.Every distance and time was computed this way, and each one links to its own route so it can be re-run. Times assume no traffic.
  18. 18.Red Rock Canyon State Park. California State Parks.The park's official page: directions, hours, fees, camping, dogs, vehicles, drones, closures and contacts. Its current-restrictions panel was empty when checked.
  19. 19.Jawbone Canyon OHV Area. Bureau of Land Management.
  20. 20.El Paso Mountains Wilderness. Bureau of Land Management.
  21. 21.Rand Mining District (California Historical Landmark No. 938). California Office of Historic Preservation.
  22. 22.Spaceports by State. Federal Aviation Administration, updated 15 June 2026.