Red Rock Canyon State Park
State Park · Cantil, California
Red Rock Canyon State Park lies on the edge of the El Paso Mountains at the western side of the Mojave Desert, beside Highway 14 near Cantil in Kern County. The draw is the cliffs: weathered walls and fluted badlands in red, pink, white and brown that glow at sunrise and sunset. The scenery has made it a location for many Westerns and science fiction films, as is often cited. It is a quick, rewarding stop on the long drive between Los Angeles and the Eastern Sierra, and a good short desert camp. It is also exposed: summer heat is severe, wind can be strong, flash floods can wash out dirt roads and there are almost no services nearby. Skies are very dark at night. Confirm campground details, trails, fees and visitor centre hours before you go. Bring all your water, fill the fuel tank in a real town first and plan around the temperature of the day, because help is a long drive away if the weather turns or a car fails.
37749 Abbott Dr, Cantil, California, 93519, United States
The park has generally been open for day use from around sunrise to sunset, with camping available around the clock for registered campers - confirm the current gate and day-use hours with California State Parks. A visitor centre or contact point, where staffed, keeps shorter and seasonal hours, and it may be closed on weekdays or in summer, so do not count on it for water or advice. The real limit on your day is temperature: summer afternoons in the Mojave can pass 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so early morning and late evening are the sensible times, while winter days are cool and nights can freeze. Roads can close after rain or flash floods, so check conditions before you drive in.
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