Needles to Ludlow Truck Trail Part 1

The Needles to Ludlow Truck Trail Part 1 when included with Part 2 is a 112-mile trek across the Mojave Desert. Part 1 starts in the rugged Sacramento Mountains, and looking back east is a green band following the Colorado River. Once out of the mountains, the trail is a straight line across the sandy desert floor through the Ward and Fenner Valleys, eventually reaching the famous Route 66. The abandoned Gold Ace west Mine is a great stop to inspect the mine's artifacts and try to reconstruct what once was a thriving operation. The trail is flat and maintained, and it is unlikely you will encounter another traveler. The trail is a great route for all driving skills when taking the proper safety precautions for a stay in the hot, desolate desert. One major warning: It is illegal and dangerous to cross railroad tracks other than at a designated roadway crossing. NS-203 is shown on all maps to cross over a busy section of tracks with no roadway crossing and is heavily used by trains in both directions. The track for this route provides a safe and short detour to a legal road crossing at the town of Essex and then continues back onto NS-203.