Trona Pinnacles Road

In the high Mohave Desert near Ridgecrest, California, is one of the desert's most unusual geologic wonders. The Trona Pinnacles are a concentration of large vertical spires rising up to 140 feet from the Searles Dry Lake base bed. The site has more than 500 spires, from short and squat to tall and thin, and are composed primarily of calcium carbonate (tufa) formed underwater when the area was a lake 100,000 years ago. The Pinnacles are recognizable to many because they have been used as a filming location for more than a dozen hit movies, including Planet of the Apes and Star Trek. This 14-square-mile area was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968, and visitors are free to drive through, hike, and camp amongst the towers. Come for the main attraction, or drive the hundreds of nearby four-wheel drive roads, or better yet, come and do both!