Afton Canyon is often thought of as one of the last amazing landscapes of California. With majestic views and one of the only places the Mojave River flows above ground, Afton is not just a wheeling destination; it's a must-see in one's lifetime.
When traveling through Afton Canyon, you will find sandstone canyons, slot canyons, natural sandstone caves, abandoned mines, a deep water crossing, and even the Mojave River flowing above ground year-round. So pack up the 4x4 and experience some of the best camping and scenic off-roading of your life.
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We did this trail May 14, 2023, a high of about 90-ish degrees F, and had the place to ourselves, never saw another vehicle, except the hi-rail truck running down the train tracks. The water crossings were about 16" high. Some trail areas had some loose sand. The silence in the spooky cave was deafening, definitely spooky. Can't wait to do this trail again when it's cooler. Great medium-easy day trip from Los Angeles.
My wife drove our Jeep through afton Canyon, parts of Mojave Road, through 4 water puddles and over to Razor Rd. She found spooky caverns at 194.65 (1928 train trellis) and parts of the Borax Mine cart tracks. Only once did she let me drive, and that was an easy downhill section. There were a few tight areas around Borax mine and a bit of desert painting; lots of sand sections; washboard areas and rocks of various sizes, shapes, and road settings. Take your time, and you may see desert foliage and native animals. My wife suggests hand-wipes and lots of water, as there was none in the lake - which you can't drink anyway. To her, it was mostly easy to moderate, but not difficult.
Went with a group that included stock 4x4s, full size trucks, and Jeeps. The water crossings were no more than 18" deep. Great trial with lots to see and explore, the mine at way point 12 was the highlight for our group.
Really Beautiful place. The cave was fun. A few people but not many. You would pass a truck or two then have the place to your self for 10 to 15 min or longer before another truck comes along.
Easy trail. I had a friend go in his 2wd and with airing down I only had to pull him out once from some soft sand with my 4wd.
The second water crossing is deeper than the first. About 20" deep. Both have hard bottoms and 2wd is fine. You do go under the train bridge but any normal vehicle will fit.
Great trail, easy access for most 4x4 vehicles now that the water crossing is shallower. Should only need about 15" of water fording capability. Take the time to visit Spooky Cave!
Traffic up the 15 fwy was light on they way up, but heavy on they way back. The dirt road leading up to the campground was being graded by heavy equipment with tractor trailers driving 15 to 20 mph on the road making it a rough ride, so airing down added less jarring inside the Jeep. The river crossing has been filled in by about two feet with 2 inch sized stone. If visiting Spooky cave, and you decide to climb out the last vertical portion, dont use the blue and yellow rope, use the red one. The blue and yellow rope is tied off to a very sketchy rock, that you might end up pulling down onto yourself before you end up falling.
This is one of our all time favorite trails. It is packed full of awe inspiring landforms you cannot experience anywhere else, cool man made structures like the mine, train tracks, and random mailbox, and who could forget the epic water crossing?? When we came in September the river was about 34”; however, when we came through again after thanksgiving it was still filled with bedrock and only about a foot deep. Disappointing. There is so much to explore around here, you could spend a few days just following random offshoots and finding more magical landforms! Nothing difficult about it if you stay on the main wash but some of the offshoots can include steep hills, boulders, or both.
Cross the first water nearest to the Afton Canyon Campground with caution. It is more than 31" deep. I learned the hard way yesterday, hydrolocked the Cherokee on 4.5" lift with 33'''s... maybe i was going to fast and forced the water into the intake, which is low on the grille, not sure.
What a blast... The weather was perfect and the river was flowing. It did get a bit deep at one point. Roughly 3 1/2 feet deep. Which was about mid doors on my Jeep. The bad news was my drain plugs were removed which meant my jeep filled up with water as I crossed.
Another beautiful day on the trail. Afton Canyon was run 1 day within 9 days of adventure for a small group of us. The weather was great and the drive was enjoyable. Although nothing incredibly technical, it was a good day. Spooky Cave was definitely the highlight of this trail. There are ropes once you get deeper in to allow you to reach the top. Climb at your own risk!
Music 'A horse with no name,’ by America (decent Rock n Roll from 1971). On this beautiful day that the Lord had made, my ‘first ministry’ (my wife) and I enjoyed an off road excursion through Afton Canyon.
Great Place. Looks like some serious flash floods went through the area. All of the original paths are gone and it is hard to even get to the popular spots.
The first river crossing was over 4 feet deep in spots making it a little nerve racking as we went through it.
The second water crossing was all filled in with sand.
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Joshua Noesser grew up in Southern California but has lived in different parts of the country during his young adult life. Josh was first turned to four wheeling when he road with one of his friends dad up Surprise Canyon in the Panamint Valley at age14. After nearly 3 different roll overs later and a half dozen intense waterfalls, Josh was hooked. At 16 he purchased his first Jeep a CJ 7 and by 17 was putting his first locker in it.
Currently, Josh is the owner and CEO of Nybble, an IT Solutions Company based in Orange County, California. Nybble isn't your normal IT company where everyone stays in and plays video games. Nybble's average company trip is out on the trails since a good amount of his staff enjoy wheeling too. As Josh likes to say, he offers the only IT Company with the ability to provide services in extreme locations. "If you want a server at the top of The Hammers, we will take care of that for you."
Today you can find Josh out on the trail behind the wheel in one of his three different off-road vehicles. See the vehicles below for more information.
If you ever run into Josh, please say high, he is a very friendly person and is always happy to have a new person join the group.
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