R02 Palm Springs Kingman | The largest verified route archive thanks to MyRoute-app RouteXperts

R02 Palm Springs Kingman

This route was brought to you by:

RouteXpert Hans van de Ven (Mr.MRA)

Last edit: 08-04-2021

Route Summary

This is the 2nd of 15 routes of the tour through the West of America. This route goes from Palm Springs to Kingman, and includes a part of the historic Route 66. Another long route, along the way we pass through the Joshua Tree National Park. Make sure you bring enough drink and food for the trip!

During this journey you will travel through the following states: California, Arizona, Utah & Nevada.

The roads are good, the area hilly and dry and the views beautiful, maybe see a Joshua Tree.

Starting point: Best Western Inn at Palm Springs.
End point: Best Western A Wayfarer's Inn.

The route has been made the same for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation users.

Thanks to Richard & Lisa for the information!

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Animation

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Verdict

Duration

6h 52m

Mode of travel

Car or motorcycle

Distance

516.07 km

Countries

RouteXpert Review

In Kingman, also called 'the Heart of Route 66', authentic Route 66 elements can still be seen. If you stay a little longer in Kingman, you can visit Old Town, the Locomotive Park, the Mohave Museum of History and Arts and the Historic Route 66 Museum. Or visit one of the ghost towns that can be found in the area.
Kingman is a somewhat smaller town and the hotel is too far away from the Old Town to walk afterwards. You are probably too tired and you arrive quite late to go to the Old Town. Fortunately you can eat well in the hotel and with an outdoor pool with hot tub I am sure you can enjoy yourself.

When leaving Palm Springs you will see how many golf courses there are, you go via Interstate 10 towards the Joshua Tree National Park. After an hour's drive we arrive at the entrance of the Joshua Tree National Park. It is advisable to buy an entrance ticket for all national parks here, costs around $ 80, paying all entrance separately is much more expensive. The Joshua Tree National Park is about 100 km from east to west and 50 km from north to south and is characterized by two completely different desert landscapes: The low Colorado desert in the southeast (where natural gardens grow with Opuntia and scrub among others) and the higher altitude, more humid and slightly cooler Mojave desert. We will mainly drive through this area, because the Joshua Tree grows here, which gives the park its name. When you leave the park, there is a stop in Joshua Tree, for lunch and refueling, as a small 170 km of desert awaits you. Via the Mohave Valley you drive to Vidal, where you can refuel again and stretch your legs.

Then you go through the town of Needles where you cross the Colorado River and enter California from California. You continue your way through the town of Oatman to drive over a portion of the historic Route 66 to Kingman. You drive over the Sitgreaves Pass, this mountain pass is 1,082 meters high and is located in the Black Mountains of Mohave County. Take your time, it's worth the drive. See if you see the old cars next to the hairpin bend. The road is great with so many curves

In this 4-star route you will drive on beautiful good roads, through very dry surroundings where you regularly have to stop for a drink. Take enough water with you!

General information:
The Joshua Tree National Park has an area of approximately 2260 km 2. There are amazing geological formations and mountain ranges that rise from the low valleys to an altitude of 1600 meters.
Numerous impressive plant species grow in the park, including the Joshua tree - from which the park takes its name -, cactus trees, paloverdes, pinon pains, Mojave yuccas and a wealth of multicolored wild flowers. The Joshua tree got its name from Mormon immigrants who thought the branches of the tree looked like arms that reached to heaven in prayer. Many species of animals also live in this desert landscape, such as bighorn sheep, which can be found throughout the park.
In the Oasis Visitor Center, in the city of Twentynine Palms, you will find a map of the park, as well as information about the flora, fauna and history of this fascinating landscape. Key's View, at an altitude of 1660 meters, offers a spectacular view of the desert. On clear days you can see the Salton Sea on the horizon.

Other highlights include the Hidden Valley ("the Hidden Valley") which was reportedly the secret hiding place of a notorious cattle thief and the Lost Horse Mine, a historic gold mine. Please note: there is an entrance fee for the park. Joshua Tree is 225 km southeast of Los Angeles. This area received the National Monument status in 1936. In 1994 it received the status of National Park.
According to the believers among us, the park would be used as a land location for UFOs. At least there are quite a few people who claim this. Photographs of UFOs were also reported to have been made, however, no hard evidence was ever found for these statements. Incidentally, it does not rain a lot in this area, but if it does, the water will also fall from the sky.

Kingman, founded in 1880 during railroad construction in the region, is located in the heart of the Mojave province. Today, the city takes honor and glory from the fact that it is the most important stop on a very long section of the former Route 66.
Due to the unique location of the city, at the intersection of Interstate 40 and US-93, the city often serves as a gateway to the nearby lakes Mead, Mojave and Havasu.
According to a local legend, spirits from surrounding areas roamed in this former gold digger community. The best known city is Oatman, the former headquarters of the mining towns that flourished towards the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many original buildings are still intact and are an attraction for both film producers and visitors looking for the textbook example of a "ghost town." Oatman can be reached via Route 66.
In this area you will also find the Mojave Museum of History and Arts, which is known for a collection of art pieces with pictures of the history of north-western Arizona. There are collections of Native American jewelry (especially turquoise) and even reconstructions of Mojave homes. The Mojave Museum is located at 400 West Beale Street, 500 meters southeast of US-93, exit 1-40.

Links

Starting point of the route.
End point of the route.
National Park Services

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California

About this region

California is a state in the Western United States. It shares a border with Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With over 39.5 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous and the third-largest U.S. state by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after New York City). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. San Francisco, which is both a city and a county, is the second most densely populated major city in the country (after New York City) and the fifth most densely populated county in the country, behind four of New York City's five boroughs.
The economy of California, with a gross state product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If it were a country, it would be the 37th most populous country and the fifth largest economy as of 2020. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020), after the New York metropolitan area ($1.8 trillion). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as centers of the global technology and entertainment industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Although California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. All these factors lead to an enormous demand for water. Over time, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency and become less seasonal and more year-round, further straining California's water security.