Red Rock Canyon State Park•California

00:00     Title
00:08     Red Rock Canyon State Park - California
03:53     Mojave Airplane Graveyard
04:32     Petroglyph Park - Matarango Museum - China Lake Museum
07:06     Fin​
​
The majestic Red Rock Canyon landscape in southern California has been a roadside attraction since the 1930​s. This park is located on Highway 14 between the Mojave Air & Space Port and the town of Inyokern. Surprisingly, there is plenty to see and do in this end of the Mojave Desert and all it takes is zooming in on a map to see the details. The travel time between points of interest can be lengthy and those who drive a 4x4 vehicle will have many more options, but it just goes to show that a fulfilling vacation can actually be planned for even the most remote areas of this vast desert expanse. Red Rock Canyon State Park definitely is one of the most convenient destinations in this region and accessing this park is very easy to do, so this is a great starting point.

The majority of Red Rock Canyon visitors just make a brief stop to stretch the legs while passing through on the highway toward Los Angeles or Bishop. For this reason, this park receives a steady flow of traffic from sunup till sundown. Red Rock Canyon State Park offers over 27,000 acres of beautiful desert landscapes to explore, so committing to an an extended stay is also easy to do. A fully developed campground with an entertaining picnic area is located on site, which is a real rarity in these parts, since most of the camping options are primitive in this unforgiving end of the desert.

The reason for spending some extra time in this unique place will become evident when perusing the park information brochure. The ominous eroded red sandstone pipe formations layered between thick bands of white clay certainly are fascinating to gaze upon and these strange looking cliffs are a landscape artist's dream come true. There are foot trails that go through the Red Rock Canyon landscape that are well worth taking on and all the while, there will be a nagging feeling that one has experienced this place before, just like déjà vu.

The reason why the head scratching déjà vu feeling may creep up has to do with Hollywood film productions, which have featured this amazing Red Rock Canyon landscape as a backdrop since the 1930s. Several classic westerns and serials were filmed at this location way back in the early days, so fans of the old black & whites may even notice how much this environment has changed over time. Television sci-fi shows like Buck Rogers, Lost In Space, The Twilight Zone and Galactica 1980 also featured this otherworldly terrain for obvious reasons. Many major motion pictures were filmed here too and the long list includes Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, The Mummy, The Car and of course, the most famous modern classic of them all, Jurassic Park. In fact, the Jurassic Park filming location is marked on a map of Red Rock Canyon State Park, so it is easy to find. With all these classic film backdrops to experience, there will be quite a bit of hiking to do, so be sure to stay extra hydrated to make the venture go off without a hitch!