Misplaced Pages

#944055

28-804: The Mojave Road , also known as Old Government Road (formerly the Mohave Trail ), is a historic route and present day dirt road across what is now the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert in the United States . This rough road stretched 147 miles (237 km) from Beale's Crossing (the river crossing site on the west bank of the Colorado River , opposite old Fort Mohave , roughly 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Bullhead City, Arizona ), to Fork of

56-564: A gravel road, a dirt road is not usually graded regularly to produce an enhanced camber to encourage rainwater to drain off the road, and drainage ditches at the sides may be absent. They are unlikely to have embankments through low-lying areas. This leads to greater waterlogging and erosion, and after heavy rain the road may be impassable even to off-road vehicles . For this reason, in some countries, such as Australia and New Zealand and Finland , they are known as dry-weather roads . Dirt roads take on different characteristics according to

84-545: A washboard-like surface with ridges. The reason for this is that dirt roads have tiny irregularities; a wheel hitting a bump pushes it forward, making it bigger, while a wheel pushing over a bump pushes dirt into the next bump. However, the surface can remain flat for velocities less than 5 mph (8 km/h). While most gravel roads are all-weather roads and can be used by ordinary cars , dirt roads may only be passable by trucks or four-wheel drive vehicles , especially in wet weather, or on rocky or very sandy sections. It

112-683: Is a 45-mile-long (72 km) valley, and about 10 miles (16 km) wide at its southern end. It is drained by Piute Wash with the wash turning easterly at the south to join the Colorado River at Needles. The valley is bordered by three mountain ranges, all north–south ranges, with the Piute Range to the west. To the northeast is the Newberry Mountains , and to the southeast is the Dead Mountains range, where Piute Wash borders its southwest and south perimeter. Searchlight

140-427: Is as easy to become bogged in sand as it is in mud; a high clearance under the vehicle may be required for rocky sections. Driving on dirt roads requires great attention to variations in the surface and it is easier to lose control than on a gravel road. Piute Valley The Piute Valley is a 45-mile-long (72 km) north–south valley southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada , and northwest of Needles . The north of

168-773: Is at the north of the valley, with a 5-mile (8.0 km) grade of U.S. Route 95 in Nevada north of Searchlight to the beginning of the Eldorado Valley. U.S. 95 is the route traversing the Piute Valley north–south, connecting at the south to the east–west Interstate 40 in California and the northern foothills of the Sacramento Mountains . The southern end of the extensive McCullough Range converges with four valleys and three mountain ranges. West of

196-475: The Dead Mountains to its outfall at the Colorado River and Needles . The Mojave National Preserve is mostly endorheic with the west bordering on Baker, California , and the twin dry lakes of Silver Dry Lake and Soda Dry Lake . The northeast preserve corner is anchored by the water divide point. The northeast borders of the New York and smaller Castle Mountains meet the north of the Piute Range ; to

224-505: The soils and geology where they pass, and may be sandy, stony, rocky or have a bare earth surface, which could be extremely muddy and slippery when wet, and baked hard when dry. They are likely to become impassable after rain. They are common in rural areas of many countries, often very narrow and infrequently used, and are also found in metropolitan areas of many developing countries, where they may also be used as major highways and have considerable width. Dirt roads almost always form

252-665: The "Class Four Highway" designation used in China . A track , dirt track , or earth track would normally be similar but less suitable for larger vehicles—the distinction is not well-defined. Laterite and murram roads , depending on material used, may be dirt roads or improved roads. Unpaved roads with a harder surface made by the addition of material such as gravel and aggregate (stones), might be referred to as dirt roads in common usage but are distinguished as improved roads by highway engineers. Improved unpaved roads include gravel roads and macadamized roads . Compared to

280-655: The 1860s east of Camp Cady along the trail and regular patrols instituted. The army protected the settlers and travelers from the attacks of the resident Paiute , Mojave , and Chemehuevi Native Americans until 1871. This also opened the way for large mining development in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County and agricultural development in the Victor Valley area. During the Colorado River Gold Rush from 1862 it became one of

308-608: The Manix Wash. Download coordinates as: The following list of markers follows east to west travel. Mojave Road Los Angeles became a California Historic Landmark (No.963) on 19 March 1985, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. California Historic Marker reads: Camp Cady also is a California Historical Landmark Marker #963-1 on the site reads: Dirt road Terms similar to dirt road are dry-weather road , earth road , or

SECTION 10

#1732775641945

336-573: The McCullough's lie the endorheic Roach and Ivanpah Dry Lakes of Ivanpah Valley ; the valley extends north into Las Vegas' southwest, a tributary to the Las Vegas Wash. Ivanpah Valley turns southeast to meet the water divide point. Northeast of the water divide point is the southwest Eldorado Valley , also endorheic with its Eldorado Dry Lake . Southwest the Piute Valley drains south, then Piute Wash turns east and descends steeply at

364-698: The Mohave Trail ran between watering holes across the Mojave Desert between the Colorado River and Mojave River then following it to the Cajon Pass , the gap between the San Bernardino Mountains and San Gabriel Mountains , into Southern California ending at Drum Barracks . It ran westward between springs across the Mojave Desert, from Piute Spring to Indian Well , to Rock Springs, then to Marl Spring and Soda Spring on

392-728: The Mohave's trail became part of what became the Main Route or Central Route of the Old Spanish Trail, linking up with it from the north 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado River in Piute Valley and following it westward to the link up with Armijo's route at the Mojave River mouth, and later with a shortcut from Salt Spring through Bitter Spring and Spanish Canyon at a point just east of Yermo . This place

420-553: The Old Spanish Trail then followed the Mohave's trail along the Mojave River but instead of crossing over the mountains into San Bernardino Valley they followed a new route Armijo called "Cañon de San Bernardino" from the upper Mojave River west through Cajon Pass and down Crowder Canyon and Cajon Canyon , known to the vaqueros of the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia who had come to their aid with food. The land

448-601: The Piute Valley, at a four-valley water divide point. The Piute Valley Watershed is the first watershed southeast of Las Vegas– Lake Mead to meet the Colorado River; the Piute Wash outfall with the Colorado River is in California at Needles. The mountain ranges south of Lake Mead, bordering the river and Lake Mohave are part of the Havasu-Mohave Lakes Watershed. Piute Valley

476-526: The Road location along the north bank of the Mojave River where the old Mojave Road split off from the route of the Old Spanish Trail / Mormon Road . A four-wheel drive vehicle is required for all but a few short stretches of this road, which is unmaintained. The old road from Fork of the Road eastward along the Mojave River is interrupted after 10.9 acres (4.4 ha) by private property, below

504-710: The major roads to the gold and silver mining regions on the upper river and linked by the Hardyville - Prescott Road in 1864 to the mining regions in northern and central Arizona. The eastern end of the Mojave Road begins at the edge of the Colorado River , near the site of Beale's Crossing, north of Needles and the western terminus lies beyond the Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area and the Afton Canyon Natural Area near

532-486: The raiders along the route. In 1826, Jedediah Smith led an expedition of the first US citizens to travel the Mojave Trail. From 1829 to 1830, Mexican traders from New Mexico established the routes that came to be called the Old Spanish Trail trade route to California. The first of these, Armijo's route , intercepted the Mohave's trail at the mouth of the Mojave River near Soda Lake . Subsequently, in 1830,

560-730: The settlers, triggering the Mohave War . From the time of the Mohave War the Mohave Road came under the purview of the U.S. government. Army posts were established at Fort Mojave , at Beale's Crossing in 1859, and, after the Bitter Spring Expedition at Camp Cady , 10.9 miles (17.5 km) east of Fork of the Road at its junction with the Mormon Road , in 1860. Smaller outposts were established later in

588-470: The site of the old Camp Cady (on the north bank of the Mojave River, roughly 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Newberry Springs ). The road is resumed at an access point from the north in Manix Wash . Under optimal conditions, its full length of 133 miles (214 km) from Beale's Crossing to Manix Wash can be travelled in 2 to 3 days. A traditional thoroughfare of desert-dwelling Native Americans ,

SECTION 20

#1732775641945

616-455: The trail with Mohave guides, after leaving the expedition of Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776. José María de Zalvidea, the zealous Franciscan administrator of Mission San Gabriel also crossed the trail in 1806, reportedly converting five indigenous Mohaves near present-day Hesperia . The Mohave Trail later became the route of raiders, preying on the herds of the California missions and ranchos . Spanish (and later, Mexican) soldiers pursued

644-492: The valley is at Searchlight , with some of the valley extending northwest from Searchlight. At the center-north lies Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada . The second valley southeast of Las Vegas borders to the north, the endorheic Eldorado Valley , with its dry lake . The next watershed north is the Las Vegas Wash Watershed. The northeast portion of the Mojave National Preserve makes up the northwestern region of

672-519: The vicinity of modern Barstow . Wagon trains of settlers coming west on the Santa Fe Trail soon followed Beale's Wagon Road and the Mojave Road into Southern California. Beale's road was shorter than the route via the more southern Southern Emigrant Trail and it was cooler in summer, snow-free in winter, had better forage, and was better watered. Soon hostilities began between the Mohaves and

700-523: The west of the Piute's, east of the New York Mountains is the southerly draining endorheic Lanfair Valley . The Piute Valley Watershed is the first major watershed southeast of Las Vegas to drain into the western side of the south-flowing Colorado River. Though Piute Wash drains Piute Valley, the entire watershed includes Sacramento Wash (California) which covers an equivalent area west of

728-427: The west side of Soda Lake . From there the trail led to the mouth of the Mojave River southwest of Soda Lake. It then followed the river up stream, finding oases of water and vegetation where the river came to the surface at various places along its course. The watering holes recur at intervals of about 60 miles (97 km) to 70 miles (110 km). The Spanish Franciscan missionary Francisco Garcés traveled

756-589: Was ceded from Mexico to the US in 1848 following the Mexican–American War . In early 1858 the Mohave Trail became the Mojave Road, a wagon road connected to the newly pioneered Beale's Wagon Road across northern New Mexico Territory from Fort Defiance to Beale's Crossing on the Colorado River where it linked up with the Mojave Road. This ran from the Colorado crossing to where it left the Mojave River, west of

784-721: Was later called " Fork of the Road " where the Old Spanish Trail or from 1849, the Southern Route of the California Trail or the Mormon Road to Salt Lake City , divided from what came to be the Mojave Road to the Colorado River. From 1849, the Mormon Road became heavily traveled winter road to California by Forty-niners seeking to avoid the fate of the Donner Party , and subsequent travelers, post riders and commercial wagon freighters. Now consolidated

#944055