What to See
and Do | Where to Stay
Barstow
A railway town since its founding,
Barstow is now a city of 60,000 people. In 1888, the
Santa Fe Railroad arrived in town and a splendid station
was built in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The town
was named after the president of the Santa Fe, William
Barstow Strong, and it soon became a service center for
the gold and silver mines that surrounded the
community.
Before all this feverish activity in the
late 1800s, the Mojave Desert had been occupied by Indian
tribes who (2,000 years ago) lived beside the immense
lakes that covered most of the Mojave. Today, the
landscape is bone dry, and Barstow is a highway town, at
the junction of Interstate Highways 15 and 40, on the
routes between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Flagstaff. The
railway station has been converted into a restaurant and
shops.
What to See & Do
California Desert Information Center
Anyone interested in exploring the region's
natural attractions should head first to this
multi-agency center, located on Barstow Avenue, just a
block north of I-40. Operated by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), and the local Chamber of Commerce, this
facility offers displays of desert life, and much
information on the Mojave Desert: campgrounds, old wagon
trails, hiking routes, wildlife, and natural history.
You'll find a full range of maps, brochures, books, and
desert guides.
Harvey House
The most prominent historic site in Barstow
is the original Harvey House building, across the street
from the old train station. Railroad riders swarmed from
the trains to be served meals by the famous Harvey Girls,
a special breed of western pioneer, who came to the
desert from eastern cities to work for Fred Harvey in his
outpost restaurant.
Calico
Be sure to visit Calico Ghost Town. In the
1800s, Calico was a bustling silver town. Walter Knott,
founder of Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County, provided
the money to restore this old mining camp, now a San
Bernardino County regional park. Contained within a
picturesque canyon, Calico boasts wooden sidewalks,
shops, restaurants, and tunnels to be explored in
Maggie's Mine. A railroad car takes visitors to mine
workings north of the ghost town. There's a modern
campground and RV park, with 110 sites and hookups, in a
wooded canyon near Calico. The town is open every day
except Christmas, and parking costs $4.00. There are
special festival-style events on Palm Sunday weekend, and
on Mother's Day weekend -- a musical celebration.
Columbia Day, in October features a Wild West parade and
gunfights, and on the first weekend in November, there's
an Old West celebration and Indian fine arts show.
On the Desert
North of town, via Fort Irwin Road, is
Rainbow Basin, where well-preserved fossils are found on
ancient lake beds. The basin has been turned into a
highly colored landscape, eroded by wind and water over
millions of years. Fossil collecting is prohibited now,
and the geological area is a National Natural Landmark. A
narrow 4-mile loop drive winds through the basin. This
road is suitable for small vehicles only; not for
trailers and motor homes.
The BLM campground at Owl Canyon -- one
mile east of the loop road -- is a fine place to stop for
a picnic. There are several developed campgrounds in the
BLM country surrounding Rainbow Basin, and the Desert
Information Center in town has information on these
campsites.
Barstow Camping
The large Barstow/Calico KOA campground is
located seven miles northeast of Barstow, next to Calico
Ghost Town. The campground has shaded sites, dump
station, a pool, playground, store, laundry, and propane
service. For information, call (619) 254-2311.
Two BLM recreational sites offer camping in the
desert: at Owl Canyon, next to the Rainbow Basin
Geological Area, and at Afton Canyon. These are
primitive sites with few (if any) services. Check at the
Desert Information Center.
