Trona Pinnacles | A Camping & Day Trip Guide

Towering rock spires that suddenly spring up out of the ground aren't what you typically expect while driving through the California desert.

That's what makes Trona Pinnacles such a fascinating place. The kind of place that, once you've seen photos or heard of it, it draws you in.

We weren't even aware of it ourselves, until we planned out the drive through Death Valley, back through the central Mojave Desert toward the coast. For anyone doing the same - heading in or out of LA, or taking the drive up scenic 395 - a side trip out to Trona Pinnacles is worth the space in your itinerary.

From a distance, these rock formations resemble the landscape of another planet. More than 500 spires, clustered together in an area roughly 14 square miles, made of a substance called tufa. They're the remnants of an ancient lakebed, the products of time and geologic forces that left behind rocks ranging in size from tiny, porous coral-like structures, to boulders, and towers reaching 140 feet tall.

Venturing out here can take as little as a few hours or you can spend days camping beside the pinnacles. Whatever your preference, you'll need to know a few things to be prepared. We've put together this guide based on our own experience to help you plan your visit.

‍

Getting to Trona Pinnacles

‍

‍

Trona Pinnacles is located 17 miles east of Ridgecrest, CA in the now dry Searles Lake Basin. From Los Angeles (using LAX as a starting point), it's about a 3.5 hour drive.

The most likely reason to add it to your road trip plans is if you're heading up to Death Valley, in which case it's a relatively short detour of about 5 miles. From there, you can continue up to the Panamint Valley entrance of the national park, another 1.5 hours.

It's also worth considering if you're doing the drive up 395 toward destinations like Alabama Hills or Mammoth Lakes.

‍

‍

To get to Trona Pinnacles, you need to drive east down Highway 178 from the city of Ridgecrest. At Pinnacles Road you'll see a pull-off with some information boards, and a BLM sign directing you toward the pinnacles down the unpaved dirt and gravel road.

This is where the drive gets interesting. You don't necessarily need a 4WD vehicle, but something with ground clearance is strongly recommended.

The road in is about as bumpy as they come, scarred with potholes and ruts. You might also encounter some patches of sand. That's ok though, since some of the best adventures come with a bit of a rough ride and roads that make you question your decision making abilities.

For reference, our RWD Ford Transit campervan did the drive just fine, but we have all terrain tires, good clearance, and an upgraded suspension. We'd hesitate taking a regular sedan down this road, but it's far from the worst we've seen.

Either way, only go when conditions are dry, and be prepared to self rescue yourself if needed. It's always smart to bring along some emergency gear and, to that end, we've put together all our recommendations for you.

Don't forget to download offline maps of the area before you head out.

‍

‍

If you're following Google Maps it will eventually get confused once you leave Highway 178. The pinnacles are obvious and easy to see at this point, so just continue down the road. You'll cross over some railroad tracks and then eventually come to more information boards.

Here, you're on the edge of a short rise overlooking the pinnacles - the best view to see them all together. The road splits and it's unclear which direction is best.

Turn left immediately and you'll have a short, bumpy hill to crawl down. Go down the hill in front of you and then turn left, and it will take you to the same place. Either way is fine.

Only go straight if you wish to continue out into the open OHV areas beyond the pinnacles.

‍

Things To Do

‍

Hiking

The simplest, yet one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the pinnacles is to park the car and walk around in them.

You can freely explore, getting up close with these geological wonders, but please remember to stick to existing trails as much as possible.

‍

‍

When seen up close you can tell just how porous the tufa (calcium carbonate) spires are. They're formed when calcium rich spring water interacts with carbonate rich lake water. They're also surprisingly jagged and sharp, so be careful while exploring.

‍

Off-Roading

There's a 1 mile loop around the main body of spires and you won't need any special equipment to do it. But, if you plan to venture out much further you'll want to have 4WD.

Off-roading is a popular activity here and there's a huge network of trails that connect Trona Pinnacles to the Spangler Hills OHV area and Wagon Wheel staging area, opening up almost 100,000 acres of public land.

‍

‍

Photography

We may be biased, but one of the best things to do with your time here is capture a few photos.

Both sunrise and sunset can add some extra drama to the scene, but even a dark or cloudy evening gives this place an interesting appeal. When researching it, we noticed that others pointed out the eerie sense they felt being here as the sun goes down.

And it's true. We experienced it ourselves. The landscape has such a bizarre look to it that your imagination really starts to run wild as it gets dark. There's an otherworldly, almost spooky feel.

‍

‍

It's no wonder Trona Pinnacles has been used in several movies and commercial film projects, including Battlestar Galactica, Lost in Space, Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Sensing a theme here? Visit for yourself and you'll see why it makes such a perfect setting for science fiction.

‍

Camping at Trona Pinnacles

If you have the time, consider spending a night and camping out under the stars.

Since it's BLM land, you're allowed to disperse camp for free, up to 14 days. It's true boondocking out here, no services, hook-ups or amenities. There is a vault toilet that's in decent shape, but you'll want to make sure you have your own toilet paper.

There's no trash service, so it's important that you pack out everything that you pack in.

On that note, we'd encourage you to be familiar with all the Leave No Trace principles and put them into practice while camping here. These free public lands are some of the most amazing places we've camped and we should all do our part to keep them open and available for the future.

In a nutshell that means traveling on established trails/roads, cleaning up all your trash, not taking anything with you, and leaving wildlife and vegetation undisturbed. Love your neighbor as you love yourself and the next person to come along will enjoy it just as much as you did!

‍

‍

Things to Know

‍

Weather & When to Go

Summer temperatures regularly make it to 110 degrees F (43 C), so planning ahead and being prepared is important. No matter when you visit, bring along plenty of water - a gallon per person, per day is usually recommended. Despite hot and sunny days, the nights can get cold here in the desert and even dip below freezing, so pack layers to keep you warm.

There's very little rainfall most of the year, but it's most common from November to March. This is when there's a chance the dirt road may be closed or impassable.

The best time to visit Trona Pinnacles is in late spring before temperatures get into the triple digits, or early fall, in September and October.

‍

No Services or Water

Once again, there are no services out here and no water sources. You won't have cell phone reception, so it's vital to come prepared with a roadside emergency kit, plus extra food and water.

There's no trash service, so pack out everything you pack in.

The closest city with food, water, gasoline, and other essentials is Ridgecrest, twenty miles away. The town of Trona is about 6 miles north of the turn off to the pinnacles. It has two gas stations and a small general store.

‍

‍