DIRECTIONS:
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Elmer’s Garage (El Mirage Dry Lake) is in the southern Mojave Desert.
40 miles east of Palmdale (Hwy 14),
15 miles west of Adelanto (US 395), 25 miles west of Victorville (I-15).
This is the High Mojave Desert. Nearly a mile above sea level. Arid.
Vast. Exciting. Buy a map, carry water, and be sure you have plenty
of gas.
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Via Interstate 5 North
Arriving at LAX: Follow the signs to Interstate 405 - Northbound.
Approx 25 miles to junction with Interstate 5 - Northbound.
Another 3 or 4 miles on I-5 to Highway 14 (The Antelope Valley Freeway).
Approx 25 miles to Palmdale. Exit at Palmdale Rd/ #138-S. See Palmdale
below.
Updated 5/23/2004 Dan Rubesh
If you already have gas/food/beer/water and want to bypass Palmdale..
Highway 14 East , take the ANGELES FOREST HWY exit toward PEARBLOSSOM
HWY 0.1 miles
Take the ramp toward PEARBLOSSOM HWY/LITTLEROCK/VICTORVILLE 0.4 mile
Merge onto SIERRA HWY. 0.8 miles
Stay straight to go onto PEARBLOSSOM HWY. 4.4 miles
Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto PEARBLOSSOM HWY/CA-138
Take CA 18 East toward Victorville
Continue to follow CA-18. Turn LEFT onto SHEEP CREEK RD/OLD PHELAN RD.
Turn RIGHT on El Mirage Road
Approx 2 miles EAST on El Mirage Road to Mountain View Road / El Mirage
Access
See Beyond the pavement below..
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From Central California Via I- 99:
Interstate 99 to Bakersfield.
East on Hwy #58 over the Tehachapi Summit (4065 ft.)
At Mojave head south on Hwy #14 to Palmdale.
Exit at Palmdale Rd./#138-S See From Palmdale below.
OPTION: One may, at Mojave, continue east on #58 to 4 Corners
(Kramer Junction) aka “The Next Light”
At the junction turn south (RIGHT) on #395. Approx 45 miles to Adelanto.
Turn RIGHT at the first light (Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen Rd.])
Go to the Adelanto to El Mirage section below.
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From Bay Area & No. California Via I-5 South: Missing Bakersfield.
Interstate - 5 South to the top of the grapevine
Past Gorman to exit for Hwy 138 East.
Exit and turn LEFT toward Lancaster/Palmdale.
At the Hwy 14 Intersection - Turn RIGHT (south) to Palmdale. See below.
You miss the Tehachapi summit & Mojave. Six of one, half a dozen of
the other.
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From Highway 14, take the Palmdale Blvd / Hwy 138 S exit.
Go East on Palmdale Blvd. Buy a map and get gas & beer.
About 48th St. Hiighway 138 takes a swing south.
Use the Left Lane Exit to stay on Palmdale Blvd.
Continue East on Palmdale Blvd. to 240th St. ( a “T” intersection)
Turn LEFT, go approx 1 mile, then turn RIGHT onto Avenue P [becomes
El Mirage Road
as it crosses 260th St].
Go approx. 7 miles to Mountain View Road.
Wooden sign on the north side of the road marks the access.
LEFT turn onto Mountain View Road. See Beyond the Pavement below.
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From South L.A. & San Diego:
Take Interstate 15 North past San Bernadino towards Victorville.
Approx. 6 miles before Victorville, exit to Highway 395 N.
North 8 miles to Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen Rd.] in Adelanto
(Note: Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen Rd.]is the last light.)
See Adelanto to Elmer’s & Beyond the Pavement below.
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Take Interstate 15 South. Approx 3 hours to Victorville.
There are 2 exits north of Victorville (before crossing the Mojave River)
Stoddard Wells Rd. and “E” St. DO NOT exit at either of these.
Cross the Mojave River and immediately EXIT: This is “D” St.
At the bottom of the exit, turn LEFT (Trivia Note: You are now on the
old Rt #66)
Follow along this road for 1 mile to the junction with Air Base Rd.
Turn LEFT onto Air Base Rd.
Follow Air Base Rd.approx. 5 miles to Adelanto. Turn RIGHT at the light
onto #395
If you miss the exit off I-15... Just about any of the Victorville
exits will do...Head west to #395
For instance, exit and turn Right on Palmdale Rd/ Hwy #138,
Right again on US 395. Left turn at Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen
Rd.] in Adelanto.
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ADELANTO to EL MIRAGE (Elmer’s Garage)
Once on #395... Go north to Adelanto To the last light in Adelanto
(Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen Rd.])
Left turn at Chamberlain Way [formerly Crippen Rd.] To Koala Rd. (the
end.)
Now RIGHT on Koala Rd. follow to El Mirage Rd. Approx. 6 miles to El
Mirage.
Access road is on the right, at the top of a small rise.
[Mountain View Road] Go to Beyond The Pavement .
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[Updated 6/7/10]
Mountain View Road is paved now.. All the way
out to the Visitor Center
Follow Mountain View Road approx. 2-3 miles until the cross-road with
a yield sign.
The visitor center is at the corner of Mountain View Rd, and Bella Vista.
Go in there and pay permit fee.
Turn left at Bella Vista Rd.
This is the smoothest route onto the lake bed.
Drive toward the far end of the lake bed (approx. 3-4 miles) and look
for my Dark Green '98 Ford E350 with a roof rack, (License “KITE CHI”)
on the right side somewhere out there.
[WindWiz footnote: As you go up the approximate middle of the lake
bed, watch the left side for the SECOND windsock. The aircraft tiedowns
(aka Walt's Cove or Walt's Bay) where we usually make camp are located
about straight across the lakebed from the second windsock.. Camp
location tends to vary slightly from one event to the next, but if
you have a GPS the co-ordinates of 34° 39.194N , 117° 36.618W
should get you in the area..
Use 34.65340N, 117.60931W if you prefer Decimal Degrees..]
If you insert the above co-ordinates in to Google Earth or Google
Map you can get map info..
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FINDING YOUR WAY OFF OF EL MIRAGE DRY LAKE:
Drive to the bottom of the lake (where you came in) staying to the
right side until you get to the line of telephone poles. Turn left and
follow them as they point to the access (marked by a couple of stakes
with reflective tape) on the lake shore. Be careful of being too far
left when coming upon the line of telephone poles as they do bend off
to the left.
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Adelanto has 1 motel. Try the Days Inn at 760-246-8777 Victorville
has many motels at many prices.
Bring sunscreen and plenty of water. A hat would be wise. It can be
plenty HOT!
Daytime temperatures can be from 60-70 in winter to 120+ in the summer,
Night time temps
are typically 60+ in the summer and can get to low 30's in the winter
Safety equipment is at the discretion of the users. There are NO services
on the lake bed.
However, there are some pretty nice permanent outhouses now. Clean and
stocked.
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