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Last Updated on 07/12/2004 |
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Hesperia, CA to Marianas Radio Tower
The road past the radio tower goes nowhere |
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Location: High Desert, Mojave Desert, Southern California
Region: Hesperia Region
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Total Distance: 11 Mi
Elevation Gain: 1,700 Ft
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Season: Sept-April
Type: Out & Back |
Start Elev: 3,100 Ft
Peak Elev: 3,880 Ft
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| Driving Directions |
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This isn't a fun ride. I don't recommend it. You can park at Hesperia Lakes and ride from there. Take I-15 to Main St., go east about 8 miles to Hesperia Lakes on your left. |
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| Route |
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Ride north from Hesperia Lakes on Calpella Ave, make a right, follow this road to it's dirt end and drop down to the mojave river bed. Walk across the river and you will meet up with Deep Creek road on the other side. Go east along the bent section of Deep creek road and continue straight up the steep dirt road at the other side. After the steep hill, make a left onto the gas line road and follow it to the powerline road. Take the powerline road to Sagebrush Ave (the third gravel road you will cross) and make a left to Roundup Way. Go a short distance east on Roundup way to Alegre Vista, make a right. This steep and rocky road will take you up to the radio tower above the Marianas. Most of the rocky portion is easier to walk. From the tower, the road continues to wind around the Ord mountains and climb, some portions are rideable, some are not. The road eventually dead ends near the base of a small canyon. At the other side of the canyon you can see another road. You can walk down into the canyon and up to this road. The road on the other side is in worse shape than the road you were just on and seldom traveled by even dirt bikes. As the road descends, the condition seems to worsen in place and get a little better in others, it's all very rocky and not fun riding. The road descends down toward a green house. Thinking it may be private and knowing the kinds of dogs folks keep in these hills, I cut off the road and found another road that turned out to probably be private as the road is all torn up with a trench and old looking pipe laying around. This drops down to a small water tank. Just before I got down here, there was this huge dog headed up the canyon after me. It heard me but didn't know where I was. I waited till it got around a hill and then descended to find a nice road that leads right out from there. The other end of this road which ends on the side of a new looking house is blocked by a large old truck. |
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| Details |
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Not fun, a lot of walking. Don't go past the tower, there's nothing to see. Don't drive past the tower, the road becomes a rough jeep trail in places and has some very steep portions and very few places to turn around. |
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| Trail Condition |
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The USGS 7.5' Apple Valley South Qaudrangle accurately shows all the roads described here. The Jeep Trail from the water tower, labeled "Jeep Trail" is shown terminating just below the 3900' topographic line. The other road across the canyon also dead-ends and this occurs at about 4160'. |
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| Notes about this ride report |
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From Hesperia, this portion of the Ord mountains looks completely barren. There's actually a lot of foxtails out on these hills and some small scrub. If you're going hiking out here, wear jeans or tall gaitors. The mileage I quoted is approx for round trip loop path that I took. |
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| Additional Elevation & Distance Information |
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Lowest Elevation 2906'. |
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