The Resting Spring Range Wilderness is a seventy-five thousand acre BLM property in south-east California situated along the state's border with Nevada. The wilderness encompasses a harsh landscape of craggy peaks and wide canyons where there are walls of exposed volcanic tuffs. The scant vegetation in the area is limited to the base of the canyons where there is a light growth of creosote bushes. These desert-like BLM lands are bordered to the north by the Funeral Mountains Wilderness, to the west by the Death Valley National Park and to the east by the Nopah Range Wilderness.
The Resting Spring Range Wilderness is geographically isolated from any major urbanization which makes it a great place to escape to for some solitary cross country hiking, horse riding, dispersed camping or primitive hunting. While this BLM property is in a remote location, it is surrounded by fairly decent highways, so taking a scenic drive around is a good alternative option to exploring on foot. There are also some surprising cultural and sporting activities close by which, if you want to participate in them, will add an extra and very exciting element to your RV camping trip to the Californian outback.
Vehicle access to the wilderness is prohibited and there are no RV campgrounds inside the boundaries. Luckily, there are several options for RV camping both in Pahrump just across the border in Nevada or in the Death Valley National Park around one hour's drive away.
There are two highways that circumvent the Resting Spring Range Wilderness. The CA 127 runs along the western border of the wilderness and the CA 178 along the eastern. From both of these, there are only a few four-wheel-drive tracks running to the boundary of the wilderness and there are no specific parking areas where you can leave a rig then head out to explore. The best idea for visiting the wilderness is to pitch camp first then head there in a different vehicle.
If you're motoring to the Resting Spring Range Wilderness after RV camping in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, once you hit the NV 160 in Blue Diamond, the trip to the wilderness itself will take you around an hour and a half altogether. Add another thirty minutes to the journey if you've decided to pitch camp in the Death Valley National Park. If you've been in the north of the state camping out in your RV at the Inyo National Forest for a few days, once you're through Independence, you'll be on the CA 190 for around three hours and drinking in the desert views as you drive straight through the heart of the Death Valley National Park.
One of the closest campgrounds to the Resting Spring Range Wilderness is the Furnace Creek Campground in the Death Valley National Park. The campground is open all year but has a peak season which runs from mid-October through to mid-April when reservations must be made before arrival. The rest of the year the campground operates on a first-come-first-served basis.
There are over one hundred and thirty campsites suitable for RVs furnished with grills and picnic tables, although only eighteen of those have utility hook-ups. The on-site amenities are basic but good and include flush toilets, water, and a dump station. The campground is an hour's drive from the wilderness.
If you prefer to stay on the Nevada side of the border for your visit to the Resting Spring Range Wilderness, you'll find there are several private RV campgrounds in Pahrump. Most are large sites catering for any length of ring with full-hook-ups. All the campgrounds have first-class amenities as well as being close to entertainment options like restaurants, shops, and even a casino.
Hiking through the Resting Spring Range Wilderness is a real outback experience that you will need to go fully prepared for. Good strong boots are a must as the terrains are rocky in places and there are no defined trails to follow. Carrying enough food and water for your trip plus some extra in case of emergencies is also essential.
Phone coverage is minimal so letting someone know where you're heading before you set out is important so they can raise the alarm if you don't contact them on your return.
Enjoy some impressive views of the Resting Springs Range Wilderness without getting out of your vehicle by taking a scenic drive around the area. Start in the south and leave the city of Barstow on the I 15 northbound until you reach Baker where you can join the CA 127 in the direction of Shoshone. You'll pass the Hollow Hills Wilderness Area, another BLM property, on the way.
Stay on the CA 127 until Death Valley Junction and you'll have seen the entire western region of the wilderness. In this small town, you can turn onto the Bell Vista Road which runs along the northern border of the wilderness into Nevada. Once you reach Pahrump, you can join the CA 178 southbound which will take you along the southern edge and back to Shoshone, by which time you'll have made a complete circuit of the wilderness.
If you love an adrenaline thrill and have a thirst for speed, you won't want to miss taking a spin around the circuits of the Lotus Performance Driving School in Pahrump in a high performance vehicle. Roar around the six miles of race track in a Corvette or Radical SR3. It's a fast way of seeing the desert and mountain landscape and one that will be so memorable, you won't forget it in a hurry.
Life in the Mojave Desert was and still is hard. Find out what it was like for the early settlers at the Pahrump Valley Museum, where there are exhibitions on the pioneering and cowboy days as well as farming and mining equipment. Still a work in progress, the museum is constantly extending its displays to include new items and are acquiring original buildings to create a historical village.
If the sight of the desert terrains of the Resting Spring Range Wilderness leaves you gasping for water, get a good dousing by taking a jetpack flight over the waters of Lake Spring Mountain. The five-acre man-made lake sits on the grounds of a private country club in Pahrump and there you can book yourself a twenty-minute flight lesson that will have you soaring over the water like the next James Bond.
If you haven't got a head for heights, then you can rent a paddleboard, go kayaking or just have a tranquil float over the lake in a pedalboat.
If you enjoy your wine, you'll love being in the vicinity of the Pahrump Valley as there are two excellent wineries there you may want to visit. Stop off at either the Pahrump Valley Winery or the Sanders Valley Winery and you'll get a tour of the vineyards, free tastings and lots of interesting information on the Nevada wine industry.
Both wineries are centrally located in the town and within one hour's drive from the Resting Spring Range Wilderness.
