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Cedar Canyon Road - Westbound
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Mojave National Preserve
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road
Ivanpah Road approaching Cedar Canyon Road (view S)

Overview

Cedar Canyon Road is a graded dirt road that runs east-west across the eastern part of the Preserve connecting Ivanpah-Lanfair Valley Road with Kelso-Cima Road. The dirt road generally is fine for sedans, but it can be badly washboarded and a few spots can be a bit washed out and sandy where drivers might be more happy in a 2WD-HC vehicle.

This road provides access to hikes, homes, ranches, and primitive camping areas in Round Valley and Lanfair Valley, and it connects to Caruthers Canyon. This road also connects with roads leading to established campgrounds and the Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center.

Link to map.

Cedar Canyon Road
Ivanpah Road at Cedar Canyon Road (view S)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about being in the desert, ... the road is easy in a 2WD-HC vehicle, and it should be passable in a carefully driven sedan. If driving a sedan east of Black Canyon Road, inquire locally about current conditions and use your own good judgment about the road conditions, as the road is subject to washouts. Much of the road can be driven at 45 mph, but if driving that fast, pay attention to curve-ahead signs.

Watch for cows on the road, and especially watch for black cows on the road at night!

While out in the desert, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, the area is remote, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Cedar Canyon RoadStreet signs: Ivanpah, Cedar Canyon, and Lanfair roads (view SE)

Getting to the Road

This road is located in Mojave National Preserve, about 1-1/4 hours south of Las Vegas.

From town, drive south on I-15 to Mojave National Preserve. The west end of Cedar Canyon Road is accessed from the paved Kelso-Cima Road (Table 1, Site 0832), and the east end is accessed from the dirt Ivanpah Road (Site 1470).


Ivanpah-Lanfair Road at Cedar Canyon Road (view W)

The Road

From the pavement on Kelso-Cima Road (Site 0832), Cedar Canyon Road runs east, crosses ungated railroad tracks (look both ways!), and heads up the bajada towards the Mid Hills. For the first 2.3 miles, the road is paved, but parts of the pavement are damaged. After that, the road is entirely graded dirt.

The road passes several minor side-roads as it winds up into Cedar Canyon. Here, drivers will encounter sharp curves that can be badly washboarded and sandy with a few rocks, but should be passable in a carefully driven sedan.

At 6.0 miles out, the road makes a T-intersection with Black Canyon Road (Site 0833), which turns right and heads south into the Hole-in-the-Wall area.

Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road departing Ivanpah Road (view W)

Continuing east and climbing out the top of Cedar Canyon, the road runs out across Round Valley. The road mostly is wide and smooth, which lulls drivers into excessive speed - pay attention to the "curves ahead" warning signs. Throughout Round Valley, the road passes cattle guards, minor side roads, cows, and ranches, but the main road always is obvious.

At about 9.5 miles out, Government Hole Road (Site 1471) forks off to the right, and at about 10.8 miles out, Rock Spring Road (Site 1448) also forks off to the right. This road leads to the Rock House and Rock Spring Trail.

Just past the turnoff to Rock House Road, the road dips towards a broad wash. On the near side of the wash, 11.2 miles out, the road reaches a T-intersection (Site 1450) with the west end of New York Mountain Road, which runs northeast from here and leads to Caruthers Canyon.

Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: rough road (view W)

Cedar Canyon continues into a broad, sometimes sandy wash, climbs over a low ridge, and crosses another sandy wash. This is the area where drivers in sedans might have trouble.

Beyond the troublesome spots, the road climbs over low hills and begins the long descent into Lanfair Valley. The road runs southeast, but then makes two 90-degree curves, both of which are easy to go into at excessive speed.

After the second curve, the road runs east, passes around a low hill, and resumes heading east until ending at a T-intersection (Site 1470). To the left, Ivanpah Road runs north; and to the right, Lanfair Valley Road runs south.

Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: This road subject to flash flood (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road: some parts are graveled (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching a cross road (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: sharp curves ahead (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road passing through the curves (view E)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road exiting the curves (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: sharp curve ahead (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road entering the sharp curve (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view N)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view N)
Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: sharp curve ahead (view N)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road entering the sharp curve (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road entering a slight curve (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Mojave Road merges with Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Mojave Road departs Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road leaving Lanfair Valley (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Caution sign: left turn ahead (view N)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road curving to the left (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at Maruba Road (view W)

Maruba Road (view NE from Cedar Canyon Road)

Street signs: Cedar Canyon and Maruba roads (view NE)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching Watson Wash (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road crossing Watson Wash (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching New York Mountain Road (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at New York Mountain Road (view W
Cedar Canyon Road
Street signs: Cedar Canyon and New York Mountain roads (view NE)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at first entrance to Rock Spring (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at second entrance to Rock Spring (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road runs long and straight (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching Government Holes Road (view W)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at Government Holes Road (hard left; view SE)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at cattle guard (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road entering another sharp curve (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road near the highest point on the road (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road crossing desert flats (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road beginning descent into Cedar Canyon (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road descending Cedar Canyon (view NW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching directional sign (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at directional sign (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Directional sign (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching warning sign (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road at warning sign (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Warning sign: Black Canyon Road to the left (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching Black Canyon Road (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon Road approaching Black Canyon Road (view SW)
Cedar Canyon Road
Street signs: Cedar Canyon and Black Canyon roads (view SW)

Black Canyon Road (view SE from Cedar Canyon Road)
Cedar Canyon Road
Cedar Canyon-Black Canyon road signs (view SW)

Cedar Canyon Road departing Black Canyon Road (view SW)

Cedar Canyon Road (view W)

Cedar Canyon Road (view SW)

Cedar Canyon Road approaching Cedar Canyon Wash (view W)

Cedar Canyon Road gets washboarded (view W)

Cedar Canyon Road (view W)

Cedar Canyon Road approaching the pavement (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road is paved, and some parts are good (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road is paved, but with lots of potholes (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road approaching railroad tracks (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road at railroad tracks (view NW)

Cedar Canyon Road approaching Kelso-Cima Road (view NW)

Table 1. Highway Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Latitude (N) Longitude (W) Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi)
1470 Cedar Cyn Rd at Ivanpah Rd 35.12668 115.18277 4,083 0.00 00.00
1990 Cedar Cyn Rd at Mojave Rd 35.14555 115.30786 4,781 8.13 08.13
1989 Cedar Cyn Rd at Maruba Rd 35.15627 115.32062 4,818 1.17 09.30
1450 Cedar Cyn Rd at NY Mts Rd 35.15716 115.33154 4,811 0.64 09.94
1461 Cedar Cyn Road at Rock Spring Road E 35.15650 115.33423 4,859 0.16 10.10
1448 Cedar Cyn Rd at Rock Spring Rd West 35.15596 115.33732 4,880 0.18 10.28
1471 Cedar Cyn Rd at Govt Hole Rd 35.15296 115.36123 4,988 1.37 11.65
0833 Cedar Cyn Rd at Black Cyn Rd 35.17422 115.41081 5,007 3.43 15.08
1472 Cedar Cyn Rd at Pavement Ends 35.16502 115.46917 4,275 3.71 18.79
0832 Cima-Kelso Rd at Cedar Cyn Rd 35.17615 115.50802 3,727 2.33 21.12

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 241010

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