Attractions in Southern California | Indian Wells Valley

Ideally located close to many local attractions in Southern California, the Carriage Inn in Ridgecrest is a perfect home base while exploring all that the Indian Wells Valley has to offer.

At the Carriage Inn, guests are only one mile from a bowling alley, and a half mile from a movie theatre, a tennis park and skateboard park, and within walking distance of shopping. The acclaimed Maturango Museum is also only a half mile away, and China Lake Golf Course and the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology are one mile from the Carriage Inn. Guests will find top rock and mineral collecting sites near Ridgecrest, and the First Light Observatory is only 10 miles from the Carriage Inn.

The Carriage Inn is at the center of many ecological, biographical, historical, and geographical wonders and perfectly situated in central California to allow easy day-trips to some of the most interesting places in the world. This includes the highest, the lowest, the hottest and the coldest places in the U.S.

Explore the 178 Corridor, a 95-mile corridor offering world class points of interest from the archaeological, astronomical, historical, geological ecological, biological, and geographical perspectives.

Local Attractions in Central California close to the Carriage Inn include:

HIGHEST PLACE in the Continental U.S. (1.5 hours)
See the majestic Mt. Whitney(at 14,494 feet), the tallest point in the continental U.S. (Okay, McKinley is taller, but you have to go to Alaska for that!) Hour and a half north on US 395.

LOWEST ELEVATION in the world, and Hottest Place on the planet. (2 hours)
It’s Badwater, at Death Valley. Holding the unique distinction of the lowest place in the hemisphere at 282 feet BELOW sea level, it also has the hottest temperature in recorded history at a melting 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fortunately this was a long time ago! It is still a fun place to visit and is 20 minutes from the extensive oasis at Furnace Creek.

Located an hour and forty-five minutes east from the Carriage Inn via the 178 hwy and Towne Pass route.

(Okay, so we don't have the COLDEST place on the planet, but you didn't really want COLD or you wouldn't be coming to the desert!)

How about a trip to the SUNNIEST place in the world?
Visit the SUNSHINE Capital of the world-nearby Inyokern was designated the sunniest place in the world. Course, it isn't a coincidence that the military selected the Mojave Desert to test and perfect the nation's military aircraft-they knew a good thing when they found it during WWII - but the secret is OUT!

How about a place voted by readers of National Geographic as one of the TOP outdoor recreation destinations in the American Southwest for 2000? (1 hour)
See the Kern River Valley where every type of outdoor activity and water sport can be found, including with some of the best climbing and hiking in the west! It’s ranked as one of the best white water rafting locations in the U.S.

Where will you find the highest concentration of preserved native American PETROGLYPHS (rock art) in the world?
China Lake's Coso Range boasts over 14,000 known petroglyphs-rock carved pictures.

Want to see some of the BIGGEST TREES on the planet? (1.75 hours)
The Giant Sequoia National Monument is home to the Trail of 100 Giants, 100 ancient giants towering over 250 feet high. It’s located north of Kernville, Gateway to the Giant Sequoia National Forest.

Want to see the place with THE MOST PLANT AND ANIMAL DIVERSITY north of the Yucatan?
Try the Kern River Valley's Audubon preserve, a globally important birding area where over 300 bird species have been spotted and over 200 nests. Walk the riparian (riverine) nature trail among the amazing varieties of flora and fauna, and see the oldest Willow Tree in California!

Drive the BIOREGIONS highway -some of the highest diversity on the planet on one 95-mile strip of highway. (5 minutes-1 hour)

Passing through five of six California bioregions, the 178-the unofficial Bio-Regions Highway will take you from the lushest of river forests, to the dramatic vistas of the Mojave Desert and its "naked geology" and every environment in between.

See picturesque examples of the distinctive Kern Joshua Tree (see Joshua Flowers bloom in April).

Where DO they make MOVIES? Hollywood's Back Lot IS the 178! (5 minutes-1 hour)
Along destination 178! Along this strip of highway, hundreds of movies and commercials have captured and framed the image of desert or the Wild Wild West in the imaginations of generations. Although several types of deserts exist in the United States, the close proximity of Hollywood to the Mojave makes this area the most widely filmed.

Drive 395 south of Inyokern and see one of the most common mountain backdrops for car commercial filming! The Trona Pinnacles have been host to many movies, including Planet of the Apes, Hidalgo, Holes, Iron Man, and most recently, Land of the Lost, while the nearby Kern River Valley was the favored location of hundreds of spaghetti westerns.

Where else can you see Free Airshows Almost Daily!
Only here in Ridgecrest!

While we make NO guarantees, most visitors get at least one sighting while they are here of military jet and prop aircraft.

Often, drivers will get a real surprise as our crazed pilots pretend that Ford Explorer is a targeted tank and zoom in close on a strafing run!

Ridgecrest is also close to the flight corridor of the Space Shuttles landing at Edwards AFB who are doing 14,000 miles an hour on final approach (can you smell the brakes?)

Where can you see the birthplace of SIDEWINDERS, TOMAHAWKS, and GLOWSTICKS?
China Lake's Museum of Armaments and Technology.

Here you will find the very special history of the maverick engineers and scientists of China Lake who either invented or perfected nearly every weapon in the Navy and Marine Corps arsenal since WWII. Their unique American ingenuity has also given us glow sticks (invented by one scientist to help locate downed American pilots). See the Museum website for more information on museum access.

Where else can you GOLF AND see an Airshow on the 9th hole?
China Lake Golf Course! Call 939-2990 for access and times.

How about the LARGEST FRESHWATER LAKE in the State of California?
Lake Isabella is only one hour from Ridgecrest and boasts some of the best and varied fishing around its 38-mile shoreline.

Where can you find one of the LONGEST HIKING TRAILS in the world?
Trailheads for the Pacific Crest Trail (2000 miles long from Mexico to Canada) are 10 miles from Ridgecrest, at Walker Pass. The PCT provides great day hikes in the Sierras to Owens, Jenkins and Morris peaks or longer overnight backpacking trips.

Also Recommended by the Carriage Inn:

First Light Observatory - the crystal clear skies make a star gazer's paradise
FOSSIL FALLS - prehistoric hangout and toolworks of local Shoshone Indians
OWENS LAKE - see the lake they drained to green Los Angeles.
DESERT TORTOISE PRESERVE
April's Desert WILD FLOWERS explosion
California Poppy Preserve
Mojave National Preserve
Randsburg Living Ghost Town
Red Rock Canyon
Searles Lake annual mineral collection- Gem-O-Rama