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Attractions, Ridgecrest and Beyond

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Ridgecrest Attractions

You’ll find plenty to do in the friendly community of Ridgecrest. Among our cultural assets are several amateur theater groups, a fine small orchestra, excellent concert and chamber-music series, musical groups playing everything from classical music to rock ’n’ roll and clubs for everything from astronomy to quilting to model railroading. Ridgecrest is also home to amazing artists who participate in arts and crafts shows, as well as the Maturango Museum’s annual Open Studio Tour in October.

Parks, gymnasiums and playing fields host a variety of sports, with the nearby China Lake Golf Course offering a full practice facility and a challenging 18-hole layout with many water and sand hazards. The City Recreation Department offers fitness, cooking, sports and other activities on a regular basis. Tennis courts and two bowling alleys are also available in our valley. Two fairs a year at the Desert Empire Fairgrounds, plus several downtown fairs and festivals, add to our town’s active social calendar.

Area Attractions

Ridgecrest is delightfully close to the great outdoors. Even as we serve as a gateway to the High Sierra and Death Valley National Park, we enjoy nearby mining sites, geologic wonders and hundred-mile views.

Any neighboring canyon features beautiful spring wildflowers, plus great exploring and picnicking spots at any time of the year. The turnoff to Nine-Mile Canyon, about 10 miles north of the U.S. 395 and State 14 intersection, takes you to Kennedy Meadows, with abundant hiking, camping and fishing opportunities.

Other areas of natural beauty are Fossil Falls, an ancient lava flow worn into oddly artistic formations, and Red Rock Canyon State Park with its rugged rock formations and Miocene-era fossils. Four-wheel-drive enthusiasts enjoy historic mining sites and magnificent vistas in the El Paso Mountains. The Ridgecrest office of the Bureau of Land Management, 760-384-5400, can offer more information about which areas are open to vehicles.

Searles Valley has a mineral-rich dry lakebed and the fascinating Old Guest House Museum, as well as Pinnacles National Natural Landmark, a favorite of tourists and filmmakers alike. Panamint Valley, with its sweeping vistas and colorful past, and Death Valley National Park, with its breathtaking scenic attractions, are most enjoyable during the winter months.

Travel over scenic Walker Pass to enjoy fishing and boating on 11,000-acre Isabella Lake, as well as camping and hiking along the lake's 38 miles of shoreline. The South Fork of the Kern River offers fishing, camping and mountain vistas. Visit the charming town of Kernville for good food and shopping opportunities and stop in Weldon at the Kern River Preserve, an Audubon Society habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

These are just a few of the things to do in the area surrounding the Indian Wells Valley. Wherever you go, remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints.

Museums & Education

  • Maturango Museum More Info
  • China Lake Navy Museum More Info
  • Historic USO Building (HIstorical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert)
  • Historic Rand Mining District
  • Desert Tortoise Natural Area
  • Exotic Feline Breeding Compound (Rosamond, CA)

Culture & Entertainment

  • Community Light Opera and Theatre Association (CLOTA) More Info
  • Desert Community Orchestra Association
  • Indian Wells Valley Concert Association More Info
  • Cerro Coso Community College More Info
  • Maturango Junction More Info
  • Four Winds Inter-Tribal Pow Wow More Info
  • Ridgecrest Cinemas (8 Screens) More Info

Outdoor Recreation

  • Water Sports at Lake Isabella
  • Camping, Hiking, Fishing
  • Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation Department More Info
  • Ridgecrest Skate Park

Natural Wonders

  • Death Valley National Park More Info
  • Fossil Falls
  • Sequoia National Forest
  • Petroglyphs
  • Trona Pinnacles
  • Robbers Roost
  • Red Rock Canyon State Park
  • Kennedy Meadows

Recreational Facilities

  • Kerr McGee Center (racketball, basketball, gymnastics)
  • China Lake Golf Course (18 holes)
  • Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Center (MWR) (2 pools, gym, conditioning, aerobics)
  • Cerro Coso Community College (tennis, track, softball)
  • Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort (Death Valley)
  • Sierra Lanes Bowling (32 lanes)
  • Hall Memorial Bowling Lanes (on base)
  • Pinney Pool

Parks

  • LeRoy Jackson Park
  • James M. Pearson Park
  • Kerr McGee Youth Sports Complex
  • Freedom Park
  • McBride Park
  • Scoeffel Field
  • Skate Park
  • Solar Park
  • Upjohn Park

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