Zzyzx Road - The Stuff Of Secluded Dreams in America

This is the stuff of myths and legends.  A weird sounding road that appears in the middle of the desert as you travel a major highway.  At the end of the road you will find a small lake with mythical healing powers.  A small town with a famous celebrity filled spa abandoned due to the sands of time.  A road with a name that the last to be listed in the American road directory.  It was named by design.  It is a real road called Zzyzx road and it is nestled between the two major American cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  It is pronounced ZY-ziks, rhyming with Isaac.

Zzyzx road is located a few miles south of Baker, CA as an off ramp in the major interstate corridor highway of the I-15.  It is smack dab in the middle of the famous Mojave Desert shared by California and Nevada.  If you are heading from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, it will be a hour or so after you past the major rest stop of Barstow and a few miles before you reach Baker.  This is approximately 3 hours after you leave Los Angeles.  Of course travel time varies depending on travel conditions and where you depart from in Los Angeles.  L.A. is the size of a small country!  If you are headed the other way, from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, you will see the Zzyxz sign a few miles after you past by Baker.  This is approximately an hour or so after you leave Vegas.

Look for the green freeway sign off the freeway as seen below and pull into the road.  If you are heading north you will exit into the road immediately.  If you are heading south you will cross over an overpass.

Once on the road you will drive through a paved road for about 3.5 miles.  Then you will come across a small patch of dirt road.  Keep going and you hit paved road again for the last mile before you reach the Zzyzx desert mineral oasis and spa, or what is left of it.    Sit by the idle swings and admire the quiet beauty of the place.  It is quite an eerie scene indeed.

Abandoned Zzyzx Mineral Spa and Resort
There use to be a famous spa here where celebrities came to and other wealthy socialites.  Many swear by the healing power that this place has.  You can visit the deserted spa and see a dryed out swimming pool and small oasis like personal pools as seen below.

Zzyzx Research Facility
It is not all lost of human activity.  Although the resort is abandoned, there is a science desert research facility runned by 7 Cal State Universities that has taken up some of the old resort buildings.  Cal State is a chain of 19 or so public education universities owned and operated by California.  It is the second of two major university chains. The first and most famous being the 10 Unversity of California schools with the likes of U.C. Berkeley and U.C.L.A.  Some classes from one of the participating Cal States, Cal State Fullerton, require students make a field trip to the research facility as a mandatory assignment to pass the course.

Zzyzx Flora and Fauna

The reason the research facility is here is because of all the flora and fauna plus wildlife nearby.  There are over 200 bird species, indigenous rare lizards and plants nearby.  There are over 200 plant species nearby including cacti, shrubs, and bushes.  Who says the Mojave desert is devoid of life?!

Mojave Lava Tube Caves

Just a few miles down the I-15 you can visit the Mojave Lava Tube Caves.  Who would have thought there would be volcanic lava tubes you can just walk right into?!  These lava tube caves are pierced from the top so sunlight beams in to specific spots and that creates a most fantastical sight to behold.  You definitely want to have your camera ready for this one.

Summary

We hope you make it to California and have the opportunity to drive this scenic stretch of freeway to make it to Zzyzx road and to see its conclusion at the oasis.  This is truly a Secluded Glen type of place!