Exploring Rainbow Basin

Located about eight miles north of Barstow in California’s Mojave Desert, Rainbow Basin Natural Area is known for its colorful rock formations, rugged canyons, and fascinating geology. Millions of years of sediment deposition, shifting earth, and erosion have created a landscape of tilted rock layers, winding washes, and unusual formations. Visitors can explore Coon Canyon and Fossil Canyon on foot, follow a scenic dirt road through the basin, or camp at Owl Canyon Campground. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the area is particularly popular with photographers, hikers, and those interested in the geological history of the Mojave Desert