photogenic
Trona Pinnacles
More than 500 calcium carbonate tufa spires rising up to 140 feet from a dry lake bed, used as an alien landscape in dozens of films. Five miles of usually 2WD-passable dirt road off SR-178.
27 km · about 30 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesCalifornia
Ridgecrest
California, United States · North America
About Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest is worth a stop: 15 minutes from China Lake Acres, 27km from Trona Pinnacles.
Ridgecrest is in California, United States, with about 29,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is China Lake Acres, about 9 km away.
Ridgecrest is a city in Kern County, California, United States, along U.S. Route 395 in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake (NAWS, or China Lake). It was incorporated as a city in 1963. The population was 27,959 at the 2020 census, up slightly fromRead more
27,616 at the 2010 census, making it the third-largest city in Kern County.
Ridgecrest is surrounded by four mountain ranges; the Sierra Nevada on the west, the Coso Range on the north, the Argus Range on the east, and the El Paso Mountains on the south. The most isolated community in Kern county, it is approximately 82 miles (132 km) from the Lancaster/Palmdale area, 110 miles (177 km) from Bakersfield, and 120 miles (193 km) from San Bernardino, the three nearest major urban centers. Private air travel in and out of the city is provided through the Inyokern Airport. There are currently no scheduled commercial flights.
The city has been near the epicenter of major earthquakes, including one in 1995 and a series of quakes in July 2019.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ridgecrest?
Within an hour or so of Ridgecrest: Trona Pinnacles (27 km).
Where is Ridgecrest?
Ridgecrest is in California, United States, about 9 km from China Lake Acres.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 28,780
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- California
- Timezone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Coordinates
- 35.6225, -117.6709
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Ridgecrest
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
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