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Outdoor Life: Jawbone Canyon — Map out plan for adventure
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Posted by rdtusmc Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Whether you’re heading to the desert for a weekend of camping and riding dirt bikes, quads or 4x4s, or simply looking for a great day trip in the family car or mini van, the Jawbone Station Visitor Center is a great resource of information.
Located on Highway 14, about 15 miles north of Highway 58, it is an oasis in an otherwise desolate area. Some have only driven by the building on their way to Bishop or Mammoth, and others have known it for years as the go-to spot for maps and timely information on fun things to do and see in the Eastern Kern desert.
On a recent trip there, we also paid a visit to the historic Jawbone Canyon Store, rebuilt about five years ago after the original building was destroyed by fire.
The old store was featured on the cover of a 1990s Yamaha motorcycle product brochure and featured an array of broken motorcycle and 4x4 parts from vehicles that had encountered the unforgiving nature of the desert over the years.
Bent handlebars, wheels and other parts use to adorn the outside walls. That’s gone now, but the tradition lives on.
The store is about a half mile or so south of the Visitor Center on Highway 14. The new owners are doing a great job and have added a snack bar, souvenir shop and a log carvings shop to the gasoline and mini-mart fare offered to travelers.
The changing demographics of a once male-dominated sport were apparent as we walked up the steps to the store. Almost all of the dozen or so patrons sitting on benches in from of the store were ladies. They were sipping sodas, eating snacks and having a grand old time, laughing and recounting stories of riding adventures.
All decked out in riding gear with their quads and dirt bikes parked in the dirt lot, I found myself staring for a moment.
“What are you looking at?” Cheryl asked of me. It wasn’t an inappropriate stare from me, simply taking in the fact that women are flocking to off-roading at a pretty good clip. At least I think she believed the explanation of my gander.
So, back to the Visitor Center. Mr. Bob, the desert tortoise, was nowhere to be seen, didn’t get a chance to ask about him during our visit that day.
There have been new taxidermy displays added depicting rodents, reptiles and birds in various spooky poses. Lots of photos of nearby points of interest line the walls.
The Friends of Jawbone runs the center and sells books and videos about places to ride and also books about the history of the area.
There’s a good selection of children’s books with desert themes that have been the labor of volunteer Robin Mallow, who has done a bang-up job in her selections. Titles like “The Three Little Javelinas” (a take off on the Three Little Pigs); and “Kissing Coyotes” are just a few.
Robin and others also dish out directions and advice on various nearby and some not-so-nearby points of interest. I’ve mentioned before the Friends of Jawbone map, which is available for purchase at a nominal fee. It’s packed full of cool destinations and is considered THE map to have, if you’re plying the trails and roads of the eastern Kern desert area.
The Jawbone Canyon Off Highway Vehicle area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and offers a wide range of off-road opportunities and adventures and receives funding from the California OHV Trust Fund, paid in part by OHV registrations.
Happy Trails!
E-mail Dick at: rdtusmc@msn.com

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