Escape The Chaos Of The Cities And Embrace Serenity At California's Best Desert Towns

Many visitors to California are drawn to the Pacific Coast, and why wouldn't they be? With great weather most of the year and miles of gorgeous beaches, it is the perfect place for a vacation. And that's before you get into the Golden State's string of iconic cities, from San Diego near the Mexican border to San Francisco and the Bay Area. Indeed, you could spend a lifetime exploring and eating your way across these towns without ever setting foot on sand and still die happy. No wonder the bulk of the population lives on the coast in these urban sprawls, and their allure makes it easy to forget that the Californian coastline is just a small percentage of the state's total area (around 22%) compared to the mountains and deserts inland. Yet heading out into the desert is the perfect way to embrace serenity when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the cities.

Almost 40% of California's interior is covered by three separate deserts: the Great Basin, the Mojave, and the Colorado. In the Mojave Desert, you will face notorious Death Valley, officially the hottest place on Earth, dotted with ghost towns that provide an evocative reminder of the boom and bust years of the Californian Gold Rush. But not all desert towns are ghosted. Although temperatures are often very high, the wide open expanses of California's outback are punctuated by a diverse range of desert towns that make for a superb getaway. Let's take a look at some of the best.

Located a leisurely 90-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles, Palm Springs is perhaps the quintessential Californian desert getaway. As its name suggests, the resort city in Coachella Valley is a stylish oasis of palm trees, Hockney-esque swimming pools, pastel colors, and low-rise mid-20th century architecture. Long known as Hollywood's playground, it was once a favorite desert retreat for Tinseltown stars like Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas, and Elizabeth Taylor, and it still attracts modern day A-listers such as Brad Pitt and Anne Hathaway. 

Palm Springs offers plenty of leisurely sights and activities to keep you occupied during your stay. Take a selfie with the Marilyn Monroe statue, ride the Aerial Tramway to the peak of Mount San Jacinto, or check out some modern and contemporary work at the Palm Springs Art Museum. You can play 18 holes at Indian Canyons Golf Resort, the same resort that once hosted the likes of Bob Hope and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Once you've checked in, you'll find that the city is a safe and welcoming place for all visitors — it's known as one of the most queer-friendly towns in America, and it's also a great family-friendly destination even in the winter. Beyond sightseeing, Palm Springs is a great place for a little retail therapy, and it also has a terrific choice of restaurants and bars to choose from, ranging from the latest buzzy spots to vintage classics like Johnny Costa's Ristorante, a favorite former haunt of the Rat Pack where you can still dine on Frank Sinatra's favorite dish of steak and clams.

Located in the heart of the Mojave Desert, the sleepy town of Baker started life as a railroad station founded in 1908 and now lingers on as a quirky stopover full of oddball delights. Although it has a population of around 500 people, it has the air of a living 20th-century ghost town. As you approach Baker on Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the first thing you will see is a giant thermometer rising from the desert. At 134 feet, it is officially the tallest thermometer in the world, built to commemorate the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States (134 degrees Fahrenheit) in nearby Death Valley in 1913. Thankfully, this unusual landmark is unlikely to top out during your visit — the highest it ever reached was 127 degrees in August 1995. 

Other offbeat places of interest in the town include Alien Fresh Jerky, a roadside store devoted to dried meats and inspired by Area 51 in neighboring Nevada. Jerky lovers will be transported to another world with appropriately-named interstellar flavors like Abducted Cow Pineapple Teriyaki and BBQ on the Moon. A short way outside of town, you can also visit Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Healing Center, the dubious and now-defunct spa resort built in the 1940s by quack doctor and evangelist Curtis Howe Springer. Also in the desert nearby, you can check out the mysterious Mojave Megaphone or cool off in the awe-inspiring Mojave Lava Tube, a remnant from the area's volcanic past.

If you really want to get off the grid for a while, then Slab City might just be the place for you. The ramshackle commune, established in an abandoned U.S. Marine Corp training camp, lies just 4 miles outside the small town of Niland, but might as well be on another planet. Gaining worldwide notoriety as the last lawless destination in the U.S., the Slabs is a haven for ageing hippies, artists, roving RV campers, survivalists, squatters, and various other misfits who love the idea of shunning regular society for a taste of freedom in the desert. The population fluctuates significantly from around 150 hardcore year-rounders in the scorching summer heat up to 4,000 in the winter, when milder temperatures attract an influx of curiosity-seekers and short-term residents. 

Without running water, sewage facilities, garbage disposal, or a standard electric grid, staying any longer than a passing visit is not the best bet for anyone unable to live without creature comforts. Even so, there are amenities including a hostel, campsites, shops, a library, an internet café, an outdoor club and music venue, plus a few places to eat and a communal shower. Slab City is a tourist attraction in its own right, and the locals rely on bartering and visitors' dollars to get by. There are some interesting sights such as the colorful man-made Salvation Mountain and giant sculptures built from scrap metal, tires, and other discarded material. Slab City definitely isn't for everyone, but it is a unique place for those with a sense of adventure.

California has plenty of great ghost towns to visit, but Pioneertown is something different. At first glance, it may look like a typical Old West settlement left to picturesque decline, but it was only brought into existence in the 1940s by a group of investors who wanted to create a "living, breathing movie set." Over 200 movies and TV shows have been filmed in the town since its heyday in the '40s and '50s during the Golden Age of Hollywood, especially westerns. Real people live here too, with a population of around 400 people calling it home. 

Pioneertown is situated on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park a short way outside Yucca Valley, and it makes for a great alternative base for exploring the famous desert landscape. Don't expect staged gunfights and other touristy attractions that you might find in places like Calico Ghost Town — this is a regular community that just happens to be based in a Wild West film set. Much of the charm stems from soaking in the atmosphere as you wander along downtown Mane Street (hoof 'n' foot only, no cars) and browse the shops and businesses run by hardy locals. There are several places that offer accommodations, and no visit to Pioneertown would be complete without an evening spent at Pappy + Harriet's, a roadhouse saloon famed for its open-fire BBQ and live music. Over the years, the restaurant has welcomed acts ranging from Paul McCartney and Patti Smith to the Arctic Monkeys and the Dead Kennedys.

Located in the Mojave Desert on the border with Arizona, Needles was founded in 1883 and it is one of the oldest surviving communities in the area. Taking its name from a series of spiky rock formations nearby, the modern-day city is a secluded getaway that offers unexpected luxury in the baking sun and a taste of pure 20th-century Americana. As the self-declared gateway to California, the legendary Route 66 once passed right through downtown and left behind a legacy of fading old-school motels, gas stations, and diners of the classic mid-century vintage. Going back even further, you can get a taste of the city's early heyday at El Garces Historic Train Depot, an elegant station and hotel that once welcomed famous guests such as Charlie Chaplin and General George S. Patton. 

Needles is also one of the hottest places in the United States, with temperatures regularly topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. Thankfully, it is situated on the west bank of the Colorado River, which makes it a popular destination for swimming, fishing, sunbathing, camping, and water sports. If you fancy a leisurely 18 holes while basking in the desert heat, Rivers Edge Golf Course is a lush burst of green against the parched landscape. If you plan to stay for a few days, Pirate Cove Resort has an RV site and beautiful beachfront cabins, plus a wide range of water-based amenities and plentiful cocktails at the leisurely bar and restaurant.